All Things to All Men
by Neil Tennant
Writers - Neil Tennant
Unreleased (1979)
Presented as a "historical curiosity" for fans to listen to at one time on the official Pet Shop Boys website, this track was written by Neil in 1979. He recorded it as a demo, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, in a London studio in 1981, before he met Chris. A mid-tempo piece with an appealing melody, it comes across as a rather "folky" number, although this may only be because of the simple strummed accompaniment.
Lyrically, the song concerns the narrator's soured relationship with a woman who tries to be, in the titular phrase, "all things to all men." He's grown jealous as a result of her "assignations" and other such attentions to other men: "You know what you're doing—deciding you're losing me." But, he goes on to say, "I'm the loser—that's the irony." It's fascinating to observe that, even at this embryonic stage as a songwriter, Neil's lyrical interest seems to zero in on failed or failing relationships and the dark, almost absurd elements of humor that can be drawn from them.
List cross-references
- "Documented" officially unreleased songs written by the Pet Shop Boys
- PSB songs with lyrics that don't contain the title (in a note at the end)
- PSB songs that contain biblical allusions
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