Between Two Islands
Writers - Tennant/Lowe/Ware/Ross
First released - 2002
Original album - Format
Producer - Pet Shop Boys
Subsequent albums - Release 2017 reissue Further Listening 2001-2004 bonus disc
Other releases - bonus track with single "I Get Along"
Recorded during the Release sessions and very nearly part of that album, this vaguely "tropical" number was deleted during the final determination of the tracklist. The lyrics revolve around an extended metaphor for a failed love affair, described in nautical terms. The narrator and his erstwhile lover—at one point referred to as the "crew" and the "captain," respectively—charted a course between the two islands of the title: the "Island of Lovers" and the "Island of Whores." According to Neil (as reported in the April 2003 issue of the Boys' fan-club magazine Literally), these aren't merely a metaphorical fantasy; they're the names, when translated, of two actual islands off the coast of Estonia. The fact that there's "a very treacherous passage between them" inspired this song.
Neil reportedly experienced this treacherous passage first-hand on a vacation visit to Estonia in the summer of 2000. He was staying at a small luxury resort, Pädaste Manor, on the island of Muhu, when his host organized a boat trip to another nearby island. But a sudden severe storm forced the party to abandon their excursion mid-course and return to the safety of the resort. Neil clearly drew upon this harrowing experience to write this song.
As the lyrics explain in metaphorical terms, the relationship of the narrator and his partner gradually disintegrates, torn asunder
by conflicting gravities—the comfort of monogamy versus the excitement of
promiscuity.
(After all, isn't that what relationships generally do in Pet Shop Boys songs? 
) But our hero still
has hopes of reviving it, looking to his former lover to rescue him from the shipwreck
that his life has become.
In expressing this sentiment, Chris and Neil interpolate a snippet of the Marvin Gaye classic "I Want You" (hence the additional credit for the writers of that song, Leon Ware and Arthur Ross), as Neil sings, "I want you, and I want you to want me, too." While the song's elaborate metaphorical conceit may strike many as a bit strained and perhaps even too "cute," Neil's lyrical persona never descends into bathos. Meanwhile, a delightfully upbeat melody and a charming, largely acoustic arrangement are standouts, making this track a welcome addition to the Boys' latter-day repertoire.
Annotations
- "… the Island of Lovers and the Island of Whores" – As discussed above, although they clearly serve an allegorical function in the song, these islands are also, according to Neil, two actual Estonian islands. I've received conflicting reports on this from site visitors. One Estonian site visitor has taken issue with it, telling me that no islands in Estonia have those names (when translated). On the other hand, another site visitor has informed me that, yes, there is an actual island whose Estonian name Litsi kari means "Whore Island," and another whose name Armastuse saar means "Love Island" (with kari referring to very small islands and saar referring to larger islands). The latter visitor provided backup documentation, so I'm inclined to agree—especially in light of Neil's own statements—that those islands are indeed real.
- "You were the captain, I was the crew" – This line of the song echoes, either intentionally or accidentally (only the Boys could confirm it one way or the other), a line from the classic 1959 movie Some Like It Hot, widely regarded as one of the greatest film comedies of all time. In it, Sugar (played by Marilyn Monroe) tells Joe (Tony Curtis) about a dream she had the night before: "l had the most wonderful dream. l was still on the yacht and the anchor broke loose. We drifted for days and days. You were the captain and l was the crew." This, of course, is a very thinly disguised sexual metaphor with regard to the person who's being spoken to "taking charge" and the speaker being compliant. It undoubtedly serves the same purpose in the song.
- Again, as noted above, this song interpolates toward the end a bit of the song "I Want You," which was a major hit for Marvin Gaye in 1976. It had also been famously covered by both Robert Palmer and Madonna.
Mixes/Versions
Officially released
- Mixer: Michael Brauer
- Album/b-side version (5:11)
- Also on one of the "Further Listening" bonus discs accompanying the 2017 Release reissue
Official but unreleased
- Mixer: [unknown at this time]
- Demo (4:52)
List cross-references
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