Released 14 November 1988 Genre Dance | Recorded 1987–88 | |
B-side "The Sound of the Atom Splitting" Format 7", 12", cassette, CD single Length 4:43 (7")
8:16 (album version) | ||
"Left to My Own Devices" is a song recorded by Pet Shop Boys, released as the second single from their third studio album, Introspective. It was also the first track of the album. It is their 9th best-selling hit.
Contents
- Background and writing
- Music video
- 7 Parlophone R 6198 UK
- 12 Parlophone 12R 6198 UK
- CD Parlophone CDR 6198 UK
- Other Countries
- References
The single fared better than the album's lead single, "Domino Dancing", charting three positions higher in the UK Singles Chart, at Number 4. It became the first track that Pet Shop Boys recorded with an orchestra, arranged by Richard Niles. Since its release, it has become a staple of Pet Shop Boys live performances.
Background and writing
Neil Tennant (who wrote the lyrics, as with most other Pet Shop Boys songs) explained the meaning of the track:
"This person goes through life always doing what he wanted to do. I liked the idea of writing a really up pop song about being left alone. This song is a day in the life of someone, so it starts off with getting out of bed and being on the phone and drinking tea and all the rest of it, and it ends up with coming home. By this time I was making the words very exaggerated and camp, though writing a book and going on stage were both things I had wanted to do when I was young."
As with the other tracks on Introspective, it has a longer 12" version on the album and was edited down to become more radio-friendly when released as a single. This is mainly due to the Pet Shop Boys wanting to be different from every other artist at the time. This is confirmed in the booklet accompanying the 2001 re-release of Introspective, where both Tennant and Lowe state:
"We had been so disciplined at making four-minute pop singles, with the exception of "It's a Sin", which is five minutes. The idea was to have an album where every track was a single."
Music video
The music video, directed by longtime Pet Shop Boys director, Eric Watson, primarily consists of Tennant and Lowe dancing on an invisible glass floor, with the camera angle facing upwards. Tennant and Lowe are joined by several acrobats who are also seen from the same camera angle. At one point, balloons are also visible. MTV declined to show the video due to its dimly-lit nature.
7": Parlophone / R 6198 (UK)
A. "Left to My Own Devices" – 4:43 B. "The Sound of the Atom Splitting" (Extended version) – 5:1312": Parlophone / 12R 6198 (UK)
A. "Left to My Own Devices" (Disco Mix) – 11:28 B1. "Left to My Own Devices" – 4:43 B2. "The Sound of the Atom Splitting" – 3:37CD: Parlophone / CDR 6198 (UK)
- "Left to My Own Devices" – 4:43
- "Left to My Own Devices" (Disco Mix) – 11:28
- "The Sound of the Atom Splitting" – 3:37
Other Countries
Turkey's longest weekly video-music programme Pop Saati (lit. Pop Hour) begins with the intro of the song, which continues from 1987 until today on TRT.