Pet Shop Boys Community

After reading several comments by the Pet shop boys themselves, mostly from Annually 2024 but also from interviews, and of course Wayne's input, I've got it quite clear in my mind what The Schlager hit parade represents and means.
But there's still a part puzzling me:

Never trust your memories
Say a sentimental farewell
The leader of the Schlager band
He knows but he won't tell

I know we might not have the answer for sure. but, in the context of the song, who would be (if anybody) the leader of the band?
A personification of the rest of Europe?
A personification of Germany?
A personification of the allies?
Somebody more specific like, I don't know, Eisenhower?
Or no-one and I'm just overanalazing things?

Again, we might never know what (Or who) did Neil referenced? But who do you think he referenced?

Could be wrong, but I took that line literally.

The leader of the band is singing a happy song, but his memories tell a different story. He wont tell that story in his performance.

I agree, it’s no-one specific. It’s the leader of any schlager band who lived through the war and now just wants to forget via inane pop music.

jasonjohn wrote: Tue 02 Jul 2024, 1:20 am Could be wrong, but I took that line literally.

The leader of the band is singing a happy song, but his memories tell a different story. He wont tell that story in his performance.

Good point. I think in any other context it would be an extremely dark interpretation (which of course the song is a bit of a dark one to start with). If it were less literal, I think we'd be talking about an over arching puppet master that wants to ensure everyone ignores the past and assumes everything is OK, meanwhile engineering some evil plan while everyone has their backs turned (enjoying the schlager music).

That, or a fool who wants to think for themselves that everything is OK, and pulls everyone into that false sense of security along with them.

It's a very open to interpretation piece of lyricism, but literal is probably easiest to go along with, without going totally insane.

It's Hitler, right? It's always Hitler.

It can be two things wrote: Tue 02 Jul 2024, 1:37 pm It's Hitler, right? It's always Hitler.

...or Trump in Neil's mind.