‘I Spy’: The “most savage” Pulp song Jarvis Cocker ever wrote
From the press-imposed Britpop battles to frontman Jarvis Cocker’s stunt onstage at the Brit Awards and the societal criticism in their lyrics, Pulp rarely shied away from conflict. Though stories of sex and love often dominated their music, particularly the iconic Different Class, they were generally told through Cocker’s British working class lens. Unafraid to confront his issues with the upper classes, this often resulted in some biting lyrics.
Pulp’s biggest hit, ‘Common People’, was a fine example of this, one which satirised class tourism pointedly directed at those who engaged in it. He declares, “Everybody hates a tourist, especially one who thinks it’s all such a laugh.” While ‘Common People’ might be their signature track and their most famous sonic criticism of society, Cocker has suggested that they once penned a far more savage track.
The vocalist once declared that ‘I Spy’ was one of the most savage songs he had ever written. Featuring on their iconic fifth studio record, Different Class, in 1995, ‘I Spy’ featured Cocker’s low, almost whispered vocals over eerily twinkling guitar instrumentals. When they give way to a fuller soundscape, Cocker declares, “Can’t you see the giant that walks around you seeing through your petty lives? Do you think I do these things for real, I do these things just so I survive.”
The song follows Cocker’s protagonist as he spies on the “Lords and Ladies”, taking notes and studying them in order to eventually blow their paradises away by sleeping with their wives, smoking their cigarettes and drinking their brandy. Cocker wrote the track while he was “on the dole in Sheffield” when he used to sneer at those on the street in spite of his own situation.
He explained the thought process behind this hobby, recalling, “Sometimes, if you’re in a real cocky mood, you can walk down the street and kind of despise people from above. You know, that kind of superior hate. There you are, walking down the street, and everyone just thinks you’re this useless, jobless piece of crap. But inside, you feel really strong.”
He continued, “Their hatred sort of helps you feel that way. You know what’s going on, you’ve got their number, and you know you’re gonna get your own back some day… I think it’s important to acknowledge that you’ve got those feelings inside you. It’s usually when you don’t admit to those things or fail to recognise them that they build up and explode.”
This sense of hatred and strength is certainly conveyed in the track, in which Cocker sounds almost frighteningly vengeful and confident. In its class-fuelled lyricism and chilling tone, it’s easy to see why Cocker considered it to be one of their most savage tracks and “definitely the most vindictive”.
Listen to the Pulp track Jarvis Cocker considered one of their “most savage” below.
