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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Here
Pet Shop Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
of a place we belong
The fire is burning
and the radio's on
Somebody smiles
and it means 'I love you'
but sometimes we don't notice
when the dream has come true
You've got a home here
Call it what you want
You've got a home here
to return to when you can't
face the world and you need
some support to succeed
You've got a home
We all make a mess
of our lives from time to time
It's part of the process
that you stumble as you climb
And if you ever feel
the pain is far too big a deal
I say with pride
I'll be on your side
You've got a home here
Call it what you want
You've got a home here
You're gonna want it when you can't
face the world and you need
some support to succeed
You've got a home
The Pet Shop Boys' song Here is a touching and emotionally charged track that speaks about the desire and need for a place to belong and call home. The song revolves around the idea of a dream that we all have, to find a place where we feel comfortable with the people around us. The opening stanza of the song describes how we all have a dream of a place we belong, where we can find comfort and solace. It talks about the warmth of the house and the joy that the fire in the hearth brings, and the happiness derived from having the radio on while someone who means a lot to us is around.
The chorus of Here is an expression of undeniable support, positivity, and love. It encourages the listener to recognize that they have a home, a place where they can always return to, where they can find support when they are going through rough patches, a place where they can find love and a sense of belonging. The lyrics also highlight how we all make mistakes, but it's okay because stumbling as we climb is a part of our natural journey, and no matter what happens, someone will always be on our side to offer support and comfort.
Overall, Here is a beautiful and thought-provoking song that reminds us of the importance of having a home and a support system in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
We all have a dream
We all have a vision or goal of a place where we completely belong and feel at peace.
of a place we belong
A place where we feel accepted, comfortable, and safe.
The fire is burning
There is a powerful desire or passion that is driving us towards our dream.
and the radio's on
There is background noise or distractions that could sometimes hinder us from hearing our inner voice or recognizing important events and moments.
Somebody smiles
There are people in our lives who love and support us, and their actions or expression of love could sometimes be subtle.
and it means 'I love you'
Sometimes, small gestures such as a smile could carry an enormous message of love.
but sometimes we don't notice
We could sometimes be too busy or caught up in our own world that we fail to appreciate the love and blessings around us.
when the dream has come true
Sometimes, when we finally achieve our dream or goal, we could fail to recognize it and still feel unfulfilled.
You've got a home here
There is a place or community where you are welcome and belong, no matter who you are or where you come from.
Call it what you want
You have the freedom to call this place or community whatever you want, as long as it represents your sense of belonging and comfort.
to return to when you can't
You can always come back to this place and find refuge when life becomes overwhelming or challenging.
face the world and you need
Whenever you are faced with difficulties in life and feel like you cannot overcome them alone.
some support to succeed
To succeed in life, we all need support and encouragement from others, and this place or community provides that for you.
We all make a mess
Mistakes are a part of life, and no one is perfect or immune to them.
of our lives from time to time
We could sometimes make wrong decisions or take the wrong path, but that does not define who we are.
It's part of the process
Making mistakes is a step towards growth and self-discovery, and it is essential for our personal development.
that you stumble as you climb
As we strive towards our goals and dreams, we could sometimes face setbacks or obstacles that cause us to fall or stumble.
And if you ever feel
If you ever feel lost, hopeless, or helpless,
the pain is far too big a deal
If the pain and struggles of life become unbearable and overwhelming,
I say with pride
I am proud to tell you,
I'll be on your side
I will support and be there for you, and so will this home and community.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER LOWE, NEIL TENNANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind