Common People

The genius of 'Common People' lies in what it achieves with so little harmonic material. Essentially a three-chord song (I-V-IV), it derives its extraordinary power from arrangement and dynamics rather than chord complexity. The verse's two-chord shuttle creates almost unbearable tension through sheer repetition, while the addition of a single chord (IV) in the chorus feels like an emotional dam breaking. This minimalist approach mirrors the song's lyrical theme — the raw, unadorned reality of ordinary life needs no embellishment.

Jarvis Cocker wrote the lyrics based on a real encounter with a Greek art student he met while studying film at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London around 1988. During a conversation at the college bar, she told him she wanted to move to Hackney and live like 'the common people.' Cocker was attracted to her but she was not interested in him; he reversed the dynamic in the lyrics for dramatic effect. The melody was composed on a Casiotone keyboard he had purchased from a music shop in Notting Hill. The song was a collaborative effort, with all five band members sharing the songwriting credit.

Released in 1995 as the lead single from Pulp's Different Class, "Common People" became the defining song of the Britpop era. Built on a relentless Casiotone synth riff and Jarvis Cocker's razor-sharp storytelling, the track builds from spare electronic pulse to euphoric wall of sound while skewering the wealthy who romanticize working-class life.