Pulp - We Love Life

PULP

WE LOVE LIFE (2001)

  1. Weeds
  2. Weeds II
  3. The Night That Minnie Timperley Died
  4. The Trees
  5. Wickerman
  6. I Love Life
  7. The Birds In Your Garden
  8. Bob Lind
  9. Bad Cover Version
10. Road Kill
11. Sunrise

PULP

WE LOVE LIFE

1. WEEDS

We came across the North Sea with our carriers on our knees
Wound up in some holding camp, somewhere outside Leeds
Because we do not care to fight, my friends, we are the weeds
Because we got no homes they call us smelly refugees

We are weeds, vegetation, dense undergrowth
Thru' cracks in the pavement: there weeds will grow
The places you don't go

This cut-price dairy produce that turns our bones to dust
You want some entertainment? Go on, shove it up me, if you must
Make believe you're so turned on by planting trees and shrubs
But you come round to visit us when you fancy booze 'n' drugs

We are weeds, vegetation, dense undergrowth
Thru' cracks in the pavement: there weeds will grow
The places you don't go

If you think it's a crime
We'd like to get you out of your mind
It's just a matter of time, yeah
We'd like to get you out of your mind
Gonna cut you down in your prime, yeah
We'd like to get you out of your mind
For a little time: for all time

Weed.

2. WEEDS II (ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES)

This is the true story of the weeds: the origin of the species
A story of cultivation, exploitation, civilisation

Found flowering on wasteland unnoticed, unofficial, accidental
A cutting was taken but weeds do not thrive under hothouse conditions
And wilt when in competition with more exotic strains
A charming naivety, very short flowering season
No sooner has the first blooming begun than decay sets in
Bring your camera, take a photo of life on the margins
Offer money in exchange for sex, and then get a taxi home
The story has always been the same
A source of wonder due to their ability to thrive
On poor quality soil offering very little nourishment
Drinking nourishment
But weeds must be kept under strict control
Or they will destroy everything in their path

Growing wild, then harvested in their prime
And passed around at dinner parties

Care for some weed?
So natural, so wild, so unrefined
And someone's gonna make a fortune one day
If only they can market this stuff right

Come on, do your dance
Come on, do your funny little dance

Germination
Plantation
Exploitation
Civilisation

A sensational buzz, zzzzzz
Crop rotation, genetic modification
The creation of expectation
Ultimate frustration
This is the story of the weeds: the origin of the species.

3. THE NIGHT THAT MINNIE TIMPERLEY DIED

There's a light, that shines, on everything and everyone
And it shines, so bright, brighter even than the sun
That's what Minnie thinks as she walks to meet her brother
Who is nearly two years older, on a Saturday night
He's DJ-ing at some do on the edge of town
On the night that Minnie Timperley died

It's such a beautiful world
You're such a beautiful girl
So much that you want to try
The world wants to sleep with you tonight
But Minnie, Minnie, if I could
I would give you the rest of my life

How can a girl have sex, with these pathetic teenage wrecks?
All football scarves, the girls drink halves
And her brother's crying 'cause he has lost his decks
Outside the air was cool, an older guy sitting in his car
Asked if Minnie needed a ride
He thought he was still dangerous, paunchy but dangerous
On the night that Minnie Timperley died

It's such a beautiful world
You're such a beautiful girl
And he only did what he did
'Cause you looked like one of his kids
But Minnie, Minnie, if I could
I would give you the rest of my life

Oh, Minnie I can feel the pain
Oh, Minnie I can feel the pain
Oh, Minnie I can feel the pain, the pain, the pain
The pain, the pain, the pain, yeah
Oh, Minnie I can feel the pain
Oh, Minnie I can feel the pain
Oh, Minnie I can feel the pain, the pain, the pain
The pain, the pain, the pain, yeah
Oh, Minnie I can feel the pain
Oh, Minnie I can feel the pain
Oh, Minnie I can feel the pain, the pain, the pain
The pain, the pain, the pain, yeah
Oh, Minnie I can feel the pain
Oh, Minnie I can feel the pain
Oh, Minnie I can feel the pain, the pain, the pain
The pain, the pain, the pain, yeah
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

4. THE TREES

I took an air-rifle, shot a magpie to the ground
And it died without a sound
Your skin so pale against the fallen Autumn leaves
And no-one saw us but the trees

Yeah, the trees, those useless trees
Produce the air that I am breathing
Yeah, the trees, those useless trees
They never said that you were leaving

I carved your name with a heart just up above
Now swollen, distorted, unrecognisable like our love
The smell of leaf mould and the sweetness of decay
Are the incense at the funeral procession here today

In the trees, those useless trees
Produce the air that I am breathing
Yeah, the trees, those useless trees
They never said that you were leaving

You try to shape the world to what you want the world to be
Carving your name a thousand times won't bring you back to me
Oh no, no I might as well, I might as well go and tell it to the trees

Oh yeah, the trees, those useless trees
Produce the air that I am breathing
Yeah, the trees, those useless trees
They never said that you were leaving
Go and tell it to the trees, yeah
Go and tell it to the trees, yeah
Go and tell it to the trees, yeah
Go and tell it to the trees, yeah.

