What Have We Done To Deserve This?

While browsing the excellent Pet Shop Boys fansite PSB Song-By-Song today, we came across this entertaining blurb about the duo’s satirical cover of “Where The Streets Have No Name,” which they blend with the soul classic “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You:”

Interestingly, Neil and Chris take pride in the possibility that what they did here may have helped to “loosen up” U2, which shortly thereafter began progressively to deconstruct their own image and mythos via the albums Achtung Baby, Zooropa, and Pop. As Neil puts it, “We did with them what they’ve done with them before they did it, if you know what I mean.”

To read more — there are also some references to Bono’s inspiration(s) for the song’s lyrics — select “Where The Streets…” from the “Pick A Song” pull-down in the site’s sidebar. And if you’ve never heard the Pet Shop Boys’ cover of “Streets” — the only charting single release of a U2 cover* — well, we tried very hard to find you a sample on the web, but we got nowhere. So we ended up having to make our own (1 minute sample, MP3, 944K, posted for a limited time). The song is available in the UK on the PSB’s most recent Greatest Hits compilation, PopArt, and in the US on their older hits album Discography.

*Ah, smacked down — a reader reminds us that The Chimes’ cover of “I Still Haven’t Found…” made it to #6 on the UK charts. Whoops.

52 thoughts on “What Have We Done To Deserve This?”

  7. i recall that bono has occasionally poked fun at the psb’s singing style of the song in concert.

  8. i recall that bono has occasionally poked fun at the psb’s singing style of the song in concert.

  9. Woo! Thanks, tingly. And thanks for the correction, anonymous reader — I figured I’d probably end up being wrong on that call, but so it goes.

    I used to really hate the PSB’s cover of “Streets,” but as I grew to love them, I started to adore the cover… I’m surprised there haven’t been more dance takes on it since, it really is astonishingly obvious.

  10. Woo! Thanks, tingly. And thanks for the correction, anonymous reader — I figured I’d probably end up being wrong on that call, but so it goes.

    I used to really hate the PSB’s cover of “Streets,” but as I grew to love them, I started to adore the cover… I’m surprised there haven’t been more dance takes on it since, it really is astonishingly obvious.

  11. Yeah, I speak to Bono about this crapy version of the song and He said that the next U2 album will have a song called ‘I Hate Pet Shop Boys’…Bono also said that the singer of Pet Shop boys doesn’t like Sara Lee Gateau!

    Well..

    Gateau!

  12. Yeah, I speak to Bono about this crapy version of the song and He said that the next U2 album will have a song called ‘I Hate Pet Shop Boys’…Bono also said that the singer of Pet Shop boys doesn’t like Sara Lee Gateau!

    Well..

    Gateau!

  13. I really hope they don’t actually think their abomination of a cover led to the masterpiece of Achtung Baby.

  14. I really hope they don’t actually think their abomination of a cover led to the masterpiece of Achtung Baby.

  17. I remember Bono’s reaction to the song when it came out being, “what have i done to deserve this?”

    (…which is a PSB song)

    That dance track called something (can’t remember) v’s U2 using some of ‘With or Without YOu’ is currenlty Number 1 in the UK..

  18. I remember Bono’s reaction to the song when it came out being, “what have i done to deserve this?”

    (…which is a PSB song)

    That dance track called something (can’t remember) v’s U2 using some of ‘With or Without YOu’ is currenlty Number 1 in the UK..

  21. totally off subject but did I just see Janet Jackon’s boob during the halftime show of the Superbowl????

  22. totally off subject but did I just see Janet Jackon’s boob during the halftime show of the Superbowl????

  23. Yes, you did; we got screwed two years ago, guess Edge missed his cue!

    And you’re not so off topic eggman, “boob” and “Pet Shop Boys” are synonymous….

  24. Yes, you did; we got screwed two years ago, guess Edge missed his cue!

    And you’re not so off topic eggman, “boob” and “Pet Shop Boys” are synonymous….

  25. “did I just see Janet Jackon’s boob during the halftime show of the Superbowl?”

    That boob has a name, Kid Rock! 😉

  26. “did I just see Janet Jackon’s boob during the halftime show of the Superbowl?”

    That boob has a name, Kid Rock! 😉

  27. All i gotta say is this, the flash was on purpose janet has a new album dropping soon and its publicity, and the patriots won cuz hey! u2 played at their first superbowl victory so it has to carry on 😉

  28. All i gotta say is this, the flash was on purpose janet has a new album dropping soon and its publicity, and the patriots won cuz hey! u2 played at their first superbowl victory so it has to carry on 😉

  29. Hehehe, I remember the great Mr Larry Mullen Jr. commenting on the cover: “This is the worst cover I ever heard since the covering of ‘do they know it’s x-mas'”

    Well, it was indeed a very distasteful cover. Bono did that version once at a live show, singing “tata tata ta tatata” the same way he sang “not walking away from the troubles in my life” during One. Lets not count that cover out 😉

  30. Hehehe, I remember the great Mr Larry Mullen Jr. commenting on the cover: “This is the worst cover I ever heard since the covering of ‘do they know it’s x-mas'”

    Well, it was indeed a very distasteful cover. Bono did that version once at a live show, singing “tata tata ta tatata” the same way he sang “not walking away from the troubles in my life” during One. Lets not count that cover out 😉

  31. At the start of ‘Streets’ at Earl’s Court in 92 Bono sang the 1st few lines in a slow monotone deadpan voice as a piss take to the PSB version..

