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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Single
Pet Shop Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I like to think of it as home
Arriving at the airport
I am going it alone
Ordering a boarding pass
Travelling in business class
This is the name of the game
I'm single bilingual
I come to the community from U.K.p.I.c.
Arriving at my hotel
There are faxes greeting me
Staying in a junior suite
So there's room to meet and greet
And after work explain how I feel
?Perdoneme me Ilamo Neil'
I'm single bilingual
Single bilingual
In Brussels Bonn or Bacelona
I'm in demand and quite at home there
?Adelante!'
Through the door
?Un momento por favor'
This is what I get paid for
?Muchas gracias senor'
I'm a player in the continental game
With unlimited expenses to reclaim
Information's ease
Tapping at my PC
That is the frame of the game
I'm single bilingual
Single bilingual
I'm single bilingual
Single bilingual
Hay una discoteca por acqui?
In Single, Pet Shop Boys describe the experience of being a well-connected single person traveling for work in Europe, often staying in hotels that feel more like home than anywhere else. The singer sees the region as a community, not just a series of destinations, and expresses excitement about the ability to easily navigate various countries without any real roots. As the lyrics continue, the focus shifts to the perks of this lifestyle - boarding first class, staying in a suite with space to mingle, and being able to expense unlimited amounts of money - before circling back to the idea that such ease comes with necessary set pieces like tapping a computer for crucial information, staying busy at all times, and charming strangers with a bit of bilingualism.
One interpretation of the song is that the upbeat, racing tempo reflects the excitement of this continental game - how every new destination is a chance to reinvent oneself and create adventures. Another interpretation could be that the song is pointing out the loneliness that comes with this lifestyle - how "going it alone" can feel difficult even in a community, and that the financial benefits are often no replacement for actual connection.
Line by Line Meaning
They call this a community
The place I am at is referred to as a community.
I like to think of it as home
Personally, I prefer to think of this place as my home.
Arriving at the airport
Upon arriving at the airport,
I am going it alone
I am travelling solo.
Ordering a boarding pass
I proceed to purchase a boarding pass.
Travelling in business class
I will be travelling in style – business class.
This is the name of the game
The current circumstances are typical of similar situations.
I'm single bilingual
I am proficient in speaking two languages and unattached.
Single bilingual
Once again, I am fluent in two languages and not tied down to anyone.
I come to the community from U.K.p.I.c.
I have arrived at this place from the United Kingdom without company.
Arriving at my hotel
Upon getting to my hotel,
There are faxes greeting me
I receive multiple faxes welcoming me to the hotel.
Staying in a junior suite
I have a comfortable, decent sized room where I can play host.
So there's room to meet and greet
There is ample space for people to meet and socialize.
And after work explain how I feel
Once business is concluded, I can share my emotions or thoughts about what transpired that day.
?Perdoneme me Ilamo Neil'
Apologies needed as my name is Neil.
In Brussels Bonn or Bacelona
Whether I am in Brussels, Bonn, or Barcelona,
I'm in demand and quite at home there
I am highly sought after and quite comfortable in these places.
?Adelante!'
Go ahead!
Through the door
As I walk through the door,
?Un momento por favor'
Please wait for a moment.
This is what I get paid for
Dealing with situations like this is part of what earns me money.
?Muchas gracias senor'
Thank you very much, sir.
I'm a player in the continental game
I am an active participant in the game occurring across the continent.
With unlimited expenses to reclaim
My expenses are unrestricted, with no limit enjoying potential reimbursements.
Information's ease
Most data is easily accessible.
Tapping at my PC
I am typing away at my personal computer.
That is the frame of the game
The current content is precisely what is expected.
I'm single bilingual
Once more, I am fluent in two languages and not tied down to anyone.
Single bilingual
Again, I am skilled in speaking two languages, and I am not in a significant relationship.
I'm single bilingual
I am proficient in speaking two languages and unattached.
Single bilingual
For the last time in this song, I emphasize that I am fluent in two languages and not currently in a serious relationship.
Hay una discoteca por acqui?
Is there a nightclub nearby?
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER LOWE, NEIL TENNANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Patrick Stocks
They call this a community
I like to think of it as home
Arriving at the airport
I am going it alone
Ordering a boarding pass
Travelling in business class
This is the name of the game
I'm single, bilingual
Single, bilingual
I come to the community
From U.K. p.l.c.
Arriving at my hotel
There are faxes greeting me
Staying in a junior suite
So there's no room to meet and greet
And after work explain how I feel
'Perdoneme me llamo Neil'
I'm single, bilingual
Single, bilingual
In Brussels, Bonn or Barcelona
I'm in demand and quite at home there
'Adelante!' Through the door
'Un momento, por favor '
This is what I get paid for
'Muchas gracias, senor '
I'm a player in the continental game
With unlimited expenses to reclaim
Informations easy
Tapping at my PC
That is the frame of the game
I'm single, bilingual
Single, bilingual
I'm single, bilingual
Single, bilingual
'Hay una discoteca por acqui?'
AlmightyArjen
2:30 when laptops were still cool to have...
kristdelgado
The images shown in the laptop are reminiscent of their "Very" album's videos.
Xfiles Foxisdead
This album was originally released in 1996. 2003 is rerelease remaster. So in 1996 laptops for sure were not common , were very expensive
specialunit 042
cappaculla this video was made when laptops were a new and expensive thing. now they are very obselete, pretty much useless for modern software and very cheap.
cappaculla
what?
Angello D. Serna
Excelente album inspirado en la música latina gracias a la gira Discovery Tour que hicieron los PSB por nuestro territorio a principio de los 90's
Esneider Salcedo
No sabía eso
Daniel Francisco Soto Hernandez
La gira del Very 1994
Ashley P.
This is a perfect version of how a video can completely change the meaning of a song.
I've listened to the song lots and thought it was quite upbeat about how popular this sales chap was, etc., then you see the video and see how grey everyone is, how the barman yawns, the woman at the bar looks bored... and it puts such a different slant on the song.
Hamakei
Yup. He's a very small cog in a very large machine...with an overinflated sense of self-importance...given job perks like company cars to make him feel special even though they're actually meaningless and don't impress anybody.