Sorted for E's & Wizz
"Sorted for E's & Wizz" is a song by the English alternative rock band Pulp, released in September 1995 as the lead double A-side single from their fifth studio album, Different Class, paired with "Mis-Shapes".[1] The track, written primarily by lead singer Jarvis Cocker along with band members Nick Banks, Candida Doyle, Steve Mackey, Russell Senior, and Mark Webber, draws its title from slang Cocker overheard from a woman in Sheffield describing her preparations for attending a Stone Roses concert, referring to having secured supplies of ecstasy ("E's") and amphetamines ("wizz") for a rave.[2] Lyrically, it portrays the artificial highs and inevitable comedown of drug-fueled events in a field, questioning the substance of such experiences with lines like "Is this the way they say the future's meant to feel? / Or just 20,000 people standing in a field," emphasizing disillusionment rather than endorsement.[1][3] The single achieved significant commercial success, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart, matching Pulp's prior hit "Common People" and marking one of the band's highest chart positions.[1][4] Produced by Chris Thomas and first performed live at the 1995 Glastonbury Festival, it contributed to Pulp's rise in the Britpop era amid their breakthrough year.[5] However, its release ignited tabloid controversy, with outlets decrying apparent drug promotion in the lyrics and the sleeve artwork, which included ambiguous folding instructions interpreted by some as concealing contraband—despite the band's clarification that it illustrated the deceptive packaging of highs leading to emptiness.[2][4] Pulp maintained the song critiqued rather than celebrated recreational drug use, a stance that resonated with fans but fueled media sensationalism.[2]Development
Background and songwriting
"Sorted for E's & Wizz" was written primarily by Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, who drew inspiration from his direct encounters with the acid house and rave scenes after moving from Sheffield to London in the late 1980s. Living in a squat amid personal difficulties including a breakup, Cocker attended early acid house parties, including one where promoters distributed free ecstasy tablets to entrants in a rough area, assuring them the event was "sorted for E's & wizz"—slang indicating sufficient supplies of ecstasy and amphetamine (whizz).[6] His first such experience occurred at a rave in a hangar at Santa Pod dragstrip, where he took ecstasy and found the atmosphere initially "magical" compared to his Sheffield background, though later events revealed underlying disillusionment with the culture's shift from promised communal empathy to selfish individualism.[6] The track's creation aligned with Pulp's accelerating path toward mainstream breakthrough, building on the momentum from their 1994 album His 'n' Hers, released on April 18 and peaking at number 9 on the UK Albums Chart after years of cult following since the band's formation in 1978.[7][8] This period marked Pulp's evolution from indie obscurity to Britpop prominence, with "Sorted for E's & Wizz" serving as a double A-side single alongside "Mis-Shapes," released on September 25, 1995, ahead of the band's top-selling album Different Class on October 30, 1995.[9][10] Cocker first debuted the song live at Glastonbury Festival on June 24, 1995, during a set that captured the band's rising festival appeal amid the UK's burgeoning dance and alternative music circuits.[5]Recording and production
"Sorted for E's & Wizz" was recorded during sessions for Pulp's 1995 album Different Class, taking place primarily at Townhouse Studios in London from January to July of that year.[11] The production was overseen by Chris Thomas, a veteran engineer and producer known for his work with artists including the Sex Pistols and Roxy Music, who emphasized polished arrangements while preserving the band's raw energy.[12] Assistant engineers including Julie Gardner and Pete Lewis supported the tracking, with additional programming contributions from Matthew Vaughan to enhance the rhythmic drive.[13] The track's musical foundation is a mid-tempo rock groove, built around Jarvis Cocker's narrative vocals, Russell Senior's angular guitar lines, and Nick Banks' steady drumming, layered with Candida Doyle's keyboards that provide melodic counterpoints underscoring the song's sardonic edge.[14] Thomas's production approach integrated these elements into a cohesive sound, avoiding orchestral additions present on other album tracks and focusing instead on tight ensemble interplay to evoke the chaotic euphoria critiqued in the lyrics.[15]Themes and interpretation
Lyrics and social commentary
The lyrics of "Sorted for E's & Wizz" open by questioning the purported transformative power of mass gatherings fueled by drugs, with lines such as "Oh, is this the way they say the future's meant to feel? / Or just 20000 people standing in a field," casting doubt on whether such events represent genuine societal progress or mere temporary illusion.[3] This skepticism extends to the reliance on chemical stimulants, depicted as providing a fleeting "jolt right through my brain and up my spine" that fails to resolve underlying disconnection, as participants confront the artificiality of their highs: "no matter how great a time you have on drugs, you know that it’s been artificially induced... It’s sad that you’ve had to rely on something other than yourself."[1] Central to the song's portrayal of alienation is the bridge, where superficial camaraderie dissolves into isolation—"Everybody asks your name they say we're all the same / And now it's 'nice one, geezer,' and that's as far as the conversation went / I lost my friends, I dance alone"—culminating in a profound sense of loss: "this hollow feeling grows and grows... 'Cause I seem to have left an important part of my brain somewhere / Somewhere in a field in Hampshire."[3] These elements underscore themes of fleeting euphoria contrasted against harsh reality, as the chorus's repetitive invocation of being "sorted for E's & Wizz"—slang for ecstasy and amphetamines—gives way to the outro's dread of perpetual comedown: "In the middle of the night, it feels alright / But then tomorrow morning / Ooh, ooh, then you come down / What if you never come down?"[3] Jarvis Cocker, Pulp's frontman, framed the lyrics as a reflection on initial optimism about rave culture's potential for attitudinal change, later revealed as illusory: "Me being a naive get, when I first went to raves I thought there was some change in people’s attitudes going on... And ‘Sorted’ is actually about that disillusionment," with post-event interactions shifting abruptly from feigned solidarity to rejection, highlighting the escapism's emptiness rather than endorsement.[1] He emphasized the song's neutrality on drug use—"It's not a pro-drugs song and it's not an anti-drugs song"—while underscoring the inevitable return to solitude: "by tomorrow they'll be on their own again."[16] This approach presents class-inflected commentary on working-class pursuits of transcendence through hedonism, without romanticization, as the highs mask but do not alter prosaic struggles like "a thousand empty glasses down the bar in a stream."[3]Critique of rave culture
The song portrays rave culture as superficial and chemically dependent, with Jarvis Cocker describing it as a depiction of disillusionment stemming from his late-1980s experiences at events like the Stone Roses' 1990 Spike Island concert, where initial perceptions of unity dissolved into isolation post-high.[2] Cocker emphasized the artificiality, stating that participants introduce "a chemical into your brain" to fabricate euphoria, rendering the experience "sad" due to reliance on substances rather than genuine human connection.[2] Lyrics underscore this by shifting from the euphoric peak—"Is this the way the future's meant to feel?"—to the inevitable comedown, culminating in exhaustion and regret: "It's six o'clock, I want to go home," highlighting the fleeting, hollow nature of drug-fueled camaraderie that evaporates without reciprocal support.[1] This critique aligns with empirical risks of ecstasy (MDMA) and speed prevalent in the 1990s UK rave scene, where usage surged alongside acute health harms; MDMA-implicated deaths rose from 1 in 1990 to 3 in 1991, reaching 31 mentions by 1994 amid widespread recreational adoption at mass events.[17][18] Over the decade, ecstasy contributed to 394 death mentions across the UK, often involving dehydration, hyperthermia, or serotonin depletion from overuse in overheated, prolonged settings—downsides the song implicitly debunks through its focus on post-use crashes rather than normalization.[19] Cocker explicitly rejected pro-drug readings, affirming in response to misinterpretations: "'Sorted' is not a pro-drugs song... I wouldn’t want anything we do to encourage people to take drugs," positioning the track as a caution against mistaking chemical highs for authentic transcendence.[1] While some listeners viewed the vivid descriptions as endorsement of rave escapism, this overlooks the artist's intent and the causal disconnect between induced highs and sustained well-being, as evidenced by the scene's documented toll; official data from the period show ecstasy's role in escalating drug-related fatalities among youth, from negligible pre-1990 levels to a mean of 33 annual MDMA-involved deaths through 2006.[20] The song's structure—building to euphoria then deflating into reality—thus serves as a first-principles rebuke of normalization, privileging observable aftermaths like dependency cycles and health crises over idealized narratives of liberation.[2][1]Release
