Dog wrote: Wed 11 Feb 2026, 3:51 pmYes, it’s both about surviving AIDS, and about surviving life more broadly, inspired by the suicide of a friend.
I don't disagree that AIDS informs Neil's life experiences, but I'm inclined to listen to artists when they say what their songs are about.
One Hundred Lyrics And A Poem:
“It seemed that the end of the AIDS epidemic might be in sight thanks to recently introduced medication. I also attended the funeral of a friend who’d committed suicide, which led to this meditation on being a survivor.”
The Advocate, 1996:
“If you’re 40, whether you’re straight or gay, you can look around at the people you used to know, and they’re just simply not all there anymore. And when you know a lot of people who have died, particularly of AIDS, you have this sort of guilt feeling that you’re still there. That’s what the song is about, really.”
“Even before Bilingual was released, the Boys had described this song as a response of sorts to the recurring rumors that one or both of them were HIV-positive or had AIDS.”
Patrick Bateman wrote: Tue 10 Feb 2026, 10:11 pmTrack 96: "The Survivors"
Chronology: Bilingual, Track 9
Another strong song with a beautiful lyric. Unjustly slagged off in that review they refer to in the Further Listening booklet as it's obviously totally sincere and moving.
I always love their London songs too.
Never payed much attention to this track, but after all the insights of the past pages, I listened to it again and enjoyed it more. Bilingual has that "growing old" feeling, realising life isn't as simple as it seemed before, and The survivors perfectly encapsulates that emotion. Much like A red letter day it tries to be better than it really is, or maybe they could have been greater with a different production.
The Side B of Bilingual is where the album's soul hits you, isn't it?
Patrick Bateman wrote: Tue 10 Feb 2026, 10:11 pmTrack 96: "The Survivors"
Chronology: Bilingual, Track 9
Another strong song with a beautiful lyric. Unjustly slagged off in that review they refer to in the Further Listening booklet as it's obviously totally sincere and moving.
I always love their London songs too.
Never payed much attention to this track, but after all the insights of the past pages, I listened to it again and enjoyed it more. Bilingual has that "growing old" feeling, realising life isn't as simple as it seemed before, and The survivors perfectly encapsulates that emotion. Much like A red letter day it tries to be better than it really is, or maybe they could have been greater with a different production.
The Side B of Bilingual is where the album's soul hits you, isn't it?
What Bilingual and Very both suffer from is an aesthetic that appealed to a generation raised on vinyl and cassettes — where rough production felt cool and authentic. Punk rock celebrated the amateurish, and pop occasionally borrowed that attitude. But that vibe hasn’t aged well. No one romanticises vinyl crackle anymore the way Moby did on Porcelain.
The cheap Casio synth sound on The Survivors, the production on A Red Letter Day, and even the Motive 8–produced Gina G–style single version all feel like they were aiming for pop with a punkish, throwaway edge.
The songs themselves are stronger than the production. Bilingual especially deserves a proper, curated re-release.
While there was general consensus on the previous track, I think this will be more contentious.
Cards on the table, I've always loved Before. It's a very different sound for them, soulful and redolent of US garage. It's similar to The Human League's Human, with a very European style being filtered through US production. They did the same years later on Elysium and that album is also underappreciated by Petheads.
As a one-two with Se a vida é , it sells the album rather well, just like Can you forgive her? and Go West on Very.
Have they ever performed it live? Maybe one for Obscure, providing Neil has plenty of auto tune.
“Before” — again, the production is the weak point in what is otherwise a cool, very 1996-sounding and genuinely fresh PSB comeback single. I bought all the formats immediately, hoping it would grow on me. It eventually did — oddly enough, after hearing a cover version. Swap its backing track with Saturday Night Forever and it could have gone from a promising buzz single to a proper hit. Maybe it’s still not too late.
I like Before, but the falsetto kills it. The song basically doesn't suit Neil's range. Nevertheless, it's the latest example of reassuring Uncle Neil taking us all in hand and telling us things will all work out in the end. Metamorphosis, Se a Vida E, The Survivors, and now Before all provide takes on the same "look to the future" message. So, despite the desolate confusion that pervades the start of the Bilingual experience, we are now very much in optimistic territory. We may not speak the language, but we can learn it.
Drico.
The pale kid that hides in the attic behind his PC...
I love Before! It’s not your usual PSB single, it’s kind of unique in their repertoire. Very cool, and I love the production, with that nice bass line, the BVs and those trademark tenaglia drum loops. That said, i didn’t really get it straight away, but the Extended mix made me love the song and then I also got really fond of the album version. …and the design of that 3x12” box! Amazing!
