“Brass in Pocket” is a 1979 single by The Pretenders. It was written by Chrissie Hynde and James Honeyman-Scott, and produced by Chris Thomas. Originating as a guitar lick written by Honeyman-Scott, the song features lyrics that Hynde explained to be about the cockiness that one needs to effectively perform. The song’s title originated as a phrase she overheard after a show.
“Brass in Pocket” became the band’s biggest hit to that point, reaching number one in the UK and number 14 in the US. Its music video was the seventh video aired on MTV on its launch on 1 August 1981.
“Brass in Pocket” originated as a guitar line that James Honeyman-Scott played for Chrissie Hynde. Hynde then recorded the part with a tape recorder and wrote the song’s lyrics. Musically, Hynde described the song as “trying to be a Motown song, but it didn’t quite get it.”
Hynde got the idea for the song’s title when, during an after-show dinner, she overheard someone enquiring if anyone had, “Picked up dry cleaning? Any brass in pocket?” Of the song’s reference to “bottle,” Hynde explained, “Bottle is Cockney rhyming slang. It means bottle and glass. The way Cockney rhyming slang works is the word you’re really saying rhymes with the second word. So bottle and glass rhymes with ass. In England, to say somebody has a lot of ass they have a lot of funk. So you say, ‘That guy has a lot of bottle.'” Of the song’s meaning, Hynde stated:
The tradition of [“Brass in Pocket”] is that you’re supposed to be kind of cocky and sure of yourself. You’re not supposed to go on stage and say, “I’m small and I have no confidence and think I’m a shit.” Because you just can’t do that on stage. You’re not supposed to, and probably you don’t have much confidence, and you do think you’re a little piece of shit or else you wouldn’t have gotten a rock band together in the first place.
During an interview with The Observer in 2004, she revealed that she was initially reluctant to have the song released: “When we recorded the song I wasn’t very happy with it and told my producer that he could release it over my dead body.” Hynde later reflected, “Now I like that song because it’s one of those songs that served me well. I didn’t like my voice on it. I was kind of a new singer, and listening to my voice made me kind of cringe.”
There is a lot of British slang in the lyrics:
“Got Bottle” – Have courage.
“Skank” – Move your body side to side.
“Reet” – Righteous
“Brass” is a Northern English expression for money, harking back to the days when non-silver coins, or “Coppers” were worth something.
LYRICS
I got brass in pocket
I got bottle, I’m gonna use it
Intention, I feel inventive
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice and
Got motion, restrained emotion
Been driving, Detroit leaning
No reason, just seems so pleasing
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice
Gonna use my arms
Gonna use my legs
Gonna use my style
Gonna use my sidestep
Gonna use my fingers
Gonna use my, my, my, imagination
‘Cause I going make you see
There’s nobody else here, no one like me
I’m special
(Special)
So special
(Special)
I got have some of your attention, give it to me
I got rhythm, I can’t miss a beat
I got a new Skank, so reet
Got something, I’m winking at you
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice
Gonna use my arms
Gonna use my legs
Gonna use my style
Gonna use my sidestep
Gonna use my fingers
Gonna use my, my, my, imagination
Oh, ’cause I gonna make you see
There’s nobody else here, no one like me
I’m special
(Special)
So special
(Special)
I got to have some of your attention, give it to me
‘Cause I gonna make you see
There’s nobody else here, no one like me
I’m special
(Special)
So special
(Special)
I got have some of your attention, give it to me
Ohh, in when you are
