The poetry of the Pets

Hi, well not many of my friends share my love of the Pet Shop Boys even though the one of the Guardian reviewers compared them lyrically to Noel Coward. I really like Neil's kind of semi detached way of singing and lyric writing. He feels it in an English sort of way so has to detach a bit and do a kind of ironic distancing. He also does a lot of lyrics that can be taken as being about love and/or politics.

My all time favourite song currently(!) is A Red letter Day. Here are the lyrics:

A Red Letter Day

Go to work and take your calls
Hang the fruits of your labour on the walls
Such precision and care
What does it matter
if there's no one here to share
the flowers in the garden
the wine
the Waiting for Godot
and so much modern time?

All I want is what you want
I'm always waiting for a red letter day

The years perfecting a stance
of measured cool fade into insignificance
the moment one starts to understand
what on earth does it profit a man?

All I want is what you want
I'm always waiting for a red letter day
for something special, somehow new
someone saying 'I love you'
Baby, I'm waiting
for that red letter day

You can sneer or disappear
behind a veneer of self-control
but for all of those
who don't fit it
who follow their instincts
and are told they sin
this is a prayer for
a different way

All I want is what you want
I'm always waiting for a red letter day
like Christmas morning when you're a kid
Admit you love me and you always did
Baby, I'm hoping
for that red letter day
today

Let's look at this. The first verse, what does it matter if there's no one there to share the fruits of his labour. Of course it matters. What is the point otherwise. No-one dying has yet said they wished they had spent more time in the office!!

He wants a red letter day. This is a bit risky to admit. It is about longing and some of it is probably childish but still...

The second verse is an attack on being cool for cools sake and ends with half a quote from the Bible (There is a thesis - or at least an article - waiting to be written about the Bible and the Pets - I'm up for it any would-be publishers out there!) The whole quote is "what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?". In other words take care of that which is most precious to you and don't just go all out for material prosperity.

Then into the chorus extended now to show his need to be loved, that a red letter day involves being loved.

Then the magnificent third verse. Again an even sharper attack on those who play it cool and hide behind a veneer of self control. Then we get the real heart of this song. 'For all of those who don't fit in'. This is classic Neil Tenant because he is clearly singing about being gay but also the lyrics can apply to all of us and not just in relation to (our) sexuality. It could be about following our bliss, doing what we know we need to do to be authentic whatever society says about us. This is massively powerful. But Neil also insists that this is credible spiritually. 'This is my prayer'. he doesn't care if the Christian church is homophobic he will still claim his right to be spiritual and to pray. Wonderful.

I can't tell what it was like for me to be in my Quaker Church a couple of years ago and celebrate the public commitment of two gay men who are friends of mine. I spent most of the service in tears. Somewhere deep inside me I felt with them. It was a home coming. I can't compromise on this issue and wont. My spirituality and my God are inclusive. End of story. My gay and lesbian friends are beautiful and human.

And then finally he links it all back to our childhood and the magic of Christmas. This is even more risky and its true. That's where we long from. Childhood. Oh boy that takes some living with.

OK you don't have to like this or the Pets but you can see there is a richness to this stuff. That Neil and Chris of the pets are more than "two queers with a drum machine" as Shane McGovan of the Pogues said but maybe he was just mad because the Pets where No 1 with 'You were on my mind' keeping his beautiful duet with Kirsty McColl at no 2 that Christmas...

Best to all,

Bill on bike on a wet Manucian day.