Reunion
Writers - Tennant/Lowe/Hermansen/Eriksen
First released - 2017
Original album - Release 2017 reissue Further Listening 2001-2004 bonus disc
Producer - Pet Shop Boys and Stargate
Subsequent albums - (none)
Other releases - (none)
Not only was this song not released until the 2017 reissue of the album Release, but there had never been any "word" of it whatsoever—or at least of any PSB song of that title—until then. According to the Pet Shop Boys' official website, it was "written and produced in 2003 with Stargate (Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen), the Norwegian team who have since become famous for their work with Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Coldplay and many others."
Neil has stated (in the notes in the booklet accompanying the reissue) that this song has "the kernel of a true story in it" in that it was inspired by his meeting up with old friends from his hometown of Newcastle. He describes it as "a simple short story about some friends getting together after a long time and having a reunion." The big question is "what’s it going to be like?" Or, as the chorus puts it:
How will I appear to you after all these years?
How will you appear to me after all these years?
But the story doesn't seem nearly as "simple" as Neil lets on. Actually, it's a doubly bittersweet reminiscence about the unexpected transience of once-important relationships that, under other circumstances, could have become even more important.
I say "doubly" bittersweet because of the two levels of "relationship transience" that this song describes. The first appears right off the bat, with Neil (or at least his narrative persona) describing a reunion of four old friends: "a gang composed of you and me, Terry, Junior, and Joey D." But although he says, "We used to be the closest friends," now "many years have passed" since they've seen each other. So the song evokes a sad, wistful atmosphere of close friends who have drifted far apart. But by the second verse we learn of an even deeper undercurrent of sadness, of how the narrator and the person whom he's directly addressing (the "you" in the song) had once been lovers, or at least—fueled by alcohol—had a sexual encounter:
By you I could be easily led
That's how we ended up in bed
But afterward that other person was unable to "face [the] reality" of what had happened between them, despite the narrator noting, "I'm sure you said you loved me." But his need to make that assertion indicates that his erstwhile friend/lover doesn't recall—or admit to—saying any such thing. In fact, the narrator sadly observes that, when it became known to their friends what had happened between them, "You went away, and since that day, we have never spoken." (Sounds like the "Gee, I sure was drunk last night" syndrome, but tainted by homosexual panic.) And yet, now, years later, it appears that contact has been suddenly renewed: "And now you think it's time we had a reunion." The unuttered question is "Why?"
We can't help but feel the narrator's ambivalence, or at least his mixed emotions: again, that air of bittersweetness, and with more than a hint of irony. He was clearly hurt by what had happened, and he's just as clearly apprehensive about such a "reunion." Yet, at the same time, he may feel a degree of hope and expectation; perhaps his former friend/lover is now ready to accept his feelings for the narrator. But, then again, is the narrator ready, willing, and/or able to respond in kind after all this time? The moody, melancholy sound of the music—which sounds like a more or less acoustic track enhanced with electronic instrumentation—suggests not.
Annotations
- As noted above, the Norwegian songwriting-production team Stargate consists of Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen. They got their start working in Trondheim, Norway, but to facilitate working with a wider range of more popular artists they subsequently relocated to New York City and then to Los Angeles, where they are currently based. In addition to the three artists noted by the Boys themselves in the quotation cited above, they have also worked with Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Minogue, Ne-Yo, Katy Perry, Shakira, and Britney Spears, among others. As of this writing, they have more than 80 international pop hits to their writing and/or production credit and have received four Grammy Awards.
- This track is subtitled "Electro Mix" because there are at least two other versions of the song—a demo and a Brother Brown remix—that remain unreleased at this time.
- There's a noticeable melodic resemblance between portions of this song and the earlier PSB-penned number "Out of My System" from their 2001 stage musical Closer to Heaven. (Compare, for instance, "Of all the boys in all the world / I had to choose this one" from "Out of My System" with "Many years have passed since when / We used to be the closest friends" from "Reunion.") It's possible that, after having recorded "Reunion," the Boys realized the similarity themselves and thus decided against releasing it—at least until it finally became a "Further Listening" bonus track.
List cross-references
- Real people mentioned by name or title in PSB songs (as a "maybe" addendum)
- What it's about: Neil's succinct statements on what a song is "about"
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