Pump It Up (Elvis Costello song)
Encyclopedia
"Pump It Up" is a song by Elvis Costello
. It originally appeared on Costello's second album This Year's Model
which was the first he recorded with The Attractions.
. The story in the song is about the narrator's sexual frustration
at the hands of a femme fatale
who's described in the lyrics as being "a bad girl" and "like a narcotic."
"Pump It Up" was written in reaction to the excesses of the Stiffs Live Tour.
, Code Anchor, Exodus
, Kills for Thrills, Mudhoney
, Trixter
, Buckcherry
, Elastic No-No Band
, Automatic, Danko Jones
, Maldroid, Status Quo, The Wildhearts, Checkerboard Floors, Richard Madeley, and Starpool
. Lifehouse
has covered the song at various concert venues. The guitar riff was sampled in Rogue Traders
' 2005 single "Voodoo Child".
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
. It originally appeared on Costello's second album This Year's Model
This Year's Model
This Year's Model is Elvis Costello's second album and his first with The Attractions, released in 1978 . It was recorded mainly at Eden Studios in West London....
which was the first he recorded with The Attractions.
Lyrics
Costello frequently uses double entendres in his songs and "Pump It Up" is a good example of this, with the lyric "Pump it up" being used to mean both turning up the volume on the music as well as masturbationMasturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
. The story in the song is about the narrator's sexual frustration
Sexual frustration
Sexual frustration describes the condition in which a human or animal is in a state of agitation, depression, stress, loneliness or anxiety due to prolonged virginity, sexual inactivity and/or sexual dissatisfaction that leads him or her to want more sex or better sex, or a state in which he or she...
at the hands of a femme fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
who's described in the lyrics as being "a bad girl" and "like a narcotic."
"Pump It Up" was written in reaction to the excesses of the Stiffs Live Tour.
Cover versions
It has been covered by various artists, including The Hot RatsThe Hot Rats
The Hotrats is a cover band formed by Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey as a side-project from their main band Supergrass. The band is named after Frank Zappa's album Hot Rats. The duo recorded a set of covers with producer Nigel Godrich for an album entitled Turn Ons in the vein of David Bowie's Pin...
, Code Anchor, Exodus
Exodus (band)
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
, Kills for Thrills, Mudhoney
Mudhoney
Mudhoney is an American alternative rock band. Formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988 following the demise of Green River, Mudhoney's members are vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison, and drummer Dan Peters. Original bassist Matt Lukin left the...
, Trixter
Trixter
Trixter is an American hard rock band from Paramus, New Jersey. The band achieved moderate success in the late 1980's and early 1990s but disbanded for several years as glam metal lost mainstream popularity...
, Buckcherry
Buckcherry
Buckcherry is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1995. The band released two albums, Buckcherry and Time Bomb , before partially dissolving in the summer of 2002. In 2005, lead vocalist Josh Todd and lead guitarist Keith Nelson reformed Buckcherry and released a new album...
, Elastic No-No Band
Elastic No-No Band
Elastic No-No Band is a musical group based in New York City's anti-folk scene. Started in the mid-2000s, the band's name was initially just a pseudonym for its current leader and main songwriter, Justin Remer. Since 2005, Elastic No-No Band has also included pianist Herb Scher and...
, Automatic, Danko Jones
Danko Jones
Danko Jones is a Canadian rock band from Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Danko Jones and JC...
, Maldroid, Status Quo, The Wildhearts, Checkerboard Floors, Richard Madeley, and Starpool
Starpool
Starpool is a ska punk band consisting of former members of Save Ferris and former No Doubt member Alan Meade. The band's name is taken from a nickname given to trombonists Tbone Willy's house that had a swimming pool shaped like a star, where the band members used to practice and throw parties as...
. Lifehouse
Lifehouse (band)
Lifehouse is an American rock band from Los Angeles. The band came to mainstream prominence in 2001 with the hit single "Hanging by a Moment" from their debut studio album, No Name Face. The single won a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year, beating out Janet Jackson and Alicia...
has covered the song at various concert venues. The guitar riff was sampled in Rogue Traders
Rogue Traders
Rogue Traders are an Australian electronic pop rock band fronted by Melinda "Mindi" Jackson with James Ash on keyboards, Tim Henwood on guitars and Peter Marin on drums. The group's original members met in London in 1989. Before forming Rogue Traders, Ash and Davis worked together on many...
' 2005 single "Voodoo Child".
In popular culture
- The song was featured on the first episode of Never Mind the BuzzcocksNever Mind the BuzzcocksNever Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
in 1996 during the Indecipherable Lyrics round. - The Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
sampled "Pump It Up" in their song "Egg ManEgg ManEgg Man is the 4th track on Paul's Boutique by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released on July 25, 1989.* Produced & written by the Beastie Boys & the Dust Brothers.* Engineered by Mario Caldato & Allen Abrahamson.-Samples:*Aliens...
" on the Paul's BoutiquePaul's BoutiquePaul's Boutique is the second studio album by American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released on July 25, 1989, on Capitol Records. Featuring production by the Dust Brothers, the recording sessions for the album took place in Matt Dike's Apartment and the Record Plant in Los Angeles from 1988 to...
album. Costello later performed "Radio RadioRadio Radio"Radio Radio" was a single by Elvis Costello and The Attractions released in the UK in October 1978. The song had already appeared on the US version of their second album, This Year's Model, released earlier that year...
" on Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
in 1999 with the Beastie Boys as his backing band. - The song is playable in the music video game Rock Band 2Rock Band 2Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
. - The song was featured in Malcolm in the MiddleMalcolm in the MiddleMalcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
episode, "Emancipation".* - The song is also featured in the movie 200 Cigarettes200 Cigarettes200 Cigarettes is a 1999 comedy-drama film starring Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Dave Chappelle, Guillermo Díaz, Angela Featherstone, Janeane Garofalo, Gaby Hoffman, Kate Hudson, Courtney Love, Jay Mohr, Martha Plimpton, Christina Ricci and Paul Rudd. The film also features paintings by Sally...
in the bar scene.