A New Life

Information Page

First released in 1987, this song was a b-side of the Pet Shop Boys song "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", the second single from their album Actually. This song is about a woman who decides to leave her husband to find a new life. It was originally written by the Pet Shop Boys for Helena Springs, but Neil and Chris decided to record and release it on their own when several scheduling conflicts caused Springs to become unavailable. The song's female point of view gave it an interesting perspective with Neil as the singer when it was released in 1987, but today, the lyrics can be understood from the point of view of a man who is about to leave his husband, giving the song new meaning from a modern social perspective. Although the lyrics are very positive, the music is dark and downbeat. This contrast highlights the woman's mood, who doesn't know if she's doing the right thing by creeping away at night to escape her repressive husband.

At night it hits me cold
There's so much more to life than I'll ever know
I look around and I realize
It's time to make a move though you don't sympathize
Stars collect overhead
They look down over China and I might as well be dead
Cars pass on through the night
How do you get to heaven if you never try?

New life, new love
Where's the heart I was dreaming of?
I need a new hope, new dream
Another part in a different scene

Make a firm decision it's time to go
That's for you to find out and for me to know
No more hard times or petty crimes
Forget that life I have left behind
The night goes by
Leaving you behind me as I fly
Then rise the daylight sky
How do you get to heaven if you never try?

New life, new love
Where's the heart I was dreaming of?
I need a new hope, new dream
Another part in a different scene

A new life, it's so hard to find
A new love, it's so hard to find

The night goes by
Leaving you behind me as I fly
Then rise the daylight sky
How do you get to heaven if you never try?

New life, new love
Where's the heart I was dreaming of?
I need a new hope, new dream
Another part in a different scene

Written by Tennant/Lowe/Springs

Works Cited

A large part of this song analysis was attained from the Pet Shop Boys fansite Geowayne: Commentary, Interpretation, and Analysis of Every Song by Pet Shop Boys. Retrieved from http://www.geowayne.com/newDesign/alternative/newlife.htm

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