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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More Than A Dream
Pet Shop Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something good
Something we can share
Understood
Could be better news
We can share
Something's coming soon
I hear it everywhere
(live it) it's the story of our lives
(come give it) it's the way we've always been
(come give it) though the mountains may divide
(come give it) we can reach the sea
I believe we can change
We can make it more than a dream
And I believe we can change
It's not as strange as it might seem
In the air I can feel
Something magical becoming real
From the other side looking in
Come on, throw the dice
And tonight we'll win
(live it) it's the story of our lives
(come give it) it's the way we've always been
(come give it) though the mountains may divide
(come give it) we can reach the sea
[Repeat: x2]
I believe we can change
We can make it more than a dream
And I believe we can change
It's not as strange as it might seem
Driving through the night
Just you and me
Faster than any light
Something's calling (calling, calling)
Calling us away
Do you believe
Heaven isn't that obvious
We'll be there in a heartbeat
I believe we can change
We can make it more than a dream
And I believe we can change
It's not as strange as it might seem
It's not as strange as it might seem
[Repeat: x3]
I believe we can change
We can make it more than a dream
And I believe we can change
It's not as strange as it might seem
The lyrics of Pet Shop Boys' "More Than A Dream" carry a positive message of hope and optimism. The song speaks about an upcoming good event that is about to happen, something that we can share and enjoy together. The lyrics suggest that this good news that is coming is not just a dream, and we have to trust and believe that we can make it a reality. The lyrics also stress a sense of unity, emphasizing that although we may face barriers like mountains, we can still overcome them and reach the sea.
The song talks about the power of belief and change, and that we should not be afraid to chase our dreams because they are not as strange as they may seem. The lyrics suggest that change is possible, that we can make a difference and turn our dreams into a reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Coming soon
Something exciting is going to happen soon.
Something good
Something positive or beneficial.
Something we can share
Something that we can enjoy together.
Understood
Acknowledging that the message has been received and comprehended.
Could be better news
Receiving news that may not be ideal, but is not necessarily bad either.
We can share
We can enjoy this experience together.
Something's coming soon
There is an impending positive event that will happen soon.
I hear it everywhere
There are signs and indications that this positive event will happen everywhere.
(live it) it's the story of our lives
Our experiences shape our lives and make up the narrative of who we are.
(come give it) it's the way we've always been
Our inherent nature and disposition is to accept and experience new things.
(come give it) though the mountains may divide
Despite challenges and obstacles that may appear insurmountable, we can still overcome them.
(come give it) we can reach the sea
We are capable of achieving seemingly impossible tasks.
I believe we can change
We have the ability to make a difference.
We can make it more than a dream
We can take our aspirations and make them a reality.
It's not as strange as it might seem
Making our dreams reality may seem far-fetched, but it is definitely achievable.
In the air I can feel
There is a sense that something amazing is happening around us.
Something magical becoming real
Our desires and dreams are becoming a reality.
From the other side looking in
Looking from an outside perspective, we can see that we are capable of achieving great things.
Come on, throw the dice
We need to take a chance and risk it all in order to make something great happen.
And tonight we'll win
Our efforts will be successful, and we will see the results of our hard work.
Driving through the night
Metaphor for pushing forward even when things are difficult or uncertain.
Just you and me
Together, we can face any challenges ahead of us.
Faster than any light
Metaphor for moving forward quickly and with determination.
Something's calling (calling, calling)
There is a powerful force driving us forward.
Calling us away
Our aspirations are leading us to better things, and we should follow them willingly.
Do you believe
Asking for agreement and assent for what is to come.
Heaven isn't that obvious
Metaphor for the fact that great things don't always seem immediately possible or attainable.
We'll be there in a heartbeat
We are capable of achieving greatness in a short amount of time if we put in the effort.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NEIL TENNANT, CHRIS LOWE, MIRANDA COOPER, BRIAN HIGGINS, JASON RESCH, KIERAN JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind