Babies (song)
Encyclopedia
"Babies" is a song and single by British rock group Pulp
. It was released as a single for Gift Records in 1992, and was later remixed for the Sisters EP
in 1994. The remixed version featured on the His 'n' Hers
album and the original single mix on the Intro compilation. The song failed to chart in 1992, but became a Top 20 hit when re-released in 1994, peaking at #19 on the UK Singles Chart
.
Jarvis Cocker
discussed the song with Will Hodgkinson
in the 2009 Sky Arts 'Jarvis Cocker: Songbook'. Cocker described the genesis for the song being when Pulp's drummer Nick Banks
played a few mistaken chords on the guitar, leading to some interesting sounds which Cocker then worked into a song.
Pulp (band)
Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks ....
. It was released as a single for Gift Records in 1992, and was later remixed for the Sisters EP
The Sisters EP
The Sisters EP was released by Pulp in 1994 and was their third single released after the band signed to Island Records and reached number 19 in the UK charts, their highest chart position at the time.-Overview:...
in 1994. The remixed version featured on the His 'n' Hers
His 'n' Hers
His 'n' Hers is the fourth studio album by Pulp and is commonly cited as the band's breakthrough album, reaching #9 in the UK charts. In 1998, Q magazine readers voted it the 70th greatest album of all time. A "deluxe edition" of His 'n' Hers was released on 11 September 2006. It contained a second...
album and the original single mix on the Intro compilation. The song failed to chart in 1992, but became a Top 20 hit when re-released in 1994, peaking at #19 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Song
Babies follows a simple 'Teen Angst' story-song. The song's protagonist, a teenage boy, spends platonic afternoons in a female friend's room listening to her older sister and the boys she takes to her room and, presumably, has sex with but this isn't enough for him and he hides in the elder sister's wardrobe and watches her with David, who works in a local garage. Unable to tell the younger sister, who appears to be the real object of his affections, for fear she will tell her mother the song's narrator listens outside as she proposes sex to a boy named Neve (The song's chorus is a proposal of sex 'I wanna take you home, I wanna give you children...'). Finally he comes 'home' to the disappointment that the elder sister has moved out, presumably in an act of nostalgia he re-enters the wardrobe but falls asleep and is found by the elder sister and the two have sex only to be caught by the younger sister, culminating in the boy making the pathetic, but seemingly genuine, excuse "I only went with her cos she looks like you".Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Branson Cocker is an English musician and frontman for the band Pulp. Through his work with the band, Cocker became a figurehead of the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s. Following Pulp's hiatus Cocker has led a successful solo career...
discussed the song with Will Hodgkinson
Will Hodgkinson
Will Hodgkinson is a journalist and author from London, England. He writes for The Guardian newspaper, 'The Times newspaper, 'Mojo magazine, and presents the Sky Arts TV show Songbook, in which he interviews contemporary songwriters....
in the 2009 Sky Arts 'Jarvis Cocker: Songbook'. Cocker described the genesis for the song being when Pulp's drummer Nick Banks
Nick Banks
Nick Banks is the English drummer in the British band, Pulp. He lives in Sheffield with his wife Sarah Banks, two children , and his dog Geoff...
played a few mistaken chords on the guitar, leading to some interesting sounds which Cocker then worked into a song.
Video(s)
The video features the band playing (including an improvised odd/beautiful/sexual dance from Jarvis Cocker) interspersed with clips of two sisters fooling around on a bed as well as using text to preempt certain things i.e. 'Chorus' or 'Punch Line' before Jarvis sings "I only went with her cos she looks like you" it is currently available on the Hits DVD, and was previously included on the Sorted for Films and Vids VHS. Island Records had the band make another video to promote the Sisters EP, but it is shown rarely nowadays.Track listings
- "Babies" (4:07)
- "Styloroc (Nites of Suburbia)" (3:13)
- "Sheffield: Sex City" (8:34)
- "Sheffield: Sex City" (instrumental)* (8:33)
- The instrumental version of "Sheffield: Sex City" does not appear on the 12" version