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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dreamland
Pet Shop Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In another world far away
They say it's a freeland
And they welcome everyone to stay
You got to take me
You got to make me
Remember how to dream today
I'm so tired of my homeland
Dreamland, I Iove you
I dream of you all night and day
Dreamland, I need you
I close my eyes and you lead the way
Dreamland
Dreamland
We're falling for pleasure
In a garden where the sun still shines
And staying forever, leaving all our worries behind
It's kind of amnesia
Where all problems seem to disappear
And you don't need a visa
You can come and go and still be here
Dreamland, I Iove you
I dream of you all night and day
Dreamland, I need you
I close my eyes and you lead the way
Dreamland, I love you
Dreamland
Dreamland is a free land
Kiss me, hold me, take my hand
Sleep is a river that leads us to a better land
Dreamland
I don't wanna wake up (Dreamland)
I don't wanna wake up (Dreamland)
I don't wanna wake up (Dreamland)
I don't wanna wake up (Dreamland)
I don't wanna wake up (Dreamland)
I don't wanna wake up (Dreamland)
I don't wanna wake up (Dreamland)
I don't wanna wake up (Dreamland)
Dreamland is a free land
Kiss me, hold me, take my hand
Sleep is a river that leads us to a better land
Dreamland, I love you
I dream of you all night and day
Dreamland, I need you
I close my eyes and you lead the way
Dreamland, I love you
I dream of you all night and day
Dreamland, I need you
I close my eyes and you lead the way
Dreamland
The lyrics to Pet Shop Boys' song "Dreamland" describe a mythical place where all people are welcome and all problems disappear. The song is reminiscent of the escapism that can occur when we fall asleep and dream. The words "I heard there's a dreamland in another world far away" express a desire to escape the mundane world we live in and enter a fantastical world of freedom and happiness. The singer longs to be taken to this place where they can abandon their worries and rediscover a sense of joy and imagination.
The lyrics go on to describe Dreamland in more detail, painting a picture of a place where the sun is always shining and the people are falling for pleasure. Dreamland is described as an "amnesia" where all problems disappear, and there is no need for a visa to come and go. The chorus repeats the phrase "Dreamland, I love you" as if it is a kind of mantra, expressing the singer's deep longing for this fictional place.
In the bridge of the song, the lyrics reinforce the notion that Dreamland is a free land, where sleeping leads us to a better place. The final chorus repeats the phrase "Dreamland, I need you," expressing a deep yearning for this imaginary space. Overall, the lyrics to "Dreamland" convey a powerful message about the importance of escapism in a world that can often feel overwhelming and oppressive.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard there's a dreamland
There's a place somewhere that I've heard about
In another world far away
This place is in a different world, very far from where we are now
They say it's a freeland
People talk about it being a place where you can do what you want and be whoever you want to be
And they welcome everyone to stay
People are invited to come and stay in this dreamland
You got to take me
I want to go to this dreamland and need someone to take me there
You got to make me
I need someone to help me remember how to dream
Remember how to dream today
I want to be reminded how to dream and imagine a different world
I'm so tired of my homeland
I'm tired of where I currently am and want to escape to another place
When I fall asleep you lead the way
I want to be guided to this dreamland while I'm asleep
Dreamland, I Iove you
I'm deeply in love with this dreamland
I dream of you all night and day
I constantly think about and wish to be in this dreamland
Dreamland, I need you
I don't just want to be there, but I need it in my life
I close my eyes and you lead the way
I trust this dreamland to take me on a journey when I close my eyes
We're falling for pleasure
In this dreamland, we experience pleasure and joy
In a garden where the sun still shines
This dreamland has an eternal garden where there's still sunshine and warmth
And staying forever, leaving all our worries behind
If we stayed in this dreamland forever, we wouldn't have any worries or problems
It's kind of amnesia
Being in this dreamland is like having temporary amnesia where all problems disappear
Where all problems seem to disappear
Problems don't exist in this dreamland
And you don't need a visa
You don't need permission to enter this dreamland, it's open to everyone
You can come and go and still be here
Even if you leave, you can always come back to this dreamland
Dreamland is a free land
This dreamland is a place where people can experience freedom
Kiss me, hold me, take my hand
I want to be embraced by this dreamland and feel its presence
Sleep is a river that leads us to a better land
When we sleep, we can journey to this dreamland and experience a better place
I don't wanna wake up (Dreamland)
I don't want to leave this dreamland and face reality
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christopher Lowe, Neil Tennant, Olly Alexander
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
AV Flashback
There are only 3 guarantees in this world: Life, Death & the Pet Shop Boys laying down a Killer beat. Respect.
Csilla Herczeg
top comment 😍
John Whatsittoya
💎
XLander74
What a beautiful song and - especially - video! As a native born and raised Berliner, I highly appreciate Tennant's & Lowe's credits to Berlin's U-Bahn stations. The tiled wall is based on Alexanderplatz tube station. Very impressive, highly creative and just fun to watch !
Thomas Langhoff
I am nearly 50 years old and these two guys accompany now nearly my whole life with their music. Just a few days ago i saw them life and i still get goose-bumps about the music. I hope you two guys will accompany my life still for a long time!! Love you guys!
CornholioDK ( Janus Jensen )
Best single they released the last 10 years.. well done boys.
Russell
Great song by this legendary duo from Britain. One thing I've noticed over the years is that the Pet Shop Boys have never wavered from their style that made them famous. This song "Dreamland" sounds like their stuff from the '80s, the era when I became a teenager.
MARIO SCUBLA
Another MASTERPIECE by Pet Shop Boys. Gorgeous music and song.
sfmuscleboy2006
It's so wonderful to hear Neil Tennant's voice, such a comfort over all these years. Having Years & Years as well might just land them their first top 40 UK single in quite awhile.
Live an adventure
sfmuscleboy2006 unfortunately playlists and almost privatising pop music as strictly a young persons thing have hindered pub, depeche mode, erasure, simple minds, mod etc.. from being heard by more people when they’ve released new music, despite some high chart entries over the last couple of decades, music is for everyone not just young people, hopefully this does well