Pump It Up (Elvis Costello song)

"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.

Lyrics

AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine described "Pump It Up" as being "underscored with sexual menace".^[1] Costello frequently uses double entendres in his songs, and "Pump It Up" is a good example of this, with the phrase "pump it up" being used to refer both to turning up the volume on the music and to masturbation. 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.^[2]

Video

The video features the band performing in an unfurnished, light-drenched, wholly white set, and uses simple split-screen quadrant image effects. It was directed by Paul Flattery for Jon Roseman Productions.^[3] Costello's leg movements become increasing disjointed.

The video for "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" was shot the same day in London, and all the musicians can be seen wearing the same clothes, although drummer Pete Thomas sports a plain grey jacket for Pump It Up. Bassist Bruce Thomas had cut his right hand on a bottle a few weeks previously and had needed eight stitches. His bandage can be seen clearly in both the videos.^[4]

Cover versions

The song has been covered by various artists, including Chaos UK, The Hotrats, Exodus, Kills for Thrills, Mudhoney, Trixter, Buckcherry, Elastic No-No Band, Automatic, Danko Jones, Maldroid, Status Quo, The Wildhearts, Kurt Baker, Starpool, Those Darn Accordions and Hurtsmile (Gary Cherone's band). Lifehouse has covered the song at various concert venues.

In popular culture

The guitar riff was sampled in Rogue Traders' 2005 single "Voodoo Child". Beastie Boys sampled "Pump It Up" for their song "Egg Man" on their album Paul's Boutique. Costello later performed "Radio Radio" on Saturday Night Live in 1999 with Beastie Boys as his backing band.

Television shows to have used the song include Go On, Malcolm in the Middle, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and the Indecipherable Lyrics round of Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Movies to have featured the song include PCU and 200 Cigarettes. It was also used in trailers for Shark Tale and I Spy.

The song is playable in the music video game Rock Band 2.

References

↑ Erlewine, S.T. "This Year's Model". Allmusic. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
↑ "The spirit of Stiff Records lives on – Features, Music". London: The Independent. 25 January 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
↑
↑ "The Greatest Movie Never Made". /www.brucethomas.co.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2014.

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Elvis Costello

The Imposters: Steve Nieve Pete Thomas Davey Faragher The Attractions: Steve Nieve Pete Thomas Bruce Thomas

Studio albums	My Aim Is True This Year's Model Armed Forces Get Happy!! Trust Almost Blue Imperial Bedroom Punch the Clock Goodbye Cruel World King of America Blood & Chocolate Spike Mighty Like a Rose Brutal Youth Kojak Variety All This Useless Beauty When I Was Cruel North The Delivery Man Il Sogno Momofuku Secret, Profane & Sugarcane National Ransom

Live albums	Live at the El Mocambo Deep Dead Blue with Bill Frisell Costello & Nieve My Flame Burns Blue with Metropole Orkest Live at Hollywood High

Collaborations	The Juliet Letters with The Brodsky Quartet Painted from Memory with Burt Bacharach Terror and Magnificence with John Harle For the Stars with Anne Sofie von Otter Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland The River in Reverse with Allen Toussaint Wise Up Ghost with The Roots Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes

Singles	"Less Than Zero" "Alison" "Red Shoes" "Watching the Detectives" "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" "Pump It Up" "Radio Radio" "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" "Oliver's Army" "Accidents Will Happen" "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" "High Fidelity" "New Amsterdam" "Clubland" "From a Whisper to a Scream" "Sweet Dreams" "You Little Fool" "Man Out of Time" "Pills and Soap" (as The Imposter) "Everyday I Write the Book" "Let Them All Talk" "Peace in Our Time" (as The Imposter) "I Wanna Be Loved" / "Turning the Town Red" "The Only Flame in Town" "The People's Limousine" (as The Coward Brothers) "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" "Seven-Day Weekend" with Jimmy Cliff "Lovable" "Tokyo Storm Warning" "I Want You" "Blue Chair" "A Town Called Big Nothing" (as The MacManus Gang) "Veronica" "Baby Plays Around" "...This Town..." "The Other Side of Summer" "So Like Candy" "Jacksons, Monk & Rowe" with The Brodsky Quartet "Sulky Girl" "13 Steps Lead Down" "You Tripped at Every Step" "London's Brilliant Parade" "It's Time" "Little Atoms" "The Other End of the Telescope" "Distorted Angel" "All This Useless Beauty" "You Bowed Down" "Toledo" with Burt Bacharach "She" "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)" "45" "Still" "Monkey to Man" "She's Pulling Out the Pin" "Brilliant Mistake" "Who Are These People?" with Burt Bacharach "Bedlam" "Complicated Shadows" "My All Time Doll"

Other songs	"Girls Talk" "Lipstick Vogue" "Almost Blue" "Shipbuilding"

Classical works	Il Sogno performed by the London Symphony Orchestra

Scores	G.B.H. with Richard Harvey Jake's Progress with Richard Harvey

Collaborations	Terror + Magnificence by John Harle The Sweetest Punch by Bill Frisell Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland

Compilations	Taking Liberties Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers The Best of Elvis Costello and The Attractions The Man Out of Our Idiot Girls Girls Girls 2½ Years The Very Best of Elvis Costello and The Attractions 1977–86 Extreme Honey The Very Best of Elvis Costello Cruel Smile Rock and Roll Music The Best of Elvis Costello: The First Ten Years Pomp and Pout In Motion Pictures Unfaithful Music and Soundtrack album

Related articles	Discography Ghost Brothers of Darkland County

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