Post-modern ironists cloaked behind a veil of buoyantly melodic and lushly romantic synth pop confections, Pet Shop Boys offer wry yet strangely affecting cultural commentary communicated by the Morse code of synth washes and drum machine rhythms. After first emerging in the mid-'80s with "West End Girls" and "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)," Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe quickly established themselves as hitmaking singles artists who were also able to craft emotionally resonant albums, like 1988's Introspective and 1990's Behaviour. The duo navigated the constantly shifting landscape of modern dance-pop with grace and intelligence, moving easily from disco to house music to thoughtful synth pop without losing their distinctive style in the process. Continuing to evolve artistically, Pet Shop Boys incorporated Latin music on 1996's Bilingual, expanded into theater and ballet, and morphed into elder statesmen of electronic pop, still able to release interesting albums after more than 30 years, as evidenced by highlights like 2016's Super and 2020's Hotspot.
Pet Shop Boys formed in London in August 1981, when vocalist Tennant (a former editor at Marvel Comics who later gained recognition as a journalist for Smash Hits magazine) first met keyboardist Lowe (a onetime architecture student) at an electronics shop. Discovering a shared passion for dance music and synthesizers, they immediately decided to start a band. After dubbing themselves Pet Shop Boys in honor of friends who worked in such an establishment -- while also obliquely nodding to the sort of names prevalent among the New York City hip-hop culture of the early '80s -- the duo's career first took flight in 1983, when Tennant met producer Bobby "O" Orlando while on a writing assignment. Orlando produced their first single, 1984's "West End Girls." The song was a minor hit in the U.S. but went nowhere in Britain, and its follow-up, "One More Chance," was also unsuccessful.
Upon signing to EMI, Pet Shop Boys issued 1985's biting "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)." When it too failed to attract attention, the duo's future appeared grim, but Tennant and Lowe then released an evocative new Stephen Hague production of "West End Girls," which became an international chart-topper. Its massive success propelled Pet Shop Boys' 1986 debut LP, Please, into the Top Ten, and when "Opportunities" was subsequently reissued, it too became a hit. Disco, a collection of dance remixes, was quickly rushed into stores, and in 1987 the duo resurfaced with the superb Actually, which launched two more Top Ten smashes -- "It's a Sin" and "What Have I Done to Deserve This?," a duet between Tennant and the great Dusty Springfield. Later that year, "Always on My Mind," a lovely cover of the perennial Elvis Presley standard, reached number one in several countries and the Top Ten in the U.S. A documentary film titled It Couldn't Happen Here was released one year later.
In October 1988, Pet Shop Boys issued their third studio LP, the eclectic Introspective. "Domino Dancing" and "Left to My Own Devices" both reached the Top Ten in Great Britain. The following year, Pet Shop Boys collaborated with a variety of performers, most notably Liza Minnelli, for whom they produced the 1989 LP Results. They also produced material for Springfield, and Tennant joined New Order frontman Bernard Sumner and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr in the group Electronic, scoring a hit with the single "Getting Away with It." Tennant and Lowe reconvened in 1990 for the muted, downcast Behavior, produced by Harold Faltermeyer. Their hit medley of U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name" and Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" was released in 1991, and was followed in 1993 by Very, lauded as one of the duo's finest efforts.
After a three-year absence, Pet Shop Boys resurfaced with Bilingual, a fluid expansion into Latin rhythms. Nightlife followed in 1999 and sparked the dance club hit "New York City Boy," whose success allowed the group to tour the U.S. for the first time in eight years. While on tour, the pair also collaborated with playwright Jonathan Harvey on a musical surrounding gay life and societal criticisms, which the three had been planning since 1997. Closer to Heaven made its West End debut in 2001 and had a successful run for most of the year; Pet Shop Boys' score of the original cast recording was also a hit in the U.K. They still had time to make a record for themselves, too: In April 2002, Tennant and Lowe issued Release and Disco 3 was compiled for release the following year.
Pet Shop Boys continued releasing material throughout the decade's latter half. In 2005, they put together a volume of the Back to Mine series and released their music designed to accompany the 1925 silent film Battleship Potemkin, a soundtrack they'd performed a year earlier at a free concert/screening in Trafalgar Square. A year later, they issued Fundamental, a mature, sometimes political album produced by Trevor Horn. The live album Concrete: In Concert at the Mermaid Theatre appeared at the end of the year, and Yes -- a collaborative effort with the production crew Xenomania -- marked the band's tenth studio effort in March 2009. While playing shows in support of that album, Pet Shop Boys also released a hits compilation, Party, to coincide with the Brazilian leg of their tour. In 2010, the tour was documented on the CD/DVD release Pandemonium, and another greatest-hits compilation, Ultimate, arrived.
