Adrenaline
Writers - Tennant/Lowe
First released - 2024
Original album - Nonetheless expanded edition
Producer - James Ford
Subsequent albums - (none)
Other releases - none
Could a song with such a title be anything but energetic, one of the quickest-paced things the Pet Shop Boys have ever recorded?
Neil composed an early version of this track in September 2020 under the title "Suspension" and then sent it to Chris for his input, after which it became "Adrenaline." Neil curiously but quite intentionally (he himself has described it as "pretentious") mispronounces the title word such that the last syllable rhymes with "green" rather than the more conventional "grin"—and it's not simply a matter of "U.K. English" since standard British and American pronunciation of the word is the same. Maybe he simply felt it sounded better given the rhythm and melody of the song. Or perhaps its a subconscious parallel to the word "gasoline," even if it is generally called "petrol" in the U.K. Whatever the case, Nonetheless producer James Ford later worked on it for possible inclusion on that album, but either it wasn't finished or it simply didn't make the cut. Instead it surfaced on the bonus disc of the expanded edition of the album released in November 2024.
The lyrics establish the song's premise from the outset: "Is this excitement or the fear of being chased? Or just the speed of life you hope you have embraced?" It's clearly a sexual situation. Neil assays the thrill, the remarkable blend of pleasure and trepidation that often comes "When what you've always wanted lands out of the blue"—that is, when, quite unexpectedly, life fulfills your fondest wishes. You aren't prepared for it. What you had long dreamed of suddenly poses a challenge. Yet, as with any thrill ride, there's exhilaration: "From the midst of trouble comes a sudden joy." So it's not surprising that, under such stress, our bodies would pump out adrenaline, the hormone that causes a surge in circulation and breathing, preparing us for exertion.
What's most interesting about these lyrics is the way that Neil, through a series of steps, transforms the rush of adrenaline from (in the first verse) a symptom first of fear, then (in the second) one of excitement and arousal, yet also some uncertainty, and finally (in the last) to one of intense gratification. He even goes full circle, though not in the way you might expect: "And when you get there, you've left all your fear behind.… You're on cloud nine." Adrenaline prepares us for the worst, but lingers for the best.
Annotations
- "Running down the road, your heart bangs like a can" – Intriguing, playful imagery that suggests kicking a can down the road, the clatter of metal garbage cans, and banging on a can like a drum. If that seems somewhat confusing, it's probably meant to be. The situation being described is itself one of emotional confusion.
- "In the midst of trouble comes a troubled man" – This line harkens back to Psalm 138:7, "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, though wilt revive me" (King James Version).
- "You're on cloud nine" – Cloud nine is such a familiar idiom in English that it probably requires no explanation. But, just in case, it refers to the feelings that arise from being in an extremely positive situation. If you're on cloud nine, you're feeling very good indeed. There are various theories as to its origin, but it dates back at least to the 1940s in American English, possibly arising from meteorological categorizations of cloud formations, with clouds categorized as 9 signalling superb, fair-weather conditions. A minority viewpoint holds that it's derived from ancient Buddhism, with Cloud 9 indicating a state of near-bliss or -nirvana.
List cross-references
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