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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Leaving
Pet Shop Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've had enough time to decide on your freedom
But I can still find some hope to believe in love
Our love is dead, but the dead don't go away
They made us what we are , they're with us everyday
Our love is dead, but the dead they're still alive
In memory and thoughts, and the context they provide
I know when enough's enough and you're leaving
You've had enough time to decide on your freedom
But I can still find some hope to believe in love
I know when enough's enough and you're leaving
You've had enough time to decide on your freedom
But I can still find some hope to believe in love
Our love is dead,(our love is dead)
But the dead are here to stay (don't go away)
They made us what we are (that's what we are)
They're with us everyday (oh everyday)
In darkest nights (in darkest nights)
The memory keeps us strong (it keeps us strong)
And if our love is dead (our love is dead)
It won't be dead for long (no not for long)
I know when enough's enough and you're leaving
You've had enough time to decide on your freedom
But I can still find some hope to believe in love
I know when enough's enough and you're leaving
You've had enough time to decide on your freedom
But I can still find some hope to believe in love
Believe in love
Don't go away
I know when enough's enough and you're leaving
You've had enough time to decide on your freedom
But I can still find some hope to believe in love
I know when enough's enough and you're leaving
You've had enough time to decide on your freedom
But I can still find some hope to believe in love
Believe in love
The lyrics to Pet Shop Boys’ song Leaving are about a broken relationship and the aftermath of the split. The chorus of the song reflects the singer’s realization that the love between the couple is dead, but it is not completely gone. The dead are still alive within them and are with them every day in memories and the context that they provide. The singer has come to understand that their love may not be coming back, but they can find hope in love and believe in it again.
Throughout the song, the singer acknowledges that the end of the relationship is necessary and that leaving is the only choice. The couple has had enough time to decide on their freedom, and the singer has enough respect for their decision to not stand in their way. However, they still hold on to the hope that love can bring them together again, even if the love they once shared is dead. The lines “Our love is dead, but the dead don't go away” and “And if our love is dead, it won't be dead for long” suggest that the singer believes that their love can be brought back to life in the future.
The song leaves the listener with a bittersweet feeling of letting go but still holding onto the possibility of new beginnings in life and love. It is a poignant expression of the complexities of human relationships and the emotions that are tied up in them.
Line by Line Meaning
I know when enough's enough and you're leaving
I understand when the limit has been reached and you have chosen to depart from me
You've had enough time to decide on your freedom
You took sufficient time to determine your own freedom and choices
But I can still find some hope to believe in love
Despite our separation, I am hopeful and still believe in the power of love
Our love is dead, but the dead don't go away
Our relationship has ended, but the past remains present and affects us
They made us what we are , they're with us everyday
Our shared experiences shaped us and still have an effect on our daily lives
Our love is dead, but the dead they're still alive
Our past lives on through memory and thoughts
In memory and thoughts, and the context they provide
Our memories shape our perspectives and provide a context for our present
But the dead are here to stay (don't go away)
The past is permanent and continues to have an impact
In darkest nights (in darkest nights)
During difficult times
The memory keeps us strong (it keeps us strong)
Our memory of our past provides strength during challenging times
And if our love is dead (our love is dead)
Even though our love has ended
It won't be dead for long (no not for long)
Our love will continue to live on through our memories and thoughts
Believe in love
Have faith in the power of love
Don't go away
Even though you're leaving, don't forget our past and memories
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRIS LOWE, NEIL TENNANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sheptonsmallet
This is the Pet shop boys at their unique best. The sound, the lyrics. If this had been released in the 80s it would've been their highest rated song, very original
Charla Vandermeer
Yes absolutely it would!
Allin Robertson
@nando3e76 Behaviour felt sad whereas this is hopeful. As well, PSB's were polished by this time and although the album Elysium falls in many top choices this song and Memory of the Future are in the Top 10 best of their entire career.
nando3e76
Sounds very "Behaviour".
Dotô Purga
Subtle, charming, seductive, sweet to the ears, like so many beautiful songs of the Pet Shop Boys, electronic music with life, which has nothing of the coldness of computers, this duo is always fantastic. PSB para sempre.
smithraymond09029
Pet Shop Boys, like a good wine, got better with time. No doubt.
Pablo Gabriel Talerico
Casi 40 años de trayectoria y siguen deslumbrando. Genios totales!
sergiola310
This song has so much meaning to me since my mom past a month ago . The words are beyond deep. Neil T. 's voice is a gift from god . ❤️long live the PSB.
Charla Vandermeer
God blessed Neil with the voice of an angel 😇, Chris writes lyrics and plays a mean keyboard. Hope they find God 🙏 God will right all the wrongs in this world. Blessings on you both ❣️🙏
Silvio Bino
Rip respect!! And How music Can be good to our souls