Their 2011 effort, The Most Incredible Thing, was a two-disc ballet score composed for the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, while 2012's Format rounded up the duo's B-sides and bonus tracks from the years 1996-2009. Also in 2012, Pet Shop Boys released the sports-themed single "Winner" and performed the track at the 2012 Olympics Summer Games, held that year in their hometown of London. The track landed on that year's album Elysium, which was produced by Kanye West affiliate Andrew Dawson. Stuart Price (Madonna, Seal, Kylie Minogue) was the producer of 2013's Electric, an album that featured no ballads, just dance tracks.
In May 2014, the duo announced more original music, this time with a concert piece scheduled for a July date at Royal Albert Hall commemorating British code breaker Alan Turing and including the BBC Concert Orchestra. Price returned as producer of 2016's Super, the second album in a row where Pet Shop Boys were "electronic purists," meaning no guitars, no orchestral support, and no organic instruments. The following year saw the band issue the Undertow EP, which featured two remixes of Super's "Undertow," a remix of "Burn," and a new version of "Left to My Own Devices," produced by Stuart Price. They were also awarded the Godlike Genius Award by NME.
The duo issued the Agenda EP in early 2019, and the live album CD/DVD/Blu-ray release Inner Sanctum appeared in April; it was recorded during Pet Shop Boys' four-day residency in July 2018 at the Royal Opera House in London. Later in the year, they started issuing songs from their next long-player, including "Dreamland," a collaboration with Years & Years, and "Burning the Heather," which featured Suede's Bernard Butler on guitar. The album, titled Hotspot, arrived in January 2020 and was their third LP to be produced by Price. Discovery (Live in Rio), a concert originally issued on video in 1995, was issued on DVD and CD for the first time in 2021. The duo also released a nearly ten-minute classical-inspired single titled "Cricket Wife."
In May 2022 Pet Shop and British pop duo Soft Cell released the album *Happiness Not Included - Soft Cell first studio album in nearly two decades. The colab included the song “Purple Zone”, blending the best of both Soft Cell and Pet Shop Boys, layering a dazzling synth riff and dance floor-ready beat with anthemic vocals. Appropriately for the pandemics, the track laments feeling stuck in the monotony of everyday mundanities: “Let’s get out of this life/ I’m afraid and alone,” goes the chorus. Paralyzed in the purple zone.”
Their much-anticipated “Unity Tour” of North America alongside New Order, rescheduled twice following pandemics delays, kicked off in Fall 2022 and included several venues in Canada and the United States, featuring Paul Oakenfold as special guest DJ.
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All over the world
Pet Shop Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh)
It's something
That look in your eyes tonight
Like magic
I hear it all around me every day
In the music that you play
[Repeat: x2]
This is the sound
Of all boys and girls
You hear it
Playing all over the world
The night sky
Like velvet masks our eyes tonight
And falling
Reveals the sunrise
Ending night
We feel it
All around us
Every day
In the music that we play
[Repeat: x3]
This is the sound
Of all boys and girls
You hear it
Playing all over the world
(all over the world)
Ey-ey-ey-ey
[x4]
Ay-oh-ay-oh
It's sincere at its objective
Superficial and true
Easy and predictable
Exciting and new
Just say 'I want you'
[Repeat: x2]
This is the sound
Of all boys and girls
You hear it
Playing all over the world
The song All Over the World by Pet Shop Boys celebrates the power of music to connect people across the globe. The opening lyrics "oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh" evoke a sense of unity and universality, as if the song is inviting everyone to join in a communal chant. The lyrics describe a magical feeling that music brings, one that can transform everything in sight. The singer hears this feeling all around them every day, in the music they play, and they recognize that it is a sound that all boys and girls can relate to, one that plays all over the world.
The night sky is also described as playing a role in this magical feeling, as if it too is a vessel for the power of music. The velvet darkness of the night masks our eyes, but it also reveals the sunrise, which represents a new day and a new beginning. The singer feels this power of music all around them, as if it is a force that binds people together regardless of location or culture.
The final lines of the song emphasize that anyone can relate to this sound, whether they are superficial or sincere, predictable or exciting. The power of music transcends all of these categories and can connect anyone who is willing to say "I want you." Ultimately, the song celebrates the ability of music to bring people together and unite them in a common experience of feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
(oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh
Repetitive vocalizations that serve to accompany and enhance the song's instrumental melody.
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh
See previous.
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh
See previous.
