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Bar Italia Forum -> Bar Italia Forum -> What's actually happening in Your Sister's Clothes?
Post Info TOPIC: What's actually happening in Your Sister's Clothes?
lipglossed


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What's actually happening in Your Sister's Clothes?
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Your Sister's Clothes is probably one of Pulp's greatest ever songs - to me at least it is, anyway - and while I'm aware of the story behind it, with it being a sequel to Babies (where the sister 'gets her own back'), the lyrics and their perspective aren't particularly clear.

"You watch her when she's going down", hmm. Is Jarvis hiding in the wardrobe again, but now he's watching the subject of Babies, the sister that he actually wants to be with, doing it with another person?

I think the vagueness of the lyrics is one of the song's biggest strengths. It's very impressionistic, a collection of images and phrases hearkening to early teenage fumblings, desire and coming-of-age. That, and the violin, is what makes it such a sweeping, emotional song. But there's not a particularly clear narrative, so does anyone have a take as to what's actually happening here?

("Try it. You might like it. But you might smudge your lipstick" is an all-timer lyric, of course)

 



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Ian


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What's actually happening in Your Sister's Clothes?
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I have just had a listen and a read of the lyrics (separately of course).

It says on the sleeve: "Your Sister's Clothes" features the sisters from "Babies" four years on. Now the younger sibling finally gets her revenge for earlier years.

Therefore, I think that some of the lyrics in the song are concerned with said revenge. I'd say that the younger sister wears the older sister's clothes and makes fun of them but ultimately ends up attracting the male character of the song (possibly the older sister's boyfriend) who is more up for it than she is. Before you know it, she's in a relationship with this guy and trying to get out of it.

I understand some of the lyrics as follows:

You're trying to make it straight right now but I don't think that you know how - she was originally trying to patch things up with her sister but is hell bent on revenge

Check out if you're still alive - probably a reference to the clothes, "I wouldn't be seen dead in that".

Watch her as she's going down - probably a reference to hiding in the wardrobe in "Babies".

Loosen up and lay right down - he's up for it more than she is.

It's easy when you stop pretending that you just got lost on the way - she's in over her head.

Try it; you might like it but you might smudge your lipstick - she's more concerned with her appearance. Or more appropriately, trying to restore her image after wearing her sister's clothes.

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