"Something Changed" is a song by

Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s United Kingdom, British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. Musically, Britpop produced bright, catchy alternative rock, with significant influences from British guitar pop of the 1960s and 1970s. B ...

band

Pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit * Pulp (band), an English rock band Engineering * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture ...

, released on their 1995 album, ''

Different Class ''Different Class'' (released in Japan as ''Common People'') is the fifth studio album by English rock band Pulp, released on 30 October 1995 by Island Records. The album was a critical and commercial success, entering the UK Albums Chart at n ...

''. Written much earlier in the band's existence but revived for the ''Different Class'' sessions, "Something Changed" features lyrics that focused on the random nature as to how important events happen in life. The song also features a

guitar solo A guitar solo is a melody, melodic passage, instrumental section (music), section, or entire piece of music, pre-written (or improvised) to be played on a classical guitar, classical, electric guitar, electric, or acoustic guitar. In 20th and ...

performed by guitarist Mark Webber. "Something Changed" was released as the fourth and final single from ''Different Class'', reaching number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and number 30 in both Iceland and Ireland. It has since received critical acclaim.

Background

According to guitarist Mark Webber, the song "was an old song that Jarvis dredged up and we all dusted off. There's a rehearsal tape of a previous incarnation of Pulp attempting it circa 1984." Cocker explained: Webber himself contributed the song's guitar solo; he recalled, Something Changed' is the first guitar solo I've sat and written, but I didn't let anyone else know about it until we went into the studio and did it." Cocker said of the song in 2020, "That's the one Pulp song that seems to crop up. I've been stopped by a lot of people who tell me that song was played at their wedding. They walked down the aisle to it!"

Release

"Something Changed" was released as the fourth and final single from ''Different Class'' on 25 March 1996. The song was initially available as two

CD single A CD single is a single (music), music single in the form of a compact disc (CD). Originally the ''CD single'' standard (as defined in the Rainbow Books, Red Book) was an 8 cm (3-inch) "mini CD" (''CD3''); later on the term referred to any si ...

s and a

cassette single A cassette single (CS), also known by the trademark cassingle, or capitalised as the trademark Cassette Single, is a music single (music), single supplied in the form of a Compact Cassette. The cassette single was introduced in 1980 in music, 1 ...

, but on 7 October 1996, a third format—a pink

7-inch single In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album ( LP), typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standa ...

—was issued. The single was released with two different sleeves (a "boy" and "girl" version), but with identical track listings. Like the other singles from the album, the song charted within the top 10 in the UK, reaching number 10. The song also appeared on the Pulp compilation album ''

Hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...

''. The

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

, "Mile End", appeared on the ''

Trainspotting Trainspotting may refer to: * Trainspotting (hobby), an amateur interest in railways/railroads * ''Trainspotting'' (novel), a 1993 novel by Irvine Welsh ** ''Trainspotting'' (film), a 1996 film based on the novel *** ''Trainspotting'' (soundt ...

'' soundtrack album and became a number-one hit in Iceland, where it was the second-most-successful song of 1996. The single also features a remixed version of "F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E" produced by

Moloko Moloko () were an English-Irish electronic music duo formed in Sheffield, England, consisting of vocalist Róisín Murphy and music producer, producer Mark Brydon. Blending elements of electronica and dance music, they are best known for their ...

. At the time of the single's release, Cocker said of Moloko, "I like Moloko. They've done a remix of "F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E" on this new single. I predict great things for them this year."

Reception

"Something Changed" has seen critical acclaim since its release.

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

of ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'' wrote in his review of ''Different Class'', "If '

Common People A commoner, also known as the ''common man'', ''commoners'', the ''common people'' or the ''masses'', was in earlier use an ordinary person in a community or nation who did not have any significant social status, especially a member of neithe ...

' should fall short, I recommend

Island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

proceed directly to 'Something Changed,' a happy love song every bit as clever and realistic as his class war song."

David Fricke David Fricke (born ) is an American music journalist who serves as the senior editor at ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, where he writes predominantly about rock music. One of the best known names in rock journalism, his career has spanned over 40 ye ...

of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' praised the song's "delightfully cheesy loser's-lounge blend of strings and low, throaty guitar twang," while Simon Reynolds of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' said that the song was "a straightforwardly romantic and gorgeously touching song about the unknown and unknowable turning points in anyone's life." Adrien Begrand of ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

'' called the song "sweet."

Track listings

Personnel

* Written by Pulp * Lyrics by

Jarvis Cocker Jarvis Branson Cocker (born 19 September 1963) is an English musician. As the founder, frontman, lyricist and only consistent member of the band Pulp (band), Pulp, he became a reluctant figurehead of the Britpop genre of the mid-1990s. Cocker h ...

: Vocals, Electric Guitar * Mark Webber: Electric Guitar *

Candida Doyle Candida Mary Doyle (born 25 August 1963) is an Irish musician who is keyboard player and occasional backing vocalist with the band Pulp, which she joined in 1984. She joined her brother, drummer Magnus Doyle, in the line-up to replace the prev ...

: Keyboards *

Russell Senior Russell Senior (born 18 May 1961) is a British musician and the former guitarist and violinist of the band Pulp. Senior was born and grew up in Sheffield. Whilst at University in Bath, he formed the Dada Society (also known as the New Wave Soc ...

: Acoustic Guitar *

Steve Mackey Stephen Patrick Mackey (10 November 1966 – 2 March 2023) was an English musician and record producer best known as the bass guitarist for the Britpop band Pulp, which he joined in 1989. As a record producer, he produced songs and albums by ...

: Bass Guitar *

Nick Banks Nicholas David Banks (born 28 July 1965) is an English drummer, a member of the British band Pulp. He lives in Sheffield with his wife Sarah and two children. He is the nephew of Gordon Banks, goalkeeper of the 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning Eng ...

: Drums

Charts

Covers

Spanish band

Astrud Astrud may refer to: *Astrud (band), Spanish pop-rock group *"Astrud", song on '' Time and Tide'' by Basia *Astrud Gilberto Astrud Gilberto (; born Astrud Evangelina Weinert; March 29, 1940 – June 5, 2023) was a Brazilian samba and bossa nov ...

released an album of rarities and b-sides called '' Algo cambió'' (Spanish for ''Something Changed'') which featured a Spanish-language version of the song.

References

{{Authority control 1995 songs 1996 singles Island Records singles Pulp (band) songs Song recordings produced by Chris Thomas (record producer) Songs written by Candida Doyle Songs written by Jarvis Cocker Songs written by Mark Webber (guitarist) Songs written by Nick Banks Songs written by Russell Senior Songs written by Steve Mackey