5. WICKERMAN

Just behind the station
Before you reach the traffic island
A river runs through a concrete channel
I took you there once
I think it was after the Leadmill
The water was dirty and smelt of industrialisation
Little mesters coughing their lungs up
And globules the colour of tomato ketchup
But it flows
Yeah, it flows

Underneath the city through dirty brickwork conduits
Connecting white witches on the Moor
With pre-Raphaelites down in Broomhall
Beneath the old Trebor factory
That burnt down in the early seventies
Leaving an antiquated sweet-shop smell and caverns of nougat and caramel
Nougat
Yeah, nougat and caramel
And the river flows on

Yeah, the river flows on
Beneath pudgy fifteen-year olds addicted to coffee whitener
Courting couples naked on Northern Upholstery
And pensioners gathering dust like bowls of plastic tulips
And it finally comes above ground again at Forge Dam
The place where we first met

I went there again for old time's sake
Hoping to find the child's toy horse ride
That played such a ridiculously tragic tune
It was still there
But none of the kids seemed interested in riding on it
And the cafe was still there too
The same press-in plastic letters on the price list
And scuffed Formica-top tables
I sat as close as possible to the seat
Where I'd met you that autumn afternoon
And then, after what seemed like hours of thinking about it
I finally took your face in my hands
And I kissed you for the first time
And a feeling like electricity flowed through my whole body
And I immediately knew that I'd entered a completely different world
And all the time, in the background
The sound of that ridiculously heartbreaking child's ride outside

At the other end of town the river flows
Underneath an old railway viaduct
I went there with you once, except you were somebody else
And we gazed down at the sludgy brown surface of the water together
Then a passer-by told us that it used to be
A local custom to jump off the viaduct into the river
When coming home from the pub on a Saturday night
But that this custom had died out
When someone jumped and landed too near to the riverbank
And had sunk in the mud there and drowned
Before anyone could reach them
Maybe he'd just made the whole story up
But there's no way you'd get me to jump off that bridge, no chance
Never in a million years

Yeah, a river flows underneath this city
I'd like to go there with you now my pretty
And follow it on for miles and miles
Below other people's ordinary lives
Occasionally catching a glimpse of the moon
Through man-hole covers along the route
Yeah, it's dark sometimes but if you hold my hand
I think I know the way
Oh, this is as far as we got last time
But if we go just another mile
We will surface surrounded by grass and trees
And the fly-over that takes the cars to cities
Buds that explode at the slightest touch
Nettles that sting, but not too much
I've never been past this point
What lies ahead I really could not say
And I used to live just by the river
In a dis-used factory just off the Wicker
And the river flowed by day after day
"One day" I thought, "One day I will follow it"
But that day never came
I moved away and lost track
But tonight I am thinking about making my way back
I may find you there and float on
Wherever the river may take me
Wherever the river may take me
Wherever the river may take us
Wherever it wants us to go
Wherever it wants us to go.

6. I LOVE LIFE

Here comes your bedtime story
Mum and dad have sentenced you to life
Don't think twice
It's the only reason I'm alive
I feel alright as long as I don't forget to breathe
Breathe in, breathe in, breathe out
Look at all these buildings and houses
I love my life
I love my life

Hey, now, slow down a minute
Take my arms and fill them full of life
Don't think twice
Does it ease the pain of being alive?
Or is it why, why you keep nodding out on me?
Breathe in, breathe in, breathe out
Another day, another major disaster
I love my life
I love my life

You got a problem
I lost my keys when I stayed at your place
On the floor of your living room
Well, you made the scene
But it'll never get shown on TV
So tonight prepare to kiss goodbye to my lovelife

Now get this right
I love my life
It's the only reason I'm alive
It's mine, all mine
As long as I don't forget to breathe
Breathe in, breathe in, breathe out
Corny I know, but you had better believe it
I love my life
I love my life
I love my life
God, how I love my life

That's right, that's right, all right
You've got to fight to the death for the right to live your life
All right, all right, I'm gonna fight to the death 'til they give me back my life
All right, all right, you're gonna fight to the death 'til they give you back your life
All right, all right, you're in the land of the living but there's so few signs of life
All right, all right, all right, all right

Breathe in
Breathe out
Breathe in
Breathe out
Breathe in
Breathe out
Breathe in
Breathe out
Breathe out.

