"Pull Up to the Bumper" is a 1981 single by Jamaican singer Grace Jones, released as the third single from her fifth album, Nightclubbing. Sonically, it is an uptempoelectro-disco,post-punk,dance-pop and reggae-disco song with dub production, "pulsing drums and chic new-wave licks", as well as elements of funk and R&B music. Its lyrics were written by Jones alone, while she, along with Kookoo Baya and Dana Manno, are credited as its composers. The song's instrumental part was originally recorded in 1980 during the Warm Leatherette sessions; however, it did not make the album as Chris Blackwell found its sound not fitting in the rest of the material. It was completed for the 1981 critically acclaimed album Nightclubbing and became its third single in June 1981. The song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs in the US and number 53 in the UK. When re-released in 1986, it peaked at number 12 in the UK. The track has come to be one of Jones' signature tunes and her first transatlantic hit.
The song sparked controversy for its sexually suggestive lyrics, prompting some radio stations to refuse to broadcast it. Among the lines are "Pull up to my bumper baby / In your long black limousine / Pull up to my bumper baby / Drive it in between", "Grease it / Spray it / Let me lubricate it" and "I've got to blow your horn." However, in a 2008 interview with Q magazine, Jones suggested that the lyrics were not necessarily meant to be interpreted as a metaphor for anal sex.
Last Updated: August 30, 2021
