Do You Remember The First Time?
by Pulp

Album: His 'N' Hers (1994)
Charted: 33
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The song has several interpretations, with the most common one being the singer fixated in nostalgia for a previous partner, with the "First Time" of the title being the first time they had sex. Though the singer "couldn't remember a worse time," they seem to look back on their relationship with a great deal of affection, and sardonically refer to her new boyfriend as being more conventional and boring than he was ("Jesus it must be great to be straight") but acknowledge that perhaps a stable relationship is something he isn't interested in and that he is happy apart.
  • To promote the single, Jarvis Cocker put together a collection of interviews with celebrities recounting their "first times." The resulting 25-minute film features the likes of John Peel, Jo Brand, Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer, Alison Steadman, Viv Stanshall and Justine Frischman of Elastica revealing their losses of virginity. Fun Boy Terry Hall has perhaps the best line: "She was into the Bay City Rollers, which put me off a bit. But not enough."

    The film, co-directed by Cocker and Steve Mackey, ended up on the Sorted for Films and Vids and Pulp Hits compilation videos.
  • A radio edit exists and is often played on radio and TV, where the "I don't care if you screwed him" line is replaced with "I don't care if you knew him." This was presumably made to gain more airplay, considering the lyric barely makes sense in song context.
  • On April 10, 2014, Sophie Ellis-Bextor covered the song at Maida Vale Studios for a BBC Radio 2 session celebrating 20 years of Britpop.
  • Live, this song was always hugely popular - usually as a set-opener. It opened Pulp's show-stopping performances at Reading and Leeds Festival in 2011, co-headlining with The Strokes, and also opened their farewell show at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield in December 2012.
  • Whilst not necessarily the band's breakthrough single, Jarvis Cocker has described "Do You Remember The First Time?" as "the day modern-day Pulp was born."

    This was where the signature sound of the band came together after the many years of experimentation and lineup changes that had proceeded.

Comments: 1

  • Paloma from Santiago, Chile This song is so good. I just love it so much
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Scott Stapp

Scott StappSongwriter Interviews

The Creed lead singer reveals the "ego and self-fulfillment" he now sees in one of the band's biggest hits.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go's

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go'sSongwriter Interviews

Charlotte was established in the LA punk scene when a freaky girl named Belinda approached her wearing a garbage bag.

Don Brewer of Grand Funk

Don Brewer of Grand FunkSongwriter Interviews

The drummer and one of the primary songwriters in Grand Funk talks rock stardom and Todd Rundgren.

Carol Kaye

Carol KayeSongwriter Interviews

A top session musician, Carol played on hundreds of hits by The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra and many others.

Roger McGuinn of The Byrds

Roger McGuinn of The ByrdsSongwriter Interviews

Roger reveals the songwriting formula Clive Davis told him, and if "Eight Miles High" is really about drugs.