7. THE BIRDS IN YOUR GARDEN

It's six o'clock, the birds are singing
I'm wide awake whilst you're still fast asleep

I went outside, into your garden
The sun was bright and the air was cool
And as I stood there listening
Oh well the birds in your garden they all started singing this song
"Take her now, don't be scared
It's alright, oh, come on, touch her inside
It's a crime against nature
She's been waiting all night
Come on, hold her and kiss her and tell her you care
If you wait 'til tomorrow she'll no longer be there
Come on, come on and give it to her
You know it's now or never"
Yeah, the birds in your garden have all started singing this song

My father never told me about the birds and the bees
And I guess I never realised
That I would ever meet birds as beautiful as these
I came inside, climbed to your bedroom
I kissed your eyes awake and then I did what I knew was only natural
And then the birds in your garden, they all started singing this song
"Take her now, don't be scared
It's alright, oh, come on, touch her inside
It's a crime against nature
She's been waiting all night
Come on, hold her and kiss her and tell her you care
If you wait 'til tomorrow she'll no longer be there
Come on, come on and give it to her
You know it's now or never"
Yeah, the birds in your garden have all started singing this song

Yeah, the birds in your garden, they taught me the words to this song.

8. BOB LIND (THE ONLY WAY IS DOWN)

When you think you're treading water
But you're just learning how to drown
And a song comes on the radio
Telling you that "The Only Way is Down"
You're out of luck
You're out of time, get out of here
Your lover just traded you in for the very same model
But a much more recent year
It will not stop, it will get worse from day to day
Till you admit that you're a fuck-up, like the rest of us
Oh, that's the time you fall apart
That's the time the teardrops start
And that's the time, you fall in love again
Yeah, that's the time you fall in love again

The recreational pursuits that made you shine have worn you thin
And it's oh so fine getting out of your mind
As long as you can find your way back in
You want someone to screw your brains out
I'd say they're running out of time
And they'd only go and cut themselves on the daggers of your mind
Yeah, this is your future
This is the sentence you must serve
Till you admit that you're a fuck-up, like the rest of us
Oh, that's the time you fall apart
That's the time the teardrops start and
That's the time you fall in love again

When you've had enough, when you've had too much
When you got knocked down and you never got up
Well, that's the time you fall in love again

Oh, when you walked into the room
I could not breathe, I could not speak
Please can I hide myself inside you?
As far inside as it's possible to be
Can you assist me?
I could not make it on my own
Can I give you all the love I have?
It's not much but I'll try and raise a loan
I have no pride left
No, no there is nothing I'm trying to prove
Oh no, I am a fuck-up, just the same as you
Oh, I guess this is where I fall apart
And I guess this is where the teardrops start
But I don't care 'cause I just fell in love again
And I'd have enough, well, far too much
I just fell down, could you please help me up?
'Cause if you help me maybe I could fall in love again

Na na na na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na na na na na.

9. BAD COVER VERSION

The word's on the street
You've found someone new
If he looks nothing like me
I'm so happy for you
I heard an old girlfriend
Has turned to the church
She's trying to replace me
But it'll never work

'Cause every touch reminds you of
Just how sweet it could have been
And every time he kisses you
It leaves behind the bitter taste of saccharine

A bad cover version of love is not the real thing
Bikini-clad girl on the front who invited you in
Such great disappointment
When you got him home
The original was so good
The one you no longer own

And every touch reminds you of
Just how sweet it could have been
And every time he kisses you
You get the taste of saccharine

It's not easy to forget me
It's so hard to disconnect
When it's electronically reprocessed
To give a more life-like effect

Aah, sing your song, about all the sad imitations
That got it so wrong
It's like a later "Tom and Jerry"
When the two of them could talk
Like the Stones since the eighties
Like the last days of Southfork
Like "Planet of the Apes" on TV
The second side of "'Til the Band Comes in"
Like an own-brand box of cornflakes
He's going to let you down my friend.

10. ROAD KILL

The feel of my arm, around your waist
The pale blue nightdress that you wore
Your hair in braids, your sailor top
The things I don't see anymore, no, no

You lost your suitcase in my hotel room
A subway token from your ma
The sun reflecting off the water on your face
And the way you drove your car

All these things I can't forget, though I don't see you anymore
Drove to the airport, through a traffic jam
A deer lay dying in the road
Maybe I should have seen it as some kind of sign
Except I don't believe in them no more, no, no
But I believe these things I can't forget
Though I don't see you anymore
Yes, I believe these things, I can't forget
'Cause I see them though I don't see you anymore.

11. SUNRISE

I used to hate the sun because it shone on everything I'd done
Made me feel that all that I had done
Was overfill the ashtray of my life
All my achievements in days of yore range from pathetic to piss-poor
But all that's gonna change

Because here comes sunrise
Yeah, here's your sunrise

I used to hide from the sun
Tried to live my whole life underground
Why'd you have to rise and ruin all my fun?
Just turn over, closed the curtains on the day

But here comes sunrise
Yeah, here's your sunrise
When you've been awake all night long
And you feel like crashing out at dawn
But you've been awake all night
So why should you crash out at dawn?

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