Lyrics for Common People as interpreted by 3ssence

Common People Lyrics
She came from Greece, she had a thirst for knowledge
She studied sculpture at St. Martin's college
That's where I
Caught her eye
She told me that her Dad was loaded
I said "In that case I'll have rum and coca-cola."
She said "Fine,"
And then in thirty seconds time, she said -
"I wanna live like common people,
I wanna do whatever common people do,
I wanna sleep with common people,
I wanna sleep with common people like you."
Well what else could I do?
I said "I'll see what I can do."

I took her to a supermarket
I don't know why, but I had to start it somewhere
So it started there
I said "Pretend you've got no money."
But she just laughed an said "Oh you're so funny."
I said "Yeah?
Well I can't see anyone else smiling in here.
Are you sure you want to live like common people,
you want to see whatever common people see,
you want to sleep with common people,
you want to sleep with common people like me?"
But she didn't understand
She just smiled and held my hand

Rent a flat above a shop
Cut your hair and get a job
Smoke some fags and play some pool
Pretend you never went to school
But still you'll never get it right
'Cos when you're laid in bed at night
Watching roaches climb the wall
If you called your Dad he could stop it all
Yeah
You'll never live like common people,
You'll never do whatever common people do,
You'll never fail like common people,
You'll never watch your life slide out of view,
And then dance, and drink, and screw
Because there's nothing else to do

Sing along with the common people
Sing along and it might just get you through
Laugh along with the common people
Laugh along even though they're laughing at you
And the stupid things that you do
Because you think that poor is cool

Like a dog lying in a corner
They will bite and never warn you
Look out
They'll tear your insides out
'Cos everybody hates a tourist
Especially one who thinks it's
All such a laugh
Yeah, and the chIp stain's grease will come out in the bath
You will never understand
How it feels to live your life
With no meaning or control
And with nowhere else to go
You are amazed that they exist
And they burn so bright whilst you can only wonder why

Rent a flat above a shop
Cut your hair and get a job
Smoke some fags and play some pool
Pretend you never went to school
But still you'll never get it right
`Cos when you're laid in bed at night
Watching roaches climb the wall
If you called your Dad he could stop it all
You'll never live like common people
You'll never do what common people do
You'll never fail like common people
You'll never watch your life slide out of view
And then dance, and drink, and screw
Because there's nothing else to do

I want to live with common people like you
I want to live with common people like you
I want to live with common people like you
I want to live with common people like you
I want to live with common people like you
I want to live with common people like you
I want to live with common people like you
I want to live with common people like you
Aa-aa-ah la la la la...
Oh yeah.

Interaction
Mail to a friend Send Lyrics to a Friend
Share on Facebook

Stumble It
Add to Del.icio.us Add to Del.icio.us




  • 48 Comments
  • Printer Friendly Lyrics
roger wilco
05-13-2002

Rated +1 
the grass is greener on the other side, or is it? this song is brilliant. two different people come from opposite lifestyles, and long to have what the other has.

the rich girl wants to live a seemingly simpler, plebian lifestyle, but (according to Jarvis Cocker) she could call Daddy and bail out anytime. the narrator doesn't have that luxury. he lives the life of a common person day in-day out.


Log in to reply
BunnyHatteShoppe
05-27-2002

Rated 0 
I hate rich people or even well to do people who despise their wealth. Instead of being useful and helping others, they sit around moping because they want to be like the hip poor kids. You know, most of us lower class kids would much rather have money. And if we had it, we wouldn't deny it. *sigh*

Log in to reply
mytwojakes
06-02-2002

Rated 0 
Apparently based on true events when Jarvis was studying at St Martin's. The girl in question was the daughter of a Greek shipping magnate (or something), and wanted to live like a poor person to improve "her art."

Log in to reply
courtneytaylor
03-21-2003

Rated 0 
wow, this song really sums up the mid-ninties peak of brit pop, the clever, commercial, but Real athenmic songs.......ummm

Log in to reply
dansr
04-27-2003

Rated 0 
this song rocks! i wish i was around to go to one of their concerts back in the day

Log in to reply
Gray
06-13-2003

Rated 0 
I just heard this song covered last night at a show. I was amazed. It's so emotionally charged. I've had it stuck in my head ever since.

Log in to reply
stripesproject
07-07-2003

Rated 0 
finally, a song that points out why i hated all those rich snobby kids back in high school. god i hated them bastards trying to be "cool". why are dickies so popular all of a sudden. that's all my mom was able to afford for me as a kid. now i can't even afford a pair!!!!

Log in to reply
fermata
05-14-2004

Rated 0 
a masterpiece.

Log in to reply
MartinC
10-20-2004

Rated 0 
A wonderful song-lyric. Wish I'd written it. About rich people who "think that poor is cool": immediately makes me think of people who spend $$$ on pre-ripped (thus "punk") jeans. And the trend for oversize shorts and pants, aping the hand-me-down fashipon of the ghetto.

And now, in one of the most inappropriate cover versions of all time, "Common People" by William Shatner! I kid you not! Brilliant! Beam me up, Scotty, it can never get better than this!

Log in to reply
moe2000
11-01-2004

Rated +1 
I really like the Will Shatner cover, it's funny. And kinda rocky.

Log in to reply
MarcelDwayne
11-02-2004

Rated 0 
brilliant lyrics, this song shows how stupid people can be. nobody can ever live a problem free life, if their life is perfect ppl create problems, thats why lots of rich kids end up selling drugs. it almost makes no sense.

Log in to reply
frozen_in_fire
12-11-2004

Rated 0 
i LOVE this song, so bloody catchy and such clever lyrics...i don't like the will shatner cover, but mostly coz he really annoys me, heh

Log in to reply
Radiogod
01-06-2005

Rated 0 
It is A Dee Light! Scrumptualescent!! So good I can barely MOVE......

And the lyrics are so true and so charming and so true.. I like this song

Log in to reply
Radiogod
01-06-2005

Rated 0 
oh i'm sorry did i say the lyrics are true? i meant they were Untrue, but from certain people's POV i guess it is...

Log in to reply
frozen_in_fire
03-30-2005

Rated 0 
I think I prefer the video, cut, version of this song...the "dog lying in the corner" bit's a little odd, I think.

Log in to reply
Random Boy
03-31-2005

Rated 0 
frozen in fire, I disagree - the full length version is better.

Voted best song of the nineties by radio one, and who could complain about that? I'm not a massive pulp fan but this defined the decade for me.

Log in to reply
Morvit
04-09-2005

Rated 0 
lol best song of the nineties and how many people know pulp? it's so sad how EVERYONE knows those Simple Plan bands and bands like Pulp are like absolutly unknown

Log in to reply
georgiecasey
04-12-2005

Rated 0 
i remember hearing this as a kid in the glorious sunny days of britpop and loving it as a catcy tune. and then a few years later reading more into the lyrics and being utterly amazed. not one word is wasted. one of the smartest singles of all time

Log in to reply
frozen_in_fire
04-15-2005

Rated 0 
If you say so, Random_Boy... ;)

This song is one of the defining songs of the 90s (I think there are more, but there's no way you could miss out this).
Even though I wasn't alive for the first year or so of the decade...oh well...

Log in to reply
Xo Beyond Repair oX
05-30-2005

Rated 0 
"You'll never fail like common people, never watch your life slide out of view"

I love that lyric. & I love the video!

This was my fave song when I was, like 4. I used to think it said "scallop people". WTF!! It's obvious what it's about. It's actually a very sad song if you look deeply enough. Someone bring the 90's back! I was too little to appreciate them properly! I know Brit pop is being revived by Kaiser Chiefs and Maximo park but it's not the same!

Log in to reply
there_is_no_try
07-08-2005

Rated 0 
This song is soooo great XD The video is funny too, Jarvis Cocker is the world's oddest performer, lol. I think it's the way he sort of... I can't explain it, lol. I like the way he's in the supermarket trolley... it's just... funny XD I agree with you >forgotten< ... The Kaiser Chiefs are doing a pretty good job ^_~ I'd say... I'm not a big Maximo Park fan, though...*twitches*

Log in to reply
pumkinhed
08-31-2005

Rated 0 
First step to living like common people: STOP CALLING THEM COMMON PEOPLE. GAH! I love this song. It's all the reasons why I love British music. A) The accent; B) The class struggles; C) The wry attitudes; D) the fact that they still kinda dig dance pop! (ok maybe not so much with the last one) This is in my opinion one of only a few Perfect Britpop era songs, along with Parklife, Wonderwall, and Do You Remember The First Time.

Log in to reply
pumkinhed
08-31-2005

Rated 0 
oh, and about the Cap'n Kirk cover, is that Ben Folds, as I think it is, or famous new waver Joe Jackson?

Log in to reply
gandalfe
09-20-2005

Rated 0 
It's Joe Jackson. That voice is unmistakable.

Log in to reply
PinkGlove_x
12-07-2005

Rated 0 
*Class*

Log in to reply




  • Add Your Comments
What does this song mean to you?

You must be logged in to post your comments.

Feel free to create an account with us, or log in with your existing account, to start adding your comments to songs.





Popular
Top:   Lyrics, Artists, Albums
Random:   Lyric, Artist, Album

Your Ad Here