Pet Shop Boys » Tracks » West End Girls

Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls (4:06)

On 52 albums see all

Buy at Amazon MP3 (Search) | Send Ringtones to Cell
Buy
Save

Popular tags: , , , ,  See more

Shouts: 455 shouts

Share this track:
Preview this track (0:30)
About this video More videos (2)

About This Track

“West End Girls” is a song by pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe and was their first hit, reaching number one in the US and UK in 1986.

The lyrics were written in the early 1980s. The title and refrain refer to London’s divide between the traditional and working class East End and the cosmopolitan, consumer-driven West End.

The lyric “From Lake Geneva to the Finland Station” refers to the train route taken by Vladimir Lenin when he was smuggled by the Germans to Russia during World War I, and to Edmund Wilson’s book on the subject, To the Finland Station. There is further Russian Revolution imagery in the Bobby Orlando produced version of the single, which includes the line, “All your stopping, stalling and starting, / Who do you think you are, Joe Stalin?”; this line was removed for the 1985 version. Neil Tennant has a degree in history and his interest in Russian history is evident in many other Pet Shop Boys projects, such as their soundtrack to the silent film The Battleship Potemkin.

The single was first released in April 1984 through writer/producer Bobby Orlando’s label, and although not a hit in the United Kingdom, it was a minor dance hit in The Netherlands, Belgium, France and the USA. This initial release, on Epic in the UK, featured a mainly instrumental B-side called “Pet Shop Boys”. There have been numerous reissues and remixes of Orlando’s version as he still owns the original recordings.
Read more… Edit wiki
Send Ringtones to Cell

Albums featuring this track

See all 52 albums

Shouts

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up (it’s free).

  • Jivido

    Flight Of The Conchords - Inncercity Pressure :P

    Saturday afternoon

  • MariaChikatilo

    Fuckin' classic!!!!!!! awesome

    Thursday morning

  • tripodthunder

    One of the most important synthpop/new wave songs of the 80's!

    last week

  • kramnrublaw

    I could actually play my radio in the '80s.

    18 days ago

  • Oregon_Myst

    Best intro into 80's alternative [2]

    23 days ago

  • ParadiseCove

    I'll say....

    26 days ago

  • smeil24

    Best intro into 80's alternative

    last month

  • Minas24

    And so it began!!

    last month

  • leaddove

    This is the song I used to listen to over and over again as a severely depressed 15 year old. Oh, my wonderful memories of the 80's.

    last month

  • NicolasMabilia

    best fucking intro eveeeeeer [3]

    last month

  • ajmandaones

    BESTSONGEVER!

    March 2012

  • MJRocker1987

    One of the best debut singles of all time!

    March 2012

  • spacefaceinfurs

    'inner city life, inner city pressure' ... damn you, flight of the conchords!!

    February 2012

  • AJ2002

    Great song

    February 2012

  • porsche944-84

    Used to play this song nearly every day when I worked the board at a radio station. The long intro made it great for VO's & transitions.

    February 2012

  • pjgries

    Never tire of this one.

    January 2012

  • Psychedalex77

    this definitely inspired the lonely island with 'jizz in my pants'.

    January 2012

  • robrues

    best fucking intro eveeeeeer [2]

    November 2011

  • brendareev

    luuuuuuuuvvvvvvv'e it!

    October 2011

  • ralvarado

    If, when, why, what? How much have you got? Have you got it, do you get it, if so, how often? And which do you choose, a hard or soft option? (How much do you need?)

    October 2011
See all 455 shouts

Track Stats

923,090 Scrobbles 219,075 Listeners

Recent Listening Trend

Listening Now

Top Listeners

See more

Recent Activity

Related Journals

See more