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.
http://petshopboys.co.uk
Building a Wall
Pet Shop Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Protection (prevention)
Detection (detention)
There's no where to defect to any more
[Repeat: x2]
I'm building a wall
A fine wall
More to keep me in
Back then on a bomb site
We were spies among the ruins
Such precocious barbarians
On TV we saw
Cold War
[Repeat: x2]
Protection (prevention)
Detection (detention)
There's no where to defect to any more
I'm leaving the world
It's all wrong
Not so much what many are doing
Much more what's within us
I'm building a wall
A fine wall
Not so much to keep you out
More to keep me in
Jesus and the man from Angol
Caesar conquered Gaul
Scouting for Centurians
On a Roman war
Through the woods, the trees
And further on, the sea
We lived in the shadow of the wall
Sand in the sandwiches
Wasps in the tea
It was a free country
(who do you think you are, Captain Britain?)
I'm building a wall
A fine wall
Not so much to keep you out
More to keep me in
I'm losing my head
Well, why not?
More work for the undertaker
Means there's less for me
[Repeat: x3]
I'm building a wall
A fine wall
Not so much to keep you out
More to keep me in
The lyrics of Pet Shop Boys's song Building a Wall can be interpreted in various ways but generally revolve around themes of isolation, protection, and detachment from the world. The lyrics repeat "protection (prevention), detection (detention), there's nowhere to defect to anymore" which seems to highlight the idea of the loss of alternatives, perhaps in the context of the Cold War era or post-modern society.
The lines "I'm building a wall, a fine wall, not so much to keep you out, more to keep me in" may suggest that the singer is not necessarily trying to keep others out but rather to keep their own demons at bay. The wall becomes a metaphor for internal struggles and emotions that the singer may be experiencing, whether they are a result of personal experiences or external societal pressures. The mentions of spies, barbarians, and war could imply that the singer is seeking escape from a harsh reality or an oppressive society that seeks to control them. The more upbeat nature of the music, however, suggests that the singer finds a sense of comfort in this isolation.
Line by Line Meaning
Protection (prevention)
Taking measures in advance to prevent something bad from happening.
Detection (detention)
The act of identifying or catching someone who has done something bad, and then holding them in a secure place.
There's no where to defect to any more
There's nowhere safe to go if one wants to leave a place or situation that is dangerous or oppressive.
I'm building a wall
Taking physical steps to protect oneself from potential harm or danger.
A fine wall
A well-made and well-constructed barrier.
Not so much to keep you out
The wall is not exclusively intended to exclude or keep others out, but it is a secondary effect.
More to keep me in
The primary goal of the wall is to restrict one's own movements and behaviors, either due to fear or a desire for control.
Back then on a bomb site
Referring to a time of damage and destruction caused by a large-scale act of violence or war.
We were spies among the ruins
Wandering through the wreckage, possibly metaphorically, in search of hidden secrets.
Such precocious barbarians
Young and impulsive individuals who behave in a primitive and uncivilized manner.
On TV we saw
Watching from a distance the events and situations that were happening in the outside world.
Cold War
A period of political tension and military rivalry between contrasting groups or alliances after World War II.
I'm leaving the world
Withdrawing or retreating oneself from the external world, possibly due to dissatisfaction with the present state of affairs.
It's all wrong
Disagreeing with or opposing how things are generally going on in the world, but being unable to do anything about it.
Not so much what many are doing
It's not necessarily the actions of others, but rather something deeper that is causing the dissatisfaction and desire for isolation.
Much more what's within us
The source of the problem seems to be rooted within, rather than being the result of external circumstances.
Jesus and the man from Angol
Referring to two different individuals, possibly representing a mashup of religious and political figures.
Caesar conquered Gaul
Recalling a past event where a leader exerted their dominance and control over a group of people or country, further establishing the theme of power and control.
Scouting for Centurians
Searching for powerful and influential individuals to control or direct them.
Through the woods, the trees
Navigating through uncertainty, hardship, or danger, possibly representing a metaphor for the journey of life.
And further on, the sea
There is no clear end to the journey, as it is apparently endless.
We lived in the shadow of the wall
Metaphorically being restricted and controlled by an overbearing influence, likely a form of power or authority.
Sand in the sandwiches
Minor inconveniences amidst a larger oppressive situation.
Wasps in the tea
Another small detail that conveys an overall sense of unease or discomfort.
It was a free country
A statement that contradicts the preceding lyrics, possibly being ironic or sarcastic.
I'm losing my head
Experiencing inner turmoil or confusion that may lead to irrational thinking or actions.
Well, why not?
Taking a nihilistic approach towards life and seeming to give up on trying to make things better or change the status quo.
More work for the undertaker
Implying an increase in death, possibly being related to the artist's own feelings or actions.
Means there's less for me
A bleak way of thinking about one's own future.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRIS LOWE, NEIL TENNANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind