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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Why Don't We Live Together
Pet Shop Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When all of the parties every night
They're not enough
You want something more (Tell me)
I want you
I want you
(Tell)
I find you when I want you
And lose you late at night
The woman in me shouts out
The man in me just smiles
I may not always love you
You may not care
But if we should live together
There's something we could share
If we dare
Why don't we?
(Baby) Why don't we live together?
You won't believe in love until the day you try
(Baby) Why don't we live together? ((Baby))
With all the love we had, and all the love we hide
We'll find a home together
(Baby) And sleep there every night
(Baby) There's a time and place for most things
(Baby) This time we'll get it right
(Aah) You may not always love me
I may not care
But intuition tells me, baby
There's something we could share
If we dare
Why don't we?
(Baby) Why don't we live together?
You won't believe in love until the day you try
(Baby) Why don't we live together? (Baby)
With all the love we had, and all the love we hide
Why don't we live together? (together)
Together? (together baby)
Why don't we live together? (together)
Together?
Ooh, ooh, yeah, yeah
Ooh, ooh, yeah, yeah
(Baby)
(Ooh, baby, baby, why don't we live?)
Ooh, ooh, yeah, yeah
(Baby) You may not always love me
I may not care
But intuition tells me, baby
There's something we could share
If we dare
Why don't we?
(Baby) Why don't we live together? ((Ooh ooh))
You won't believe in love until the day you try
(Baby) Why don't we live together? ((Baby, baby))
With all the love we had, and all the love we hide ((Baby))
Why don't we live together? (together)
Together? (together baby)
Ooh, ooh, yeah, yeah
(Baby, Ooh, baby)
(Saying why don't we live together)
You won't believe until the day you try ((Baby, baby))
(Baby) Why don't we live together?
Why don't we live together?
(Baby) Why don't we live together? (Ooh ooh)
You won't believe in love until the day you try
(Baby)
Without the love, love you feel inside
The song "Why Don't We Live Together?" by Pet Shop Boys talks about the desire for something deeper than just the superficial pleasure found in partying every night. It tells the story of two people who find each other when they want to, but lose each other late at night. Both the woman and man in the relationship are represented, with the woman shouting out for more, while the man just smiles. The singer acknowledges that they may not always love each other and that others may not understand their relationship, but there is something they could share if they dare. The singer poses the question, "Why don't we live together?" which is repeated throughout the song.
The song speaks of the uncertainty that comes with any new relationship. There is a fear of not being loved back, the possibility of not caring for the other person at some point, and the fear of others not understanding the relationship. The lyrics also touch on the idea that love takes courage; you won't believe in love until the day you try. The lyrics are not only talking about living together but sharing something more significant than just a physical proximity. "Why don't we live together?" might be an invitation to explore the possibilities of not just living together but supporting each other, becoming each other's family, and facing the world together.
Line by Line Meaning
There comes a time in everyone's life
There is a moment in every person's existence
When all of the parties every night
When regular social events fail to satisfy us
They're not enough
They don't fulfill our desires
You want something more (Tell me)
We yearn for a deeper connection (Please share)
I want you
I desire to be with you
(Tell)
(Communicate)
(Tell)
(Communicate)
I find you when I want you
I discover you when I crave affection
And lose you late at night
But I let you go in the wee hours of the morning
The woman in me shouts out
My female side expresses herself aloud
The man in me just smiles
My male persona is silent but happy
I may not always love you
My fondness for you may fluctuate
You may not care
You may be apathetic
But if we should live together
However, if we cohabitate
There's something we could share
Then, there is a bond we could develop
If we dare
If we are brave enough to try
Why don't we?
Why don't we see?
(Baby) Why don't we live together?
(Sweetheart) Why don't we share a home?
You won't believe in love until the day you try
You cannot trust affection without experimenting it
(Baby) Why don't we live together? ((Baby))
(Sweetheart) Why don't we share a home? (Darling)
With all the love we had, and all the love we hide
With all the emotions we had and kept buried
We'll find a home together
We will obtain a dwelling as a couple
(Baby) And sleep there every night
(Sweetheart) And slumber every night there
(Baby) There's a time and place for most things
(Honey) Every matter has its opportune moment
(Baby) This time we'll get it right
This time, we will do it properly (Babe)
(Aah) You may not always love me
I accept you might not have consistent affection for me (Aah)
I may not care
I may not mind it
But intuition tells me, baby
Nonetheless, I sense, dear
There's something we could share
There is a bond we could develop
If we dare
If we are brave enough to try
Why don't we?
Why don't we see?
(Baby) You won't believe in love until the day you try
(Sweetheart) You cannot trust affection without experimenting it
(Baby) Why don't we live together? (Baby)
(Sweetheart) Why don't we share a home? (Darling)
Why don't we live together? (together)
Why don't we cohabitate? (Together)
Together? (together baby)
Together (My beloved)
Why don't we live together? (together)
Why don't we cohabitate? (Together)
Ooh, ooh, yeah, yeah
Ooh, ooh, yeah, yeah
(Baby)
(Sweetheart)
(Ooh, baby, baby, why don't we live?)
(Ooh, honey, dear, why don't we cohabit?)
Baby, you won't believe until the day you try ((Baby, baby))
Honey, you cannot understand without experiencing it (My darling)
(Baby) Why don't we live together?
(Sweetheart) Why don't we share a home?
Why don't we live together?
Why don't we cohabitate?
(Baby) Why don't we live together? (Ooh ooh)
(Sweetheart) Why don't we share a home? (Ooh ooh)
You won't believe in love until the day you try
You cannot trust affection without experimenting it
(Baby)
(Sweetheart)
Without the love, love you feel inside
Devoid of the love that resonates within you
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER LOWE, NEIL TENNANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind