Suburbia (song)
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The song's horrific depiction of its subject has made it an often-quoted piece of musical commentary on the nature of suburbs.
Overview
The song's primary inspiration is the 1984 Penelope Spheeris film Suburbia, and its depiction of violence and squalor in the suburbs of Los Angeles; in addition, the tension of the Brixton riots of 1981 and of 1985 hanging in recent memory led Neil Tennant of the duo to thinking about the boredom of suburbia ("I only wanted something else to do but hang around") and the underlying tension among disaffected youth that sparked off the riots at the least provocation.
The various versions of the song are punctuated by sounds of suburbian violence: rioting noises and smashing glass, as well as snarling dogs on the re-recorded single version (extended even further on the music video), which were derived from scenes in Suburbia.
The bassline of the song is based on "Into the Groove" by Madonna.
Notes
References
- Heath, Chris (2001). "[Suburbia]". In Please / Further Listening 1984-1986 [CD liner notes]. London: Pet Shop Boys Partnership.
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