‘Brass in Pocket’, also known as ‘Brass in Pocket (I'm Special)’, is a song by English–American rock band the Pretenders, released in 1979 as the third single from their self-titled debut album. The song was released as the band's third single. It was their first big success, scoring number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in January 1980 (making it the first new number-one single of the 1980s), number two in Australia during May 1980 (for three weeks), and number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, making it the band's biggest hit to that point. It was listed at No. 389 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2021. Its music video was the seventh video aired on MTV on its launch on 1 August 1981.
‘Brass in Pocket’ 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. The song's title derives from a phrase she overheard after a show. 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 meaning, Hynde stated: “The tradition of ["Brass in Pocket"] is that you're supposed to be kind of cocky and sure of yourself.”
Songwriters – Chrissie Hynde, James Honeyman-Scott
Producer – Chris Thomas
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Got brass in pocket
Got bottle, I'm gonna use it
Intention, I feel inventive
[Bridge]
Gonna make you, make you
Make you notice
[Verse 2]
Got motion, restrained emotion
Been driving, Detroit leaning
No reason, just seems so pleasing
[Bridge]
Gonna make you, make you
Make you notice
[Pre-Chorus]
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
[Chorus]
'Cause I'm gonna make you see
There's nobody else here, no one like me
I'm special (Special), so special (Special)
I gotta have some of your attention, give it to me
[Verse 3]
Got rhythm, I can't miss a beat
Got new skank, it's so reet
Got something I'm winking at you
[Bridge]
Gonna make you, make you
Make you notice
[Pre-Chorus]
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
[Chorus]
'Cause I'm gonna make you see
There's nobody else here, no one like me
I'm special (Special), so special (Special)
I gotta have some of your attention, give it to me
[Chorus]
'Cause I'm gonna make you see
There's nobody else here, no one like me
I'm special (Special), so special (Special)
I gotta have some of your attention, give it to me
[Outro]
Ohh
And when you walk