Shameless

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First released in 1993, this song was a b-side of the Pet Shop Boys song "Go West", the second single from their fifth album, Very. "Shameless" is about people who will do anything to have fifteen minutes of fame. The song criticizes this kind of behavior, calling it shameless, but this criticism is presented in such an upbeat and positive way, it hardly seems like a criticism at all. Ultimately, the song is not meant to be taken seriously. It's intended more as playful satire than as harsh criticism. To add to the playfulness of the song, the band include themselves among those who exhibit the behavior.

(Hello! Darling! Mmm...
How dare you! Do you know who I am?
You look fabulous!)

I know what you think
It's clear as mud in your eyes
We're the plastic poseurs and prostitutes
You've obviously come to despise
But you don't know nothing
You're not hot enough to matter
You don't understand the glamourous life
A dream that no one can shatter

We're shameless, we will do anything
To get our fifteen minutes of fame
We have no integrity, we're ready to crawl
To obtain celebrity we'll do anything at all

I'm ambitious
Believe me, I'm going to be big
I'm a slave to glamour
Applause and clamour
My make-up, my wardrobe, my wigs
Don't call me pathetic
I'm harder than you'll ever guess
Relentlessly tough
'Cause when the going gets rough
The tough get their pictures in the press

We're shameless, we will do anything
To get our fifteen minutes of fame
We have no integrity, we're ready to crawl
To obtain celebrity we'll do anything at all

Anything, anything, anything at all
We'll do anything, anything, anything at all

(How dare you! Do you know who I am?
It's an absolute disgrace!)

Tell me you love me
Admit it, you're really impressed
Would it not amuse you
For me to seduce you?
Have you ever seen me undressed?

We're shameless, we will do anything
To get our fifteen minutes of fame
We have no integrity, we're ready to crawl
To obtain celebrity we'll do anything at all

We're shameless, we will do anything
To get our fifteen minutes of fame
We have no integrity, we're ready to crawl
To obtain celebrity we'll do anything with anyone
Go absolutely anywhere for anything at all

(I'm terribly sorry!)

Written by Tenant/Lowe.

Works Cited

Some 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/shameless.htm

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