Brass in Pocket (1979)

"Brass in Pocket", also known as "Brass in Pocket (I'm Special)", is a song by English rock band the Pretenders, released in late 1979 as the third single from their self-titled debut album. 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's lyrics were explained by Hynde to be about the cockiness that one needs to effectively perform on stage. The song's title derives from a phrase she overheard after a show.

"Brass in Pocket" became the band's biggest hit in the UK, reaching number one on the UK singles chart (and was the first new number one single of the 1980s) as well as Sweden and Ireland, and reached the top ten in various countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, South Africa, and New Zealand. It also reached number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Its music video was the seventh video aired on MTV on its launch on 1 August 1981.

Background

"Brass in Pocket" originated as a guitar line that Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott played for Chrissie Hynde. Hynde then recorded the part and wrote the song's lyrics. Musically, Hynde described "Brass in Pocket" 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, Hynde revealed 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." She 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."

Music and lyrics

The lyrics detail the female singer about to have her first sexual encounter with a particular person, with her expressing confidence that the experience will be successful. According to Rolling Stone magazine critic Ken Tucker, the song uses "an iron fist as a metaphor for [Hynde's] sexual clout". The Rolling Stone Album Guide critic J. D. Considine describes the song as "sassy" and credits the band for "putting bounce in each step" of it. Author Simon Reynolds similarly describes Hynde's vocals as "pure sass" and "feline narcissism", noting that she "linger languorously" over the phrase "I'm special".

According to AllMusic critic Steve Huey, the backbeat "meshes very nicely with Hynde's unshakable confidence, and the song never gets aggressive enough to break its charming spell or make her self-assurance seem implausibly idealized." Huey also points out a harmonic shift in the music for the portion of the song where the singer lists the various attractive qualities she will use to make the encounter a success. Ultimate Classic Rock critic Bryan Wawzenek rated it one of drummer Martin Chambers' top 10 Pretenders songs, praising the relaxed groove and saying, "The beat is weighty but soft, and it allows plenty of room for Chrissie Hynde to side-step her way through the single."

Dave Thompson suggests that the song is actually about the Pretenders' first live concert rather than a sexual experience.

Cash Box said the song shows why Hynde was "quickly emerging as one of the bright new singer/stylists of 1980", highlighting "her sly, sexy warbling and tremendous control". Ultimate Classic Rock critic Matt Wardlaw rated it the Pretenders' best song, saying that it is the song "all of the elements really came together – a cool groove and an especially sultry vocal from Hynde."

The lyrics notably mix in both British and American slang of the time. "Brass" is a Northern English expression for money, referring to copper coins. The term "Detroit leaning" refers to a posture when driving a car.