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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Metamorphosis
Pet Shop Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm living proof that man can change
I knew what I wanted
I knew how to get it
It didn't make it happy so I started again
What I wanted to be was a family man
But nature had some alternative plans
And hoped my instincts would do what they were told
I want to know yeah
I want to know
But every now and then
Often at night
A particular feeling would surface in spite
Of what I told myself and tried to deny
I kept on asking the question: why?
[Chorus]
I want to know yeah
I want to know
You grow up and experience this
A total metamorphosis
It's all about change
It's a metamorphosis
With time and age I had to change
Cause my behaviour was getting strange
People on the street caught my eye
And I began to think I might be their kind of guy
The long-term suppression of an adolescent urge
Was in retreat and I was on the verge
Of falling in love or having fun
Time was running out
Something had to be done
I want to know yeah
I want to know
I want to know yeah
Tell me what's the reason
Where was I?
Laying down the law
Dancing with others
Out on the floor
Music and smoke
What did it mean?
Somebody spoke and I went into a dream
I had what I wanted
Madly in love
Nothing else mattered
This was enough
Questions were answered
Which used to perplex
In particular those about the big s.e.x.
I want to know yeah
I want to know
I want to know yeah
Tell me what's the reason
You grow up and experience this
A total metamorphosis
It's all about love
It's a metamorphosis
Dreaming is easy
Life is tough
I got the picture
The most important thing
Is not to end up bitter
Cause when you start to feel
Increasingly forlorner
Woomph! love comes
Right around the corner
It may not last
But here am I
Once a caterpillar
Now a butterfly
It can seem strange
But when you reminisce
It's all about change
It's a metamorphosis
[Chorus]
You grow up and experience this
A total metamorphosis
It's all about change
It's a metamorphosis
[Chorus]
The lyrics of the song "Metamorphosis" by the Pet Shop Boys describe the evolution of a person's life and how they transition from their past self to a new and changed self. The song is about growth and the struggles that come with it. The singer starts by explaining that he is proof that people can change and evolve. He talks about his struggle to figure out what he wanted, and how he suppressed his emotions and instincts to conform to societal norms. He longed to be a family man, but nature had other plans for him, so he had to put his emotions on hold and hope his instincts would do the right thing.
The chorus of the song repeats the line, "I want to know, yeah." The singer is trying to understand himself and the changes that he's going through. He feels a sense of restlessness and discontent, despite trying to deny his desires. As he grows older, the singer realizes that he has to change his behavior because it's becoming strange. He starts noticing people on the street and feels that he might be their type. He also realizes that he has to confront his suppressed desires and allow himself to fall in love or have fun before it's too late.
The song's bridge talks about how life can be tough but not to end up bitter about it. Love can come unexpectedly and change everything. The singer uses the metaphor of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly to symbolize the metamorphosis that he has gone through. In conclusion, the song "Metamorphosis" by the Pet Shop Boys is about growing up, evolving, and embracing change.
Line by Line Meaning
Please allow me to try and explain
The singer is asking the audience to let them clarify their experiences.
I'm living proof that man can change
The singer has gone through personal changes and is living evidence that people can change.
I knew what I wanted
The singer had a clear idea of what they wanted.
I knew how to get it
The artist had a plan to achieve their desired outcome.
It didn't make it happy so I started again
The outcome did not bring happiness so the artist had to re-evaluate.
What I wanted to be was a family man
The singer's desire was to be a husband and father.
But nature had some alternative plans
Life had different plans than what the singer had intended.
So I did without the lot put emotion on hold
The artist had to let go of their aspirations and suppress their emotions.
And hoped my instincts would do what they were told
The artist relied on their instincts to guide them.
I want to know yeah
The artist is curious about their experiences.
But every now and then, often at night
Occasionally, late at night, the singer faced some internal struggles.
A particular feeling would surface in spite
Certain emotions and feelings would arise regardless of the artist's attempts to suppress them.
Of what I told myself and tried to deny
Despite the singer trying to convince themselves otherwise, they could not ignore their true feelings.
I kept on asking the question: why?
The singer kept questioning why they were feeling a certain way.
You grow up and experience this
As people mature, they go through experiences similar to the singer.
A total metamorphosis
This is a complete transformation of the self.
It's all about change
The song is mainly focused on the idea of change.
With time and age I had to change
As the singer grew older, they realized they had to make changes to their life.
Cause my behaviour was getting strange
The singer realized their behavior was becoming unusual.
People on the street caught my eye
The artist started noticing other people on the street.
And I began to think I might be their kind of guy
The artist started to question their own identity and desires.
The long-term suppression of an adolescent urge
The artist had been suppressing their feelings since adolescence.
Was in retreat and I was on the verge
They were close to giving in to their desires.
Of falling in love or having fun
The artist was considering the possibility of experiencing love or having fun.
Time was running out
The singer felt like they needed to act quickly.
Something had to be done
The singer knew they needed to take action.
Tell me what's the reason
The singer is still questioning their own experiences.
Where was I?
The artist is wondering about where they were when they had a specific experience.
Laying down the law
The artist might have had an authoritative role.
Dancing with others
The singer was dancing with other people.
Out on the floor
The dancing was happening on the dance floor.
Music and smoke
There was music playing and smoke in the air.
What did it mean?
The artist is wondering about the significance of this environment.
Somebody spoke and I went into a dream
Something a person said caused the artist to enter a dream-like state.
I had what I wanted
The singer achieved their desired outcome.
Madly in love
The artist was deeply in love.
Nothing else mattered
The singer's love was the most important thing to them.
This was enough
The love the singer felt was sufficient for them.
Questions were answered which used to perplex
The singer's previous doubts and questions were now answered.
In particular those about the big s.e.x.
The artist had questions and doubts about sex.
Dreaming is easy
The artist is suggesting that it's easy to have dreams and desires.
Life is tough
The singer acknowledges the difficulties of life.
I got the picture
The singer now understands the situation.
The most important thing is not to end up bitter
The artist suggests that harboring resentment and bitterness is not beneficial.
Cause when you start to feel increasingly forlorner
When one feels lonely and abandoned, it's easy to become depressed.
Woomph! love comes right around the corner
Suddenly, love appears in the most unexpected way.
It may not last
The singer acknowledges that love may not be permanent.
But here am I once a caterpillar now a butterfly
The artist is now transformed, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon.
It can seem strange but when you reminisce
The singer is reflecting on their experiences.
You grow up and experience this
As people mature, they go through experiences similar to the singer.
A total metamorphosis
This is a complete transformation of the self.
It's all about love
The song is mainly focused on the idea of love.
It's a metamorphosis
The song is using the concept of metamorphosis as an extended metaphor, with love changing the artist's life.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: LOWE, TENNANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind