Pet Shop Boys Community

NotInvisible wrote: Tue 27 Jan 2026, 12:58 am

Patrick Bateman wrote: Mon 26 Jan 2026, 10:37 pmTheir dancers rejected it! Oh, that's hilarious.

They rejected a different version of the backing track, before K-Klass entered the picture. We can assume this early version of the music was quite different, since at one point they wanted Jam & Spoon to produce it.

Yes, the album notes say that the original song had a rap by Mark and Trevor - "a positive song about not getting into trouble with the police and stuff like that" - but ultimately they thought it was "too uncool" (!) and handed it back. PSB took another stab with that backing track and wanted J&S to have a go at it but they "didn't like the song".

So when you look at it closely, this song underwent many changes of its own before emerging from its cocoon. It's a metaphor for metamorphosis. It's Metamorphoception! It's caterpillars all the way down!

NotInvisible wrote: Tue 27 Jan 2026, 5:02 am

markus wrote: Tue 27 Jan 2026, 1:33 amWhat would it matter?

You wouldn't write drivel like your last post, for starters.

Since you're apparently a member of the Mensa organisation, why do you never share your own thoughts? You're just commenting on what others write. I'm sure you can write a lovely post if you try.

I used to really like Metamorphosis a few years ago, when I was still younger and "coming out" was something I regularly had to do in my personal life, so I feel like I discovered this song and Bilingual at the right time. I still really like some bits of the song, e.g. the way it ends (arguably some sort of duet between Chris and Neil there*, which is always great). But nowadays I would agree that the music mostly annoys me and it sounds a bit... weird (for the lack of a better word).

Personally I far prefer Was it worth it? or Sodom and Gomorrah as celebratory coming out songs in their catalouge. Those two songs I would happily put into a Pride playlist - Metamorphosis I wouldn't (anymore).

(*Edit: Just listened to it again and "duet" might be a bit of a stretch...)

Birthday Boy wrote: Tue 27 Jan 2026, 7:41 am I used to really like Metamorphosis a few years ago, when I was still younger and "coming out" was something I regularly had to do in my personal life, so I feel like I discovered this song and Bilingual at the right time. I still really like some bits of the song, e.g. the way it ends (arguably some sort of duet between Chris and Neil there*, which is always great). But nowadays I would agree that the music mostly annoys me and it sounds a bit... weird (for the lack of a better word).

Personally I far prefer Was it worth it? or Sodom and Gomorrah as celebratory coming out songs in their catalouge. Those two songs I would happily put into a Pride playlist - Metamorphosis I wouldn't (anymore).

(*Edit: Just listened to it again and "duet" might be a bit of a stretch...)

To interpret Sodom and Gomorrah show as a "coming out"-song is a bit of a stretch.

No exaggeration. The show Sodom and Gomorrah is all about gay acceptance. The narrator is initially repulsed, ("I never dared to venture out to cities of the plain I’d heard about their way of life, took it with a pinch of salt") then he meets someone,("I think it’s true to say my life was changed that night In the liberated atmosphere all around me, Someone found me whispered in my ear") falls in love, maybe has sex, and is now happy and has no regrets.("You’ve got to love to learn to live where angels fear to tread I did it and I don’t regret the day").

In fact, Neil talks about finding true love in the Fundamental audio commentary for this song.

markus wrote: Tue 27 Jan 2026, 5:27 amSince you're apparently a member of the Mensa organisation, why do you never share your own thoughts?

If you're going to try to gaslight, it'll help to actually read the threads first.

telys wrote: Tue 27 Jan 2026, 5:09 pmTo interpret Sodom and Gomorrah show as a "coming out"-song is a bit of a stretch.

It's about self-discovery, anyway. I suppose you could interpret it as being about coming out since he's relaying the story to someone.

NotInvisible wrote: Tue 27 Jan 2026, 9:06 pm

markus wrote: Tue 27 Jan 2026, 5:27 amSince you're apparently a member of the Mensa organisation, why do you never share your own thoughts?

If you're going to try to gaslight, it'll help to actually read the threads first.

You gaslighted yourself for two whole days. I don't have to do anything.

Lordy, do we need a mass-debate thread

I feel like skipping Electricity, as I can predict all the comments , but we're clear after that!

What if Geowayne did some pro bono work?

jasonjohn wrote: Wed 28 Jan 2026, 5:44 am Lordy, do we need a mass-debate thread

Like somewhere for all those random posts that aren't quite worth a thread on their own but would be worth keeping somewhere? Yes, we could use one of those. Care to start one?

jasonjohn wrote: Wed 28 Jan 2026, 5:44 am I feel like skipping Electricity, as I can predict all the comments , but we're clear after that!

WHAT! We can't do that! It's against the rules! So in the interests of OCD, let's jump right into...

Track 91: Electricity

Chronology: Bilingual, Track 4

So a bunch of you hate it. Well I happen to anjoy this funky little exercise in slink'n'sleaze that is nominally about a drag queen but with lines like "Costume changes performed with poise / Dancing in formation with a couple of boys" and "Call it performance, call it art / I call it disaster if the tapes don’t start" (great line, that), you have to wonder if the inspiration was actually PSB on tour, specifically the DiscoVery tour. Also I luuuurve the way the name "Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes" trips, or rather sashays, off Neil's tongue.

Clearly b-side material saved by some great lyrics and Neil's singing in character. I used to like it, but I grew tired of it.

I really like this track, but it doesn't really fit the album for me. In fact, it used to be my favourite track on the album, due to its quirkyness. But as above poster said, I also grew a bit tired of it.

It's a great b-side track and maybe if it ended up on a b-side people would have said that it could be an album track.

leesmapman wrote: Wed 28 Jan 2026, 8:02 am I really like this track, but it doesn't really fit the album for me. In fact, it used to be my favourite track on the album, due to its quirkyness. But as above poster said, I also grew a bit tired of it.

It's a great b-side track and maybe if it ended up on a b-side people would have said that it could be an album track.

When they did the Bilingual FL, Neil said they considered removing Metamorphosis and Electricity because they weren't a good fit with the rest of the album. Maybe they were b-sides that got lucky.