Commercial formats
"Sorted for E's & Wizz" was released on September 25, 1995, by Island Records as a double A-side single paired with "Mis-Shapes," serving as the second single from Pulp's album Different Class to generate pre-release momentum ahead of the album's October 30 launch.[2][21] The single appeared in multiple physical formats typical of mid-1990s UK releases, including two CD singles (catalogue numbers CID 620 and CIDX 620) featuring the A-sides alongside B-sides like "Chickentown" covers and remixes such as the "Vocoda Club Mix," a standard cassette single, and a limited 7-inch vinyl pressing (IS 620).[21][22] Initial pressings emphasized the dual A-side structure to maximize radio and retail exposure during the Britpop era's peak physical sales period.[23]Sleeve artwork
The original sleeve for the "Sorted for E's & Wizz" single featured a fold-out inlay with illustrated, step-by-step instructions for folding a paper wrap, a technique employed in rave scenes to conceal small amounts of powdered substances like amphetamines.[16][24] The diagrams depicted simple origami-style folds starting from a square of magazine paper, forming a secure pouch mimicking drug packaging.[16] Pulp's design team crafted the artwork to symbolize the song's exploration of hedonistic nightlife and substance use, with the wrap's shape evoking the slang title—"E's" for ecstasy tablets and "wizz" for speed—without displaying actual drugs or endorsing consumption.[2][9] The intent was artistic representation of cultural ephemera, aligning with the track's ironic critique of escapism.[1] Retailers quickly objected to the instructional format, viewing it as potentially aiding illegal activity, which led Island Records and the band to withdraw the pressing after limited distribution in September 1995 and replace it with a non-instructional design for subsequent issues.[16][4]Controversy
Tabloid media backlash
The tabloid press, particularly the Daily Mirror, launched a campaign against the single in September 1995, accusing Pulp of promoting illegal drug use to young audiences through its title, lyrics, and sleeve artwork.[1] The Mirror's front-page headline read "Sorted for E's & Wizz – POP STARS URGE KIDS TO TAKE DRUGS," framing the release as an endorsement of ecstasy ("E's") and amphetamines ("wizz") consumption amid the era's rave scene.[2] This coverage highlighted the artwork's diagram, interpreting it as a step-by-step guide to packaging drugs for concealment, which critics argued normalized and instructed youth in criminal activity.[4] Conservative commentators and tabloid editorials expressed alarm that such cultural artifacts from popular musicians contributed to the erosion of social norms around substance abuse, potentially encouraging impressionable teenagers to experiment with class A drugs under the guise of festival escapism.[2] The Mirror ran a reader phone poll urging a ban on the single, with calls costing under 10p and results publicized to amplify public outrage over perceived glorification of hedonistic drug culture.[2] Similar sentiments appeared in other outlets, decrying the single's timing amid rising concerns about youth involvement in acid house events and associated polydrug use.[25] Petitions and boycott calls emerged from parent groups and anti-drug advocates, who viewed the release as part of a broader pattern in 1990s Britpop and dance music of desensitizing the public to narcotics' risks, prioritizing experiential highs over long-term societal costs like addiction and crime.[26] The controversy peaked pre-release, with demands for retailers to withdraw copies and broadcasters to censor airplay, reflecting tabloid efforts to position themselves as guardians against cultural decay.[1]Band response and legal aspects
Jarvis Cocker, Pulp's lead singer, responded to the controversy by asserting in a Melody Maker interview that the song had been "totally misinterpreted," explaining its intent as a critique of the illusory satisfaction from drug-induced highs rather than an endorsement of substance use.[1] He elaborated that the lyrics convey the futility of seeking to be "sorted" through chemicals, underscoring the resulting "hollow experience" from altering brain chemistry.[2] The band maintained that the sleeve's inclusion of a drug wrap diagram was satirical and not instructional, expressing genuine surprise at the backlash and clarifying it was not meant to provoke or promote illegal activity.[16] In light of tabloid scrutiny, Pulp opted to withdraw and replace the original artwork—removing the wrap instructions—once initial pressings sold out, a decision aimed at ensuring the record's message was not overshadowed by misperceptions.[16] Island Records supported the double A-side release but deferred to the band's choice on the reprint, with no public opposition from the label to the content itself.[2] No criminal charges or regulatory prosecutions ensued against Pulp or Island Records for the single's lyrics, artwork, or perceived drug references, despite calls from media outlets for bans amid 1990s anxieties over rave culture and ecstasy-related incidents.[2] The episode reflected broader moral panics, where sensational coverage risked amplifying misreadings, yet lacked substantiation of causal harm directly attributable to the release.[16]Promotion
Music video
The official music video for "Sorted for E's & Wizz" utilizes live footage from Pulp's performance at the Glastonbury Festival on 24 June 1995, following the cancellation of The Stone Roses' headline slot.[27][28] It features unscripted clips of the band delivering the song on stage, intercut with shots of the festival crowd in ecstatic motion, evoking the communal frenzy referenced in the lyrics such as revellers chanting "sorted for E's and wizz."[28] This raw, documentary-style approach eschews narrative scripting to convey the immediate vitality of the event, while visually amplifying the track's skeptical undertone toward transient hedonism amid the apparent euphoria.[28] The promo video debuted on the VHS compilation Sorted for Films & Vids, released on 23 October 1995 by Island Records.[29] It later appeared on the band's DVD retrospective Hits in 2002 and became accessible via official online channels, including YouTube uploads in HD format from 2021 onward.[29][28]Singles and marketing
"Sorted for E's & Wizz" was released as a double A-side single alongside "Mis-Shapes" on September 25, 1995, allowing Pulp to promote two thematically distinct tracks from the forthcoming album Different Class.[2] Producer Chris Thomas persuaded the band to issue "Sorted for E's & Wizz" as a single, pairing its critique of rave culture with the more anthemic, outsider-focused "Mis-Shapes" to broaden appeal.[30] Promotion emphasized television appearances, including a performance of "Sorted for E's & Wizz" on Top of the Pops on October 5, 1995, capitalizing on the show's reach to Britpop audiences. While some DJs, such as Capital Radio's Dr Fox, withheld airplay citing the song's drug references, it secured rotation on other stations, with the surrounding tabloid attention amplifying overall visibility.[2] Jarvis Cocker conducted interviews to contextualize the tracks within Britpop's class and cultural commentary, stressing "Mis-Shapes" as a call for misfits against conformity and "Sorted for E's & Wizz" as a disillusioned observation rather than endorsement.[6] This approach tied the single to the genre's wave of introspective, UK-centric songwriting, fostering media engagement amid the era's competitive scene.[31]Commercial performance
Charts
"Mis-Shapes/Sorted for E's & Wizz" debuted at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart on 7 October 1995, Pulp's highest chart entry at that point and second consecutive top-two single of the year following "Common People".[32] The double A-side held the position for two weeks, spent three weeks in the top 10, and totaled 13 weeks on the chart.[32] [24]| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 7 Oct 1995 | 2 |
| 14 Oct 1995 | 6 |
| 21 Oct 1995 | 14 |
| Subsequent weeks | Descended further, exiting after 13 weeks total[33] [32] |
Weekly charts
"Mis-Shapes"/"Sorted for E's & Wizz" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 2 on 7 October 1995 and held that peak position for two weeks.[32][24]| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC) | 2 |
Year-end charts
"Mis-Shapes / Sorted for E's & Wizz" ranked 57th on the UK Top 100 Singles of 1995, reflecting its aggregated performance across the year's chart weeks despite a late entry in October.[34] The single's commercial success met the threshold for silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), awarded for exceeding 200,000 units sold in the UK.[36]Certifications
The double A-side single "Mis-Shapes" / "Sorted for E's & Wizz" attained silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 1 September 1995, reflecting shipments exceeding 200,000 units in the United Kingdom under the organization's criteria applicable to physical singles at the time.[37] No further certifications were awarded by the BPI or international bodies such as the RIAA or IFPI equivalents.[37]Reception
Critical reviews
"Sorted for E's & Wizz" received praise from critics for its incisive portrayal of rave culture's disillusionment, capturing the transition from drug-induced euphoria to post-event emptiness through Cocker's observational lyrics. The song's structure, building from hazy verses to an anthemic chorus, was noted for underscoring the artificiality of communal hedonism in 1990s festival scenes.[38][39] Some reviewers and commentators highlighted the track's humorous yet probing take on ecstasy and amphetamine use, framing it as a critique of escapist highs rather than endorsement. However, the song's ambiguous tone regarding drugs drew criticism for potentially glamorizing or irresponsibly depicting substance-fueled experiences, particularly amid its references to folding wraps and chemical highs. This ambiguity fueled tabloid outrage, with the Daily Mirror decrying the single's sleeve artwork as instructional for drug preparation, though Cocker clarified it as a neutral depiction of observed behaviors.[2][40] In the Britpop landscape, the single aligned with Pulp's reputation for intellectual dissections of working-class excess, though a minority viewed its literate approach as overly cerebral for the visceral rave ethos it interrogated.Public and fan response
The release of "Sorted for E's & Wizz" on September 25, 1995, as a double A-side single with "Mis-Shapes," elicited polarized public reactions, primarily centered on its perceived endorsement of drug use amid Britain's rave culture. Tabloid media, including a front-page Daily Mirror headline "BAN THIS SICK STUNT" decrying the single's sleeve artwork—which illustrated folding a festival tent into a drug wrap—framed the song as irresponsibly glamorizing ecstasy (E's) and amphetamines (wizz), prompting calls for bans from retailers and broadcasters.[2][4] This backlash, driven by concerns over youth vulnerability, contrasted sharply with fan enthusiasm, as the track resonated with audiences familiar with festival experiences, capturing the euphoric highs and subsequent disillusionment of drug-fueled escapism.[41] Despite initial resistance, including an indefinite ban by BBC Radio 1 citing promotion of illegal substances, the controversy amplified the single's visibility and propelled it to number 2 on the UK Singles Chart, boosting sales particularly among younger listeners who viewed the lyrics as a candid, non-glorifying depiction rather than advocacy.[42] Fan interpretations diverged: some embraced the ironic critique of post-rave emptiness—"You can lose all sense of time and place, lose control of every muscle"—as a cautionary narrative drawn from real events like Glastonbury dealers' slang, while others took the title literally as celebratory, leading to defenses in music press against tabloid sensationalism.[2][43] Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker clarified in responses that the song highlighted the "hollow" aftermath of chemical highs, not their appeal, which aligned with supporters' readings and sustained grassroots popularity amid the outcry.[2]Legacy
Cultural impact
![Pulp's Sorted for E's & Wizz single cover]float-right "Sorted for E's & Wizz" encapsulated Britpop's critical engagement with 1990s working-class youth experiences, portraying the rave scene's promised communal bliss as illusory and leading to isolation rather than genuine connection. The lyrics dissect the chemical highs of ecstasy (E's) and amphetamines (whizz), revealing their role in masking underlying social alienation amid economic stagnation and class divides, thus countering media idealizations of rave culture as a utopian escape.[44][45] The single's 1995 release provoked tabloid outrage, exemplified by the Daily Mirror's headline decrying it as a "pro-drugs" anthem due to the sleeve's depiction of a drug wrap, despite Jarvis Cocker's intent to highlight the emptiness following intoxication—"you'll be in for the shock of your life when you don't get what you want." This backlash fueled moral panics over youth hedonism, yet the song aligned with emerging evidence of real harms: preclinical and clinical research has established MDMA's neurotoxicity, including serotonin axon degeneration and persistent deficits in mood regulation and cognition from recreational doses.[46][2][47][48] Retrospective analyses position the track as a prescient anti-hedonist critique, influencing music's shift toward narratives prioritizing causal consequences of substance use over glorification, as seen in Cocker's later reflections on chemical interventions' deceptiveness. In 2025, amid Different Class's 30th anniversary reissues and commemorative events—including album playbacks and expanded editions featuring live Glastonbury performances—the song continues to inform discourse on the era's unromanticized underbelly, with sustained streaming underscoring its resonance beyond commercial metrics.[2][49][50]Influence on Britpop and beyond
