Pump It Up

Elvis Costello

About Pump It Up

"Pump It Up" is a 1978 song by Elvis Costello. It originally appeared on Costello's second album This Year's Model, which was the first he recorded with the backing group the Attractions.


Year:
1993
3:16
30 

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I've been on tenderhooks, ending in dirty looks
List'ning to the Muzak, thinking 'bout this 'n' that
She said, "That's that, I don't want to chitter-chat"
Turn it down a little bit or turn it down flat
Pump it up, when you don't really need it
Pump it up, until you can feel it

Down in the pleasure center, hell-bent or heaven-sent
Listen to the propaganda, listen to the latest slander
There's nothing underhand that she wouldn't understand
Pump it up, until you can feel it
Pump it up, when you don't really need it

She's been a bad girl, she's like a chemical
Though you try to stop it, she's like a narcotic
You want to torture her, you want to talk to her
All the things you bought for her, putting up your temperature
Pump it up, until you can feel it
Pump it up, when you don't really need it

Out in the fashion show, down in the bargain bin
You put your passion out under the pressure pin
Fall into submission, hit-and-run transmission
No use wishing now for any other sin
Pump it up, until you can feel it
Pump it up, when you don't really need it
Pump it up, until you can feel it
Pump it up, when you don't really need it
Pump it up, until you can feel it
Pump it up, when you don't really need it
Don't really need it
Don't really need it
Don't really need it

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Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick MacManus, 25 August 1954) is an English singer-songwriter. He began his career as part of London's pub rock scene in the early 1970s and later became associated with the first wave of the British punk/New Wave movement of the mid-to-late 1970s. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader than that of most popular songs. His music has drawn on many diverse genres; one critic described him as a "pop encyclopaedia", able to "reinvent the past in his own image". more »

5 fans

Written by: Costello Elvis, Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Release Information
"Pump It Up" is a song by British artist Elvis Costello. It was released as the second single from his second album "This Year's Model" in 1978.
Chart Performance
The song peaked at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart. Despite not charting in the US, it has since become one of Costello's most popular and recognizable songs.
The Band
While Elvis Costello is recognized as the artist, it was performed by him and his backing band, The Attractions.
Album Recognition
The album "This Year's Model", which "Pump It Up" appears on, is considered by many critics as one of the best new wave albums of all time.
Inspiration
Costello claims he wrote "Pump It Up" in reaction to the excess energy of their live sets—essentially, to give the audience more of what they seemed to enjoy.
Music Video
The music video of "Pump It Up" was one of the first to be aired on MTV when the broadcasting network launched in 1981.
Music Composition
The song begins with a solo by Steve Nieve on keyboard, setting the energetic and vibrant pace for the rest of the track.
Misinterpreted Lyrics
Some listeners interpret the lyrics of "Pump It Up" as being about sexual excitement, but Costello clarified that the song simply encapsulates the feel and energy of their live performances.
In Popular Culture
"Pump It Up" has been featured in several movies, TV shows, and advertisements, which has contributed to its enduring popularity.
Cover Versions
Several artists, including Mudhoney, and The Hot Rats, have covered "Pump It Up".

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