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Yesterday, When I Was Mad

Writers - Tennant/Lowe
First released - 1993
Original album - Very
Producer - Pet Shop Boys, Stephen Hague
Subsequent albums - Disco 2, PopArt, Smash
Other releases - single (UK #13, US Dance #4)

During and after their "Performance" tour, Neil and Chris were sometimes more than a little upset by the critical reaction to their elaborate stage show, including comments by personal acquaintances. The lyrics of this song consist of a virtual catalogue of bitchy statements, ranging from faint praise and backhanded compliments ("You have a certain quality which really is unique") to downright cruelty ("You've both made such a little go a very long way"). We can only hope that they got most of their anger out of their system with this bit of retaliation.

More than one commentator have suggested the stylistic influence of the British band Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine on this track. The Boys themselves, however, have said that its shifting time-signatures betray the influence of progressive rock—a surprising revelation, to say the least.

The single version was remixed by the Boys along with Julian Mendelsohn and Jam & Spoon. Among other things, it's truly remarkable for the sheer number of its official remixes, both released and (especially) unreleased.

Annotations

In English, the word "mad" has at least two distinct meanings: angry (as in "I'm very mad at you!") and insane (as in "You're driving me mad!"). The lyrics of this song strongly suggest the former, but its music video just as strongly suggests the latter. It's very likely meant to be taken both ways, in which case if the narrator was "mad" yesterday, it was only temporary insanity, perhaps caused by anger.
The opening exclamation, "Darling, you were wonderful!" may be taken from a reference in The Orton Diaries by Joe Orton—which Neil is known to have bought and read while on tour in 1989. Or perhaps it's borrowed from the title of a 1990 play by Derek Lomas, Darlings, You Were Wonderful. Or maybe it's inspired by the title of a 1977 memoir collection (yes, Darling, You Were Wonderful) by Harvey Sabinson. Apparently "Darling, you were wonderful" and statements very much like it are theatre-world clichés, spoken casually by directors and fellow actors who wish to comment favorably on someone's performance—whether they truly mean it or not.
The lyrics allude to a number of charges often leveled against the Boys and their music, especially during the first half or so of their career: that Neil's voice is weak, that their live music is pre-recorded on tape, that nearly everything they do is ironic.
"You've both made such a little go a very long way" – This was apparently a nearly direct quote of something a reviewer actually wrote about the Pet Shop Boys around the time of their "Performance" tour, although so far I've been unable to track down the actual source. "Making a little go a long way" is of course a fairly common expression in English for stretching limited resources to get the most out of them.
From the very first time I heard this song (or at least read its title), I couldn't help but think of the famous song of existential regret "Yesterday, When I Was Young," co-written and released in 1964 in French as "Hier Encore" ("Just Yesterday") by the great French singer-songwriter Charles Aznavour. Its English translation (lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer) was subsequently recorded by numerous artists, including Dusty Springfield, Shirley Bassey, Glen Campbell, Willie Nelson and, most famously (in 1969, the biggest hit version, at least in North America) U.S. country singer Roy Clark. The similarity in titles may be purely coincidental. But considering the fame of "Yesterday, When I Was Young"—undoubtedly Neil and Chris were familiar with it—I suspected at one time that there might be some subtle, implicit intertextual "commentary" going on in the PSB song with regard to its predecessor. But, if there is, it's so subtle that it goes right over my head. And that inclines me to believe that my original suspicious were actually quite wrong.

Mixes/Versions

Officially released

Mixer: Stephen Hague and Mike "Spike" Drake
- Album version (3:55)
  - Available on Very
Mixer: Julian Mendelsohn and Pet Shop Boys ("with thanks to Jam & Spoon")
- Single version (4:01)
  - Available on PopArt and on the Further Listening bonus disc with the Very reissue
Mixer: Coconut 1
- Coconut 1 Remix (4:07)
- Coconut 1 12" Mix (6:24)
  - An abbreviated (2:12) version of this mix appears on Disco 2
Mixer: Jam & Spoon
- Jam & Spoon Mix (9:22)
  - An abbreviated (5:01) version of this mix appears on Disco 2
Mixer: Junior Vasquez
- Junior Vasquez Body Dub (4:01)
- Junior Vasquez Fabulous Dub (9:19)
- Junior Vasquez Factory Dub (8:20)
  - An abbreviated (4:55) version of this mix, mislabeled the "Fabulous Dub," appears on Disco 2
Mixer: RAF
- RAF Zone Mix (6:41)
- RAF Zone Mix - Early Fade (6:12)
- RAF Zone Dub (5:38)
  - Available on the Disco 2 "Special Edition" bonus disc

Official but unreleased

Mixer: Junior Vasquez
- Junior Vasquez TV 7" Mix (4:04)
- Junior's Radio Mix (4:21)
Mixer: unknown
- Fabdens Demo (3:43)
Mixer: uncertain (possibly Jam & Spoon and/or Julian Mendelsohn and Pet Shop Boys)
- "Ruff Version with laughter" (4:10)
Mixer: Stephen Hague and Mike "Spike" Drake (probably)
- Demo instrumental (4:07)

List cross-references

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