The release of "Sorted for E's & Wizz" as a double A-side single with "Mis-Shapes" on September 26, 1995, amplified Pulp's prominence within the Britpop movement, contributing to the commercial breakthrough of their album Different Class, which topped the UK Albums Chart and won the Mercury Prize in 1996.[51] The song's lyrical irony—satirizing the disorienting euphoria of ecstasy and speed at music festivals, drawn from Jarvis Cocker's observations of rave culture—injected a layer of detached social commentary into Britpop's predominantly guitar-driven, nostalgic sound, differentiating Pulp from contemporaries like Oasis and Blur who favored more direct anthems about swagger or suburban ennui.[52] This approach influenced subsequent Britpop acts and indie songwriters in crafting narrative-driven critiques of youth excess, as seen in the genre's shift toward self-aware explorations of class and hedonism, though Pulp's perceived elitism in observing rather than fully immersing in working-class experiences drew criticism for a sense of ambivalence toward its subjects.[51] Tabloid controversy over the single's drug allusions and sleeve imagery, which prompted a Daily Mirror headline decrying it as "promoting drugs," inadvertently boosted its chart performance to number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and underscored Britpop's cultural skirmishes with moral panics, mirroring broader 1990s tensions around rave and festival scenes.[2] Critics have credited the track with mainstreaming a caustic realism about chemical escapism, inspiring ironic treatments of 1990s excess in later music journalism and retrospectives on Britpop's underbelly, where Pulp's literate detachment contrasted with the era's laddish bravado.[53] Beyond Britpop, the song endures as a reference point for discussions of drug culture's highs and hollow aftermath in popular music, appearing in analyses of how 1990s rock navigated substance-fueled narratives without romanticization.[53] Its legacy persists in Pulp's 2025 reunion tours and Different Class reissues, where it remains a live staple symbolizing the band's evolution from indie obscurity to cultural commentators, though without notable covers or direct samples, its influence manifests more through stylistic echoes in indie rock's observational lyricism than overt emulation.[54] Balanced assessments highlight its innovation in blending pop accessibility with unflinching causality—linking festival highs to inevitable comedowns—against critiques that such portrayals risked aestheticizing detachment from socioeconomic realities fueling the behaviors depicted.[52]Track listing
"Sorted for E's & Wizz / Mis-Shapes" was issued as a double A-side single in the UK on 25 September 1995, primarily on CD in two distinct editions, each containing the two A-sides alongside unique B-sides.[21]CD1 (Island CID 620)
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mis-Shapes" | Cocker, Banks, Mackey, Senior, Doyle | 3:46 https://music.apple.com/us/album/sorted-for-es-wizz-mis-shapes-ep/1699808024 |
| 2. | "Sorted for E's & Wizz" | Cocker, Banks, Mackey, Senior, Doyle | 3:42[23] |
| 3. | "P.T.A. (Parent Teacher Association)" | Cocker | 3:15[55] |
| 4. | "Common People" (live at Glastonbury Festival, 24 June 1995) | Cocker, Banks, Mackey, Senior, Doyle | 6:04[23] |
CD2 (Island CIDX 620)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sorted for E's & Wizz" | 3:42[9] |
| 2. | "Mis-Shapes" | 3:45[9] |
| 3. | "Common People" (Motiv 8 Club Mix) | 7:50[9] |
| 4. | "Common People" (Vocoda Mix) | 6:18[56] |
Personnel
Pulp- Jarvis Cocker – lead vocals, guitar[57][58]
- Candida Doyle – keyboards[57][58]
- Nick Banks – drums[57][58]
- Steve Mackey – bass guitar[57][58]
- Mark Webber – guitar, acoustic guitar, Rhodes piano, synthesizer[58][57]
- Russell Senior – guitar, violin[57][58]
- Chris Thomas – producer[5][10]
- David "Chipper" Nicholas – engineer[5][10]
- Julie Gardner – assistant engineer[10][9]
- Pete Lewis – assistant engineer (on select tracks)[9][59]
- Matthew Vaughan – programming (on A-side tracks)[59][9]