Jarvis Cocker's greatest lyrics

19 September 2025, 13:04 | Updated: 15 December 2025, 12:51

The Pulp frontman turns 62 on 19th September 2025, so here are some of the Britpop legend's finest lyrical couplets.

1. "I said 'Pretend you got no money' - And she just laughed and said 'Oh, you're so funny'. I said Yeah... Well, I can't see anyone else smiling in here."

   Common People, 1995

   

   Pulp - Common People

2. "Your name is Deborah, Deborah... It never suited ya."

   Disco 2000, 1995

   

   Pulp - Disco 2000

3. "I heard you stop outside the door, I know you won't believe it's true. I only went with her 'cos she looks like you."

   Babies, 1992

   

   Pulp - Babies

4. "Do you remember the first time? I can't remember a worse time... But you know that we've changed so much since then."

   Do You Remember The First Time?, 1994

   

   Pulp - Do You Remember the First Time?

5. "Is this the way they say the future's meant to feel? Or just twenty thousand people standing in a field?"

   Sorted For E's And Wizz, 1995

   

   Pulp - Sorted For E's & Wizz (Video)

6. "I wrote this song two hours before we met, I didn't know your name or what you looked like yet."

   Something Changed, 1995

   

   Pulp - Something Changed

7. "His body loved her / His mind was set on other things."

   They Suffocate At Night, 1987

   

   They Suffocate at Night

8. "You could end up with a smack in the mouth, just for standing out."

   Mis-Shapes, 1995

   

   Pulp - Mis-Shapes

9. "I guess you have to go right down before you understand just how low a human being can go."

   Mile End, 1996

   

   Mile End (From 'Trainspotting' Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

10. "And now you're going with some kid / Who looks like some bad comedian."

    Razzmatazz, 1993

    

    Pulp Razzamatazz

11. "If you look very hard / Behind those lines upon their face / You may see where you are headed / And it's such a lonely place."

    Help The Aged, 1997

    

    Pulp - Help The Aged

12. "No wonder you're looking thin / When all that you live on is lipgloss and cigarettes."

    Lipgloss, 1993

    

    Pulp - Lipgloss

13. "The word's on the street, you've found someone new / If he looks nothing like me, I'm so happy for you."

    Bad Cover Version, 2001

    

    Pulp - Bad Cover Version

14. "Entertainment can sometimes be hard / When the thing that you love / Is the same thing that's holding you down."

    Party Hard, 1997

    

    Pulp - Party Hard

15. "Your skin so pale against the fallen autumn leaves / And no-one saw us but the trees."

    The Trees, 2001

    

    Pulp - The Trees

16. "I was born to perform / It's a calling / I exist to do this / Shouting and pointing"

    Spike Island, 2025

    

    Pulp - Spike Island (Official Video)

18. "Without love / You're just making a fool of yourself / Without love / You're just jerking off inside someone else."

    Got To Have Love, 2025

    

    Pulp - Got to Have Love (Official Video)