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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The Only One
Pet Shop Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think of you
And wonder who
You are and what's your line
I wonder if
There's someone else
Or if it's true that I'm
In your life
I only worry
For your own sake
I don't know much about
The deals you make
There's so much that
You hide from me
The mystery:
Am I the only one?
The only one
(The only one
The only one
The only one)
I don't know you
You don't know me
I wonder what we share
It's just that now
And then you smile
And suddenly I know you care
And I'm the only one
For a while
Though you've many reasons
To tell me a lie
I can't help believing
That I should be
For you and you for me
The only one
(The only one)
(Only one)
As enigmatic
As you can be
I'm not suspicious
Naturally
There's so much that
You hide from me
The mystery:
Am I the only one
In your life?
Though you've many reasons
To tell me a lie
I can't help believing
That I should be
For you and you for me
The only one
In "The Only One," the Pet Shop Boys sing about the uncertainty and doubt that comes with being in love with someone. The singer wonders if they are the only person in the other person's life or if there is someone else. The lyrics suggest that there is a lack of trust in the relationship, with the singer acknowledging that the other person may be hiding things from them.
Despite this mistrust, the singer still has strong feelings for the other person and believes that they should be the only one for each other. The uncertainty and doubt in the relationship make it difficult for the singer to fully trust the other person, but they are willing to try.
Overall, "The Only One" is a poignant and introspective song that explores the complexities of love and relationships. The Pet Shop Boys manage to convey a sense of vulnerability and uncertainty through their lyrics, making this song a standout on their album.
Line by Line Meaning
The only one
The subject of the song - the idea of being the only one in someone's life
I think of you
The singer - who is not identified in the song - is preoccupied with thoughts of the other person
And wonder who
The singer is curious about the other person's identity
You are and what's your line
The artist wants to know what the other person's profession, purpose or motive is
I wonder if
The artist is curious about a possibility
There's someone else
The possibility is that the other person has other romantic interests
Or if it's true that I'm
The other possibility is that the singer is the only object of the other person's affections
The only one
The phrase sums up the artist's hope/desire/obsession; it also serves as a chorus of sorts
In your life
The artist wants to be an essential part of the other person's life, if not the only one
I only worry
The artist admits to worry, but also to a kind of selflessness
For your own sake
The singer is concerned about the other person's well-being
I don't know much about
The artist admits to a lack of knowledge
The deals you make
The other person's activities - perhaps business deals, but also possibly other kinds of agreements - are a source of mystery and worry for the singer
There's so much that
The singer feels there is a great deal of unknown things about the other person
You hide from me
The singer feels the other person is not being open or honest
The mystery:
The artist identifies the 'hidden' things as a mystery, and is drawn to it in a way
Am I the only one?
The question is repeated - this time in the form of an ironic plea to the other person: does the mystery hide the presence of other lovers?
I don't know you
The singer is still in the dark about the other person's identity and activities
You don't know me
The other person has not really taken much time to 'know' the singer and their own interests or concerns
I wonder what we share
Despite the lack of actual knowledge about each other, the artist is still drawn to the other person
It's just that now
The sudden mood change and admission of tenderness
And then you smile
The other person's smile is enough to make the artist feel better
And suddenly I know you care
The smile is taken as a sign of affection, and the singer imagines a deeper connection
For a while
The artist realizes that the momentary feeling may not be as strong or lasting for the other person
Though you've many reasons
Despite the instances of tenderness, the singer knows that there are other reasons the other person may not feel the same way
To tell me a lie
The other person might not be forthright if, say, they are seeing other people or not taken with the singer as much as they are perceived to be
I can't help believing
The singer still has faith in the connection or relationship they imagine
That I should be
The artist feels a sense of entitlement to be the only one for the other person
For you and you for me
The idea of reciprocity, that the other person should have the same kind of feeling the artist has
The only one
The chorus phrase once again, repeated like a mantra
(The only one)
See above
(Only one)
A truncated version of the chorus phrase
As enigmatic
As earlier lines have said, the artist finds the other person's behaviour mysterious, perhaps even alluring
As you can be
This appended phrase means 'as much as you are capable of being', and suggests that the other person may have an air of intrigue or mystery as part of their identity
I'm not suspicious
Despite the unknown elements, the singer is trying to trust the other person
Naturally
The artist is naturally inclined to trust or believe the other person
There's so much that
The repetition of the line underlines the singer's preoccupation with figuring out the mystery
You hide from me
The other person is still seen as deliberately holding back or not being wholly truthful
The mystery:
Once again, the mystery is framed as a compelling element of attraction, even as the singer acknowledges frustration or uncertainty
Am I the only one
The final line of the song returns to the lingering and persistent question of whether they are the only one in the other person's life
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: LORNE ALISTAIR TENNANT, STEVE MAC, WAYNE ANTHONY HECTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind