geowayne wrote:This song was performed "live" in the studio, with Chris playing piano and Neil singing, seated on a stool, amidst dimmed lighting. British music journalist John Gill has pointed out that this song has a decidedly gay subtext, which Neil has confirmed: "This is the most gay song we've ever written, practically, and no one noticed at the time."
The predominant metaphor is that of an English boys' school, with its concomitant homoerotic undertones. But it is indeed just a metaphor for what's going on in the mind of the person Neil is addressing in this song (perhaps the narrator talking to himself): "He is the head boy of a school of thought that plays in your intentions…." The object of this person's affections isn't interested in him/her ("That boy never cast a look in your direction"), so from that perspective he's just a fantasy. So what does one wait for "later tonight"? Masturbation, in all likelihood.
I was shocked when I read this, is this really the gayest song Neil & Chris ever wrote?
If it is, i still can't believe that they did a masturbation ballad!
Can anyone explain?
geowayne wrote:This song was performed "live" in the studio, with Chris playing piano and Neil singing, seated on a stool, amidst dimmed lighting. British music journalist John Gill has pointed out that this song has a decidedly gay subtext, which Neil has confirmed: "This is the most gay song we've ever written, practically, and no one noticed at the time."
The predominant metaphor is that of an English boys' school, with its concomitant homoerotic undertones. But it is indeed just a metaphor for what's going on in the mind of the person Neil is addressing in this song (perhaps the narrator talking to himself): "He is the head boy of a school of thought that plays in your intentions…." The object of this person's affections isn't interested in him/her ("That boy never cast a look in your direction"), so from that perspective he's just a fantasy. So what does one wait for "later tonight"? Masturbation, in all likelihood.
I was shocked when I read this, is this really the gayest song Neil & Chris ever wrote?
If it is, i still can't believe that they did a masturbation ballad!
Can anyone explain?
I've always loved 'Later tonight' and have been listening to it a lot recently after developing a crush. You can read what you want into it, but it's fairly obvious what Neil means.
The Please re-issue sleevenotes quote Neil as saying that it was about a time when he and his workmates used to watch a boy from their office window who was a mod, hence the line "Dresses like the mod of your invention'.
Chris's piano solo is beautiful, it sounds kind of tender and vulnerable.
I like this song a lot for Neil's voice and Chris's piano.
Sometime in '87 I was had almost fallen asleep in the evening listening to Please but jumped up when Later tonight ended and Why don't we live together started. The effect on me was was like somebody had ignited a firecracker
zazou wrote:I like this song a lot for Neil's voice and Chris's piano.
Sometime in '87 I was had almost fallen asleep in the evening listening to Please but jumped up when Later tonight ended and Why don't we live together started. The effect on me was was like somebody had ignited a firecracker
i have done that exact thing myself....i've done it with 'Very' too.....fell asleep during 'Liberation' and shit myself when 'A different point of view' came steaming through my headphones 10 decibels louder than the rest of the album!!!!.....haha.
Neil This is played by Chris on the piano in Advision. Stephen Hague insisted. He thought it would be great if we played something live on the album.
Chris I'm amazed I agreed.
Neil I sat on a stool and sang the song, and Chris played the piano, and we had dim lighting and it was really lovely and I really enjoyed doing it.
Chris I would never do that now.
Neil You play a solo.
Chris How come I'm doing that? It's absolutely absurd.
Neil This is such a sad song. This is the most gay song we've ever written, practically, and no one noticed at the time. It was about three of us staring out of the window from the Smash Hits office at a cute boy walking down Carnaby Street. He was a mod. The line 'he is the head boy of a school of thought' was quoted in Select magazine as being one of the terrible lines of all time; I thought it was a good line. I've always thought we'll put this song in a musical at some point. It was originally written on a guitar. The song is saying that the boy is so out of your reach you will never meet him.. . but then, you wait till later.
Maybe it's destiny, or fate, because tonight always comes. So it may happen. Really it's about sex and class. People who like rough trade, it's an idealised and frustrating idea because you're fancying them for something they're not-they don't consider themselves to be rough trade. There was a whole other verse: 'you stare like a fellow new to town who can't believe his eyes/through plate glass you can always see so much you want but can never touch'. It wasn't very good.
Just yesterday I was thinking bout I'm With Stupid and that altough it's a likeable song...it's not as strong as other singles from the past. That got me thinking about how much I liked the PSB from 85 till 89.... that period is somehow different from the neighties and now. I kept thinking about how fantastic a song like 'Later Tonight' is. So simple, so strong. Coincidentally I found this thread which was started... yesterday.
But yeah it is a beautifull song. I think it's PSB at their best.
If you have a boarding school experience, things will be much meaningful and insightful in Later Tonight
The CELL by Stephen King instantly hit number 1 in New York Times Bookseller Lists selling well over 200 thousand copies in three weeks. This affirms my opinion: People really need an occassional good horror read...
geowayne wrote:This song was performed "live" in the studio, with Chris playing piano and Neil singing, seated on a stool, amidst dimmed lighting. British music journalist John Gill has pointed out that this song has a decidedly gay subtext, which Neil has confirmed: "This is the most gay song we've ever written, practically, and no one noticed at the time."
The predominant metaphor is that of an English boys' school, with its concomitant homoerotic undertones. But it is indeed just a metaphor for what's going on in the mind of the person Neil is addressing in this song (perhaps the narrator talking to himself): "He is the head boy of a school of thought that plays in your intentions…." The object of this person's affections isn't interested in him/her ("That boy never cast a look in your direction"), so from that perspective he's just a fantasy. So what does one wait for "later tonight"? Masturbation, in all likelihood.
I was shocked when I read this, is this really the gayest song Neil & Chris ever wrote?
If it is, i still can't believe that they did a masturbation ballad!
Can anyone explain?
Strange conclusion If the object of your affection isn't interested in you than you still WAIT for 'later tonight' thinking that probably you can come across this person again. Maybe it's the person who wrote this (geowayne???) who waits for masturbation if the object of his affection isn't interested in him, not Neil or Chris. Because it's not THEIR conclusion.
So don't take it seriously and understand the meaning of the lyrics the way you feel.
Vicki wrote:Strange conclusion If the object of your affection isn't interested in you than you still WAIT for 'later tonight' thinking that probably you can come across this person again. Maybe it's the person who wrote this (geowayne???) who waits for masturbation if the object of his affection isn't interested in him, not Neil or Chris. Because it's not THEIR conclusion.
So don't take it seriously and understand the meaning of the lyrics the way you feel.
Vicki, thanks for this - it made me realize that Wayne sometimes write in his commentaries his opinions but not the real deal in each songs
maybe he thinks this is about masturbation, but I think PSB wouldn't go that far
it's just later tonight - maybe that's a metaphor for dream - if narrator can't ever meet that boy, he always has later tonight (he can dream about him...) but this masturbation thing is waaay too disgusting to be in song's meaning
Wayne, you perv!
NO, I´m not perv
