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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Left to My Own Devices
Pet Shop Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Phone up a friend who's a party animal
Turn on the news and drink some tea
Maybe if you're with me, we'll do some shopping
One day, I'll read or learn to drive a car
If you pass the test, you can beat the rest
But I don't like to compete, or talk street, street, street
I could leave you, say goodbye
Or I could love you, if I try
And I could
And left to my own devices, I probably would
Pick up a brochure about the sun
Learn to ignore what the photographer saw
I was always told that you should join a club
Stick with the gang, if you want to belong
I was a lonely boy, no strength, no joy
In a world of my own at the back of the garden
I didn't want to compete, or play out on the street
For in a secret life I was a round head general
I could leave you, say goodbye
Or I could love you, if I try
And I could
And left to my own devices, I probably would
Left to my own devices, I probably would
Oh, I would
I was faced with a choice at a difficult age
Would I write a book? Or should I take to the stage?
But in the back of my head I heard distant feet
Che Guevara and De'bussy to a disco beat
It's not a crime when you look the way you do
The way I like to picture you
When I get home, it's late at night
I pour a drink and watch the fight
Turn off the TV, look at a book
Pick up the phone, fix some food
Maybe I'll sit up all night and day
Waiting for the minute I hear you say
I could leave you, say goodbye
Or I could love you, if I try
And I could
And left to my own devices, I probably would
Come on, baby, say goodbye
Or I could love you, if I try
And I could
And left to my own devices, I probably would
Left to my own devices, I probably would
(Come on baby)
Left to my own devices, I probably would
The song "Left To My Own Devices" by Pet Shop Boys depicts the mundanity of daily life and the constant struggle between conforming to societal expectations or following one's own desires. The singer's routine starts with waking up late and contacting a friend who is a party animal. They turn on the news and drink tea before possibly going shopping. The singer admits they do not like to compete or talk street language and instead like to pick up the best from the party animal. The singer contemplates reading or learning how to drive but emphasizes that they do not like to compete. They pick up a brochure about the sun and learn to ignore what the photographer saw.
The second stanza describes the singer's lonely childhood and the desire to be part of a gang or club to belong in society. The singer admits they did not want to compete or play on the street as they had a secret life as a round head general. The singer wonders if they should write a book or take to the stage, but they hear "distant feet" which guides them towards creating a unique sound. The singer admits to being attracted to their partner, acknowledging it is not a crime to be who they are. They spend their evenings drinking and watching fights on TV, looking at books or cooking food. The song ends with the decision to either leave the partner or love them, left to their own devices, the singer would most likely choose the latter.
Line by Line Meaning
I get out of bed at half past ten
I wake up rather late in the morning
Phone up a friend who's a party animal
I call my friend who loves to party
Turn on the news and drink some tea
I like to catch up on the latest events while drinking tea
Maybe if you're with me, we'll do some shopping
Perhaps if you accompany me, we can go shopping together
One day, I'll read or learn to drive a car
Someday, I aspire to either read or take classes to learn how to drive a car
If you pass the test, you can beat the rest
If you pass your driving test, you'll be better than the competition
But I don't like to compete, or talk street, street, street
I prefer not to participate in competitions or engage in street talk
I can pick up the best from the party animal
I can learn the best things from my friend who loves to party
I could leave you, say goodbye
I have the option to end our relationship and say farewell
Or I could love you, if I try
On the other hand, I can make an effort to love and cherish you
And left to my own devices, I probably would
If I were to be alone, I would most likely choose the latter option
Pick up a brochure about the sun
I would like to obtain a pamphlet or brochure about the sun
Learn to ignore what the photographer saw
I want to train myself to overlook what the photographer captured in the picture
I was always told that you should join a club
I was advised that it's beneficial to join a club
Stick with the gang, if you want to belong
If you want to feel like you belong, stay with your friends
I was a lonely boy, no strength, no joy
I used to be a boy who was lonely and had no vigor or pleasure in life
In a world of my own at the back of the garden
I was secluded in my own world, at the far end of the garden
I didn't want to compete, or play out on the street
I wasn't interested in competing with others or playing outdoors
For in a secret life I was a round head general
In my imagination, I was not just any person, but a skilled leader
I was faced with a choice at a difficult age
I was confronted with a tough decision at a young, vulnerable age
Would I write a book? Or should I take to the stage?
Should I become an author or pursue a career on the stage?
But in the back of my head I heard distant feet
In the back of my mind, I could sense someone approaching from a distance
Che Guevara and De'bussy to a disco beat
I was inspired by a combination of revolutionary Che Guevara and renowned musician Claude DeBussy, mixed with the lively rhythm of disco music
It's not a crime when you look the way you do
There's nothing wrong with how you look
The way I like to picture you
I enjoy imagining you in a certain way
When I get home, it's late at night
I typically arrive home late in the evening
I pour a drink and watch the fight
I pour myself a beverage and observe the altercation
Turn off the TV, look at a book
I turn off the television and read a book instead
Pick up the phone, fix some food
I answer the phone and prepare some food
Maybe I'll sit up all night and day
Perhaps I'll stay up all day and night
Waiting for the minute I hear you say
Anticipating the precise moment when you utter those words to me
Come on, baby, say goodbye
Please, my dear, bid me farewell
Left to my own devices, I probably would
If I were to be alone, I would most likely do as I please
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christopher Lowe, Neil Tennant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ahmed Zafar
Neil Tenant is my favourite vocalist, you can literally transcribe every word of the song when he sings. His clear elocution does not even for microsecond means, losing the rhythm and meter of this song. Awesome band, through and through
Carole Cochrane
Well said, I agree with your comment 😀😀
Pretty Rosy
I love the almost speaking quality of his singing.
Swan
Maybe if Neil’s with me we’ll do some shopping
Ma TrIce
do you know Freddy Mercury?
Sandra da Silva
I thought the same with "West end girls"
Pamela Manriquez
2023 y sigue siendo genial esta canción, gracias Neil y Chris, por tanta música de excelencia ❤
Robert Johnson
The orchestral arrangement introducing the song before going into an incredibly infectious beat throughout, the original words, these high points combined make it their (Pet Shop Boys) masterpiece from 1988.
Wayne Miller
Same keyboardist as Buggles.
digger fox
Timeless