Being Boring by Pet Shop Boys Lyrics Meaning – The Evocative Journey Through Time
Lyrics
And invitations to teenage parties
“Dress in white” one said, with quotations
From someone’s wife, a famous writer
In the nineteen-twenties
When you’re young you find inspiration
In anyone who’s ever gone
And opened up a closing door
She said: “We were never feeling bored
‘Cause we were never being boring
We had too much time to find for ourselves
And we were never being boring
We dressed up and fought, then thought: “Make amends”
And we were never holding back or worried that
Time would come to an end”
When I went I left from the station
With a haversack and some trepidation
Someone said: “If you’re not careful
You’ll have nothing left and nothing to care for
In the nineteen-seventies”
But I sat back and looking forward
My shoes were high and I had scored
I’d bolted through a closing door
I would never find myself feeling bored
‘Cause we were never being boring
We had too much time to find for ourselves
And we were never being boring
We dressed up and fought, then thought: “Make amends”
And we were never holding back or worried that
Time would come to an end
We were always hoping that, looking back
You could always rely on a friend
Now I sit with different faces
In rented rooms and foreign places
All the people I was kissing
Some are here and some are missing
In the nineteen-nineties
I never dreamt that I would get to be
The creature that I always meant to be
But I thought in spite of dreams
You’d be sitting somewhere here with me
‘Cause we were never being boring
We had too much time to find for ourselves
And we were never being boring
We dressed up and fought, then thought: “Make amends”
And we were never holding back or worried that
Time would come to an end
We were always hoping that, looking back
You could always rely on a friend
And we were never being boring
We had too much time to find for ourselves
And we were never being boring
We dressed up and fought, then thought: “Make amends”
And we were never being boring
We were never being bored
‘Cause we were never being boring
We were never being bored
It’s rare to encounter a song that encapsulates the essence of an era while simultaneously transporting its audience across the undulating waves of time, nostalgia, and personal evolution. The Pet Shop Boys’ ‘Being Boring’ is one such song—a track that weaves the story of a generation, birthing a rich tapestry of emotion and reflection within its listeners.
Unlocking the meaning behind ‘Being Boring’ reveals not just a lyrical depth but an anthem for the youth that lived breathlessly through the changing tides of the 20th century. It’s a looking glass into the wild-hearted dreams of the past and a sober lens peering into the realization of those dreams, or sometimes, the loss of them.
Nostalgia in Sepia: A Glimpse Through Old Photos
‘Being Boring’ starts with the recollection of a time when possibilities seemed endless, and inspiration was ripe for the taking. The Pet Shop Boys paint a picture of youthful exuberance, a sentiment that reverberates through anyone who has ever stumbled upon relics of their own bygone parties and carefree days.
The song’s opening lines serve as an emotional invocation, luring the listener into a personal introspection reminiscent of flipping through an old album, each photo a thread to memories of anticipation, joy, and the feeling of being unfettered and fearlessly open to wherever life might lead.
An Era Unfolding: Dancing Through Decades
The rhythm of ‘Being Boring’ accelerates as it chronicles the passage through successive years, touching upon the tentative steps into adulthood. The metaphorical journey from the comforting womb of teenage years into the stark reality of the nineteen-seventies, eighties, and nineties unfolds like chapters in a book each listener has read from their own lives.
This verse mirrors the anxiety and thrill of setting out, haversack in tow, to tackle the uncertainty of adult life—a time when the world opens up just as another door seems to be closing, echoing the idea that everything, including fear and exhilaration, is transient and cyclical.
The Costume of Youth: Dressing Up to Dream
The chorus of ‘Being Boring’ represents an anthem of extravagance and escape, an ode to a time when ‘dressing up and fighting’ symbolized a defiance toward the mundane, an armor against the very idea of boredom. The repetition of ‘never being boring’ isn’t just a hook, it’s a manifesto for relentless pursuit of self-discovery and expression.
There’s a bittersweet undercurrent in this bravado, suggesting that the very acts of dressing up and amending are coping mechanisms for a deeper concern that time will come to an end—that the reckless immortality of youth will one day fade.
The Inevitability of Change: Lost Friends and New Acquaintances
The final verses shift the scene to ‘rented rooms and foreign places,’ a poignant nod to the impermanence that taints the otherwise nostalgic journey. It recognizes that some youthful comrades are now absent, either gone from this world or simply separated by the intricate dance of life.
This part of the song strikes a chord with everyone who has had to reconcile with their dreams and the sometimes-harsh realities of who they’ve become. It’s a reconciliatory embrace of one’s identity—the ‘creature’ that’s always been within, waiting to be actualized.
Forever Young: The Hidden Meaning of Eternal Hope
Amidst the poetry of shared memories and changing landscapes, the song’s hidden meaning crystallizes in the hope that despite all the changes, one can always ‘rely on a friend.’ It’s a timeless sentiment that signifies an enduring belief in the power of friendship and the constancy it brings in a world of flux.
The Pet Shop Boys don’t just reminisce; they urge listeners to reflect on their own lives and cherish those constants—be they dreams, friendships, or simply the undying notion that whatever happens, we could all count on the captivating energy of camaraderie to make life worth living, never boring.
