Pet Shop Boys Community

I adore Fundamental; it's beautiful. But Casanovia in Hell is torturing me. I want to love it. I love the melody, the music, the arrangement. But I just can't get over the fact that the word "erection" is in there. An alarm rings in my head that says "no, no, that word should not be in a pop song, let alone a beautiful ballad like this!". (I almost wrote that it "sticks out like a sore thumb" there . . .)

Surely, Neil could have found another way to write it? Throughout the album he uses politiical contexts without actually spelling it out, and yet he can't do the same for male erectile dysfunction?

Am I alone here, an old (30-ish) prude who should just get over it?

Get over it!

Erm...well, no, not really. In fact I love the deflating string effect in the background when he sings 'he couldn't get an erection', its quite funny and perverse in typical PSB fashion. Lyrically, its one of the best songs on the album; quite an inspired idea for a song, really. One of my favourite songs off the album.

3/10

the worst track on fundamental.

m+

minimal wrote:3/10

the worst track on fundamental.

m+

wow¡¡

really?
for me the worst track on fundamental is Psychological 1/10 ,

CiH 8,5/10

one of the better songs of the album but not better than Integral

Now you know why they shelved The Stonk.

I'm the same way. The fact that he says the word "erection" really makes me cringe. I think it's still a great song though. It's also my screen name on AIM

I've got a very rough demo recording of The Stonk, as one might have guessed it is a stompy number with crashing percussion. But by jiminy if you find buying a copy of Attitude/Casanova ... embarrasing imagine picking this record up.

"He turned away from his partner,
sensing a growing friction,
his eye suddenly caught,
a chap with the most stonking erection

It made him blush,
he felt a rush,
'cause he knew over there lay lurking
something that would put to shame even the 'erotic gherkin'

The rest of the track is instrumental although it does cry out for a catchy chantable chorus

westendboy87 wrote:It's also my screen name on AIM

"Erection",you mean?

thats funny

but ,the erection(or lack thereof) is the key to the whole song lyrically.
sure he could have come up with another phrase to imply casanova couldnt get it up, but if anything thats egghead literary neil for you that he used such a clinical word like erection instead of hard-on so on.

and as the songs says at the end, his erection will live in history.which is the point neil was making.he couldnt get one.its better to just come out with it.besides as was mentioned the horn part actually makes it comical. I know I laughed.

It was dumb to use this now people yet again will label it "GAY". If they really hate the fact that they are labeled "Gay band" over and over they shouldn't do this. I on the other hand don't care at all. Casonovan in hell 5/10. Don't care for it much yet. Perhaps it will grow on me.

Ronald42 wrote:It was dumb to use this now people yet again will label it "GAY".

But why? Casanova was as straight as they...umm...come, and in the song it's obvious that he's trying unsuccesfully to have sex with some girl.

¯ §ómèWhèr€ ¯ wrote:wow¡¡

really?

well, if i say something i usually mean it. it's as easy as that.

m+

Ronald42 wrote:It was dumb to use this now people yet again will label it "GAY". If they really hate the fact that they are labeled "Gay band" over and over they shouldn't do this.

True. Erections are so gay and I'm proud to say the last time I had one was when I was being reprimanded by the school's headmaster back in fifth grade

Flaffer wrote:I've got a very rough demo recording of The Stonk, as one might have guessed it is a stompy number with crashing percussion. But by jiminy if you find buying a copy of Attitude/Casanova ... embarrasing imagine picking this record up.

"He turned away from his partner,
sensing a growing friction,
his eye suddenly caught,
a chap with the most stonking erection

It made him blush,
he felt a rush,
'cause he knew over there lay lurking
something that would put to shame even the 'erotic gherkin'

The rest of the track is instrumental although it does cry out for a catchy chantable chorus

Q1. - Was there really a track called The Stonk?

Q2. - Are those actually the lyrics?