Pet Shop Boys Community

PSB's music has never been dark, the lyrical content has never been related to that of a band like Depeche Mode's lyrics. You can't compare Martin's lyrics to Neil's. Just like another good example is Erasure, has never had any dark lyrics either. Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, NIN, Nirvana, bands like that have dark lyrical content.

! wrote:

Pet Shop Girl wrote:The only thing dark are the album covers of Fundamental and Nightlife. But PSB's music has never been dark, they are not Depeche Mode or a band of that type.

So you don't consider songs about fear, death, pushy politics, terrorists, vampires, stalking, people digging dead bodies up etc. to be dark?

Those are not happy themes but I would still not consider any PSB lyrical content to be dark. Not like the bands I listed on my post before this.

le petit corbusier wrote:

Radiophonic wrote:Pet Shop Boys sometimes make Marylin Mason look like S Club 7....

I often find Marylin Manson ridiculous. I understand his liking for the obscure, but life is full of shades, not all black or white. But if black is all he wanted to show, he showed all in his first albums.

Having said that, he has some cool songs.

Manson is a joke. He is so corporate. He sells youth culture to teenagers.

PSB's music has never been dark, the lyrical content has never been related to that of a band like Depeche Mode's lyrics. You can't compare Martin's lyrics to Neil's. Just like another good example is Erasure, has never had any dark lyrics either. Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, NIN, Nirvana, bands like that have dark lyrical content.

How literal are you? Darkness is not portrayed solely through industrial, dirge rock or by singing about waiting for the night to fall. There are subtle forms of darkness, shades if you like. Even Go West has a an element of the dark side to it. In fact camp quite often masks darkness.

Very true.

Just like another good example is Erasure

You're right there, though. Erasure certainly aren't dark as that would be an additional facet, when we all know they have only one.

kimphilby wrote:

PSB's music has never been dark, the lyrical content has never been related to that of a band like Depeche Mode's lyrics. You can't compare Martin's lyrics to Neil's. Just like another good example is Erasure, has never had any dark lyrics either. Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, NIN, Nirvana, bands like that have dark lyrical content.

How literal are you? Darkness is not portrayed solely through industrial, dirge rock or by singing about waiting for the night to fall. There are subtle forms of darkness, shades if you like. Even Go West has a an element of the dark side to it. In fact camp quite often masks darkness.

I see what you mean, but I still do not find any PSB lyrical content as dark.

Release is very sad album if that´s what you mean.

Darkness is not something I generally associate PSB with, that is if you think of dark as a synonym for depressing. Like most of DM's music. Although I do think Psychological comes very close.
A whole album though, that's hard. I guess darkness is very subjective as well and has much to do with association. For example what your life was like when the record was released, the spirit of the era, specific memories attached to the record.
To me Bilingual is their least 'happy' and darkest record, despite seemingly quirky songs such as Se a vida e and the Survivors. Nothing on this record sounds lighthearted.

psb-freak wrote:Release is very sad album if that´s what you mean.

That's probably why it touched me at the time - I was going through a sad time.

And I had a huge bag of grass at my side most of the time.

Pet Shop Girl wrote:
I see what you mean, but I still do not find any PSB lyrical content as dark.

Just because the Pet Shop Boys music isn't as bleak as Depeche Mode doesn't mean to say (therefore) their music isn't dark.

That's like saying Depeche Mode haven't recorded any dark songs because none of them are as cheerless as Gloomy Sunday (AKA 'The Hungarian Suicide Song') noted as the most depressing song ever written.

Release is a fabulous album, I never thought of it as sad music. I guess some would say that Birthday Boy is kind of sad because of the melody and some of the lyrics. Now sad and dark are two different things.

Pet Shop Girl wrote:Release is a fabulous album, I never thought of it as sad music. I guess some would say that Birthday Boy is kind of sad because of the melody and some of the lyrics. Now sad and dark are two different things.

Do go on...

Radiophonic wrote:

Pet Shop Girl wrote:Release is a fabulous album, I never thought of it as sad music. I guess some would say that Birthday Boy is kind of sad because of the melody and some of the lyrics. Now sad and dark are two different things.

Do go on...

Its a free forum, you keep going on so why can't I?

I am just stating that such lyrical content from PSB, I have never really seen as dark. They have had sad lyrics, so are we saying that sad lyrics are dark? If so then PSB have had dark songs.

Pet Shop Girl wrote:

Radiophonic wrote:

Pet Shop Girl wrote:Release is a fabulous album, I never thought of it as sad music. I guess some would say that Birthday Boy is kind of sad because of the melody and some of the lyrics. Now sad and dark are two different things.

Do go on...

Its a free forum, you keep going on so why can't I?

err, yes! That's why I said 'do go on'! Did you mis-read something? It's only three words?