Sunday, November 16, 2008

Pet Shop Boys and Nietzsche?!?!

I often refer to the music-loving Socrates as Nietzsche portrays him in his work Birth of Tragedy. Music is the best form of language, per Socrates. And I concur fully not just because it is Socrates' attitude per Nietzsche but because I happen to share the same attitude experientially. So, those who get mad over not getting showered with attention when music is playing an active part in the discourse need to, well, find other ways to cope.

I dislike interruptions of most kinds. An interruption just happened to me but I didn't mind as much. Here is why. The person asked the right 'general' question.
'What are you listening to?'
'A remix of Pet Shop Boys' It's a Sin.'
'Get out of town!'
'Well, I was here first!'
So, jokes aside, there is a reason why I wasn't as bothered by the initially bothersome interruption.

When the Pet Shop Boys’ smash hit It’s a Sin came out in 1987 I was but a kid running around on some Mediterranean beach listening to the same music as my cool, older brother. We both liked their music albeit, in hindsight, for entirely different reasons.
When the track shot all the way to the first place in European hit parades, I remember it coming out of everybody's radio on the beach. I had no idea what the text was saying. I didn't actively know that there was a subtle text that the artist Neil Tennant was referring to. All I knew is I was fully captivated by the sound. The lyrics were, and still are, secondary. The opening melody was hauntingly good and no matter which genre of music I start investigating and eventually endorsing, I always go back to this track.

I didn't include this track a few posts ago and I should have. At the same time though, this track does need a bigger stage to shine.
To me the track is more than just hot summer days of volleyball playing on the beach and my belting out 'It's a sin, it's a sin, it's a sin, la-la-la-la-la-la-la, it's a sin, it's a sin, it's a sin.' Then the attention deficit would kick in and unequivocally I'd say, 'Let's go swimming.'
So, just what is it about certain snippets of sound that makes them timeless? One of the answers I can give is that they are laced with much personalized human experience and with time they become much larger than themselves.
And here is the song that needs a bigger stage to shine:

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree about personal experience enhancing the meaning and value of a song.
And music is bigger than most forms of language. Not just because Nietzsche says so.
Personally, I know exactly what you mean now....
Thanks.
-J

Anonymous said...

Is that Geena Davis in the vid? A very young David....

Anonymous said...

It's a great song.
And, I agree, distraction have got to go.
There is a reason why I have an iPod, a Berry and a computer.
:-)
Looking forward to the concert. Well, more like the review after, of course.
thx.

Anonymous said...

It's a great song.
And, I agree, distraction have got to go.
There is a reason why I have an iPod, a Berry and a computer.
:-)
Looking forward to the concert. Well, more like the review after, of course.
thx.

B.R. said...

M:
Yes, it's a young G. Davis.

Anonymous said...

These guys rule!
Which remixes do you recommend?

Unknown said...

It's all about the context that comes with specific music bits.

Unknown said...

It's a sin, It's a sin, It's a sin, lalalalalala.
This was in my head today. All day.
So, thanks...... ;)

Liam said...

the video is gone, so maybe it got overplayed because of you.

B.R. said...

Ah, Liam, the consistency of youtube. It has basically everything but at times vids get pulled. Let's hope it's on the account of the HetPet readers, though I doubt it. Here's another one from the incomparable YouTube.