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh)
See previous.
It's something
There is an unquantifiable and complex sensation being experienced.
That look in your eyes tonight
The expression in your eyes right now communicates a specific feeling or idea.
Like magic
The effect is like an inexplicable and powerful form of enchantment.
It's changing everything in sight
The sensation is having a profound and all-encompassing impact on one's surroundings.
I hear it all around me every day
This sensation can be detected in sounds present in everyday life.
In the music that you play
The source of this sensation can be found in the specific sounds and qualities of the music being played.
[Repeat: x2]
Repetition of previous thought for emphasis.
This is the sound
The following sounds are a perfect representation of this sensation.
Of all boys and girls
This sensation is felt and represented universally by all people.
You hear it
The following sounds are perceptible to all people.
Playing all over the world
This sensation is being experienced on a global scale, in all corners of the earth.
The night sky
The dark expanse of sky overhead at this moment.
Like velvet masks our eyes tonight
The sky has a texture and quality similar to the material 'velvet', causing a masking effect over our eyes.
And falling
As the night progresses and ends, the sky's quality and texture metaphorically 'falls'.
Reveals the sunrise
As the night ends, the sky reveals the sun beginning to rise.
Ending night
The night is coming to a close as the sun begins to take its place in the sky.
We feel it
Together, we are detecting and experiencing this sensation.
All around us
This sensation is present and detectable in all aspects of our physical surroundings.
Every day
This sensation is perpetually present in our daily lives.
In the music that we play
The specific sounds and qualities of the music we play contribute to the presence and experience of this sensation.
[Repeat: x3]
Repetition of previous thought for emphasis.
This is the sound
The following sounds are a perfect representation of this sensation.
Of all boys and girls
This sensation is felt and represented universally by all people.
You hear it
The following sounds are perceptible to all people.
Playing all over the world
This sensation is being experienced on a global scale, in all corners of the earth.
(all over the world)
Reiteration of global scale of experience.
Ey-ey-ey-ey
Repetitive vocalizations that serve to accompany and enhance the song's instrumental melody.
[x4]
Repetition of previous thought for emphasis.
Ay-oh-ay-oh
Repetitive vocalizations that serve to accompany and enhance the song's instrumental melody.
It's sincere at its objective
The sensation experienced is true and genuine in its intent and purpose.
Superficial and true
The sensation experienced is surface-level and genuine in its nature.
Easy and predictable
The sensation experienced is uncomplicated and follows a familiar pattern.
Exciting and new
The sensation experienced is exhilarating and revolutionary in its form.
Just say 'I want you'
All one needs to do is utter these simple words to experience and express this sensation.
[Repeat: x2]
Repetition of previous thought for emphasis.
This is the sound
The following sounds are a perfect representation of this sensation.
Of all boys and girls
This sensation is felt and represented universally by all people.
You hear it
The following sounds are perceptible to all people.
Playing all over the world
This sensation is being experienced on a global scale, in all corners of the earth.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRIS LOWE, NEIL TENNANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@declandillon8523
having watched many concerts over the years, nobody in my opinion puts in as much work as these guys. They are quite simply so pro its untrue, the sets, the music and the length of the show is quite simply awe inspiring. I will always part with my cash for these guys, year after year they really hit the mark. Thanks guys and continued good luck with whatever you do....PS YOU MUST GET A BOND TRACK SOON!!!!
@ursa41
Pet Shop Boys music is absolutely timeless!! These kind of melodies will soldier on well into the future! PSB 4 Ever!!!
@julietager-spaven7976
#TrueBlue
@erikandersson6145
@Juliet Ager-Spaven PSB and ABBA is timeless
@CAROLINNNDA
Absolutely marvellous!!!! The song is perfect, the concert was brilliant!!! They are the bestest i have. Long life to PSB!!!
@ColdKatri
Thank you Pet Shop Boys for your majestic and masterful music! I love you! I hope you come back soon to Finland!! Your music is ecstasy!!! <3<3<3 Perfect!
@swamyrs
was not a simple musical show, but a multimedia spectacle with a lot of drama, with astounding accuracy. Nothing failed! From Portugal
@ColdKatri
I love this awesome show and performance!!! PSB forever!!! I LOVE! I LOVE! I LOVE!
@heisenberg560
Awesome song!!! This is Pop Art, not imitations. PSB forever.
@scmtuk3662
If I'm not mistaken the two dancers (in red and blue) are Polly Duniam and Sophie Duniam (also known as "My Bad Sister"), but I remember them as Hannah and Helen Moore in Home Farm Twins in the late 1990s.