  32. At the start of ‘Streets’ at Earl’s Court in 92 Bono sang the 1st few lines in a slow monotone deadpan voice as a piss take to the PSB version..

  33. You have to love this, I wish as many people got upset about the war as they are about JJ’s flash…gee willikers, it’s not like she said, fuckin’ brilliant! Now what was it, kids, the NFL told Bono, no, you can’t appear at the Superbowl, it would be too controversial??? Hee, hee, don’t screw with the B-man, suits and ties, he’s got better connections than you do! That’s what happens when you make a deal with the eternally-clueless MTV and put out some embarrassingly lame junk pageant instead of a real artist. And as U2 owe Achtung Baby to the Pet Shop Boys, we all know to whom Bono owes his soul and artistry…Henry Rollins…..

  34. You have to love this, I wish as many people got upset about the war as they are about JJ’s flash…gee willikers, it’s not like she said, fuckin’ brilliant! Now what was it, kids, the NFL told Bono, no, you can’t appear at the Superbowl, it would be too controversial??? Hee, hee, don’t screw with the B-man, suits and ties, he’s got better connections than you do! That’s what happens when you make a deal with the eternally-clueless MTV and put out some embarrassingly lame junk pageant instead of a real artist. And as U2 owe Achtung Baby to the Pet Shop Boys, we all know to whom Bono owes his soul and artistry…Henry Rollins…..

  35. anybody notice that at the beginning of the MTV halftime show (lame as it was) that they used U2 for background music??

  36. anybody notice that at the beginning of the MTV halftime show (lame as it was) that they used U2 for background music??

  37. I’m a little dismayed at the boob incedent still, but it just goes to show that our boys carried that thing by themselves much better and with a ton more class than anyone before or since… And, thanks I always wondered what that was about at the earl court’s show…

  38. I’m a little dismayed at the boob incedent still, but it just goes to show that our boys carried that thing by themselves much better and with a ton more class than anyone before or since… And, thanks I always wondered what that was about at the earl court’s show…

  39. To try to stay somewhat on topic, no one complained about U2 performing Streets at the Super Bowl 2 years ago, even though at that time it was a 14 year old song. I’ve been reading a lot of online complaints about this year’s Super Bowl for having old songs played like Rhythm Nation (about as old as Streets) and Bawitadaba, Hot in Here, and that Puff Daddy song which are only a few years old.

    Conclusion? U2 makes timeless classic songs that aren’t tied to a specific year. Yet another reason to be proud of our boys.

  40. To try to stay somewhat on topic, no one complained about U2 performing Streets at the Super Bowl 2 years ago, even though at that time it was a 14 year old song. I’ve been reading a lot of online complaints about this year’s Super Bowl for having old songs played like Rhythm Nation (about as old as Streets) and Bawitadaba, Hot in Here, and that Puff Daddy song which are only a few years old.

    Conclusion? U2 makes timeless classic songs that aren’t tied to a specific year. Yet another reason to be proud of our boys.

  41. But U2 actually played whole songs (without lip-synching either) at the Super Bowl, while yesterdays halftime consisted almost completely of excerpts and medleys. Plus they all lip-synced except for Justin Timberlake, who I think was singing live… That’s where I’d place a lot of criticism at…

  42. But U2 actually played whole songs (without lip-synching either) at the Super Bowl, while yesterdays halftime consisted almost completely of excerpts and medleys. Plus they all lip-synced except for Justin Timberlake, who I think was singing live… That’s where I’d place a lot of criticism at…

  43. All i gotta say is aren’t you proud our band is great enough to get their own half time show? last time that happened before was mj or maybe diana ross, but these days they rarely let one band go on that long on their own, hell even aerosmith had to share the bill with nsynch nelly and britney 😀

  44. All i gotta say is aren’t you proud our band is great enough to get their own half time show? last time that happened before was mj or maybe diana ross, but these days they rarely let one band go on that long on their own, hell even aerosmith had to share the bill with nsynch nelly and britney 😀

  47. Reading the comments, I would think we saw Janet Jackson and the Pet Shop Boys sing “Streets” at the SuperBowl yesterday.
    Janet’s “solar” nipple medallion only strengthens the new U2 album name rumors. I bet the SuperBowl big-whigs wish they’d gone with the Bono/J-Lo duet now….

  48. Reading the comments, I would think we saw Janet Jackson and the Pet Shop Boys sing “Streets” at the SuperBowl yesterday.
    Janet’s “solar” nipple medallion only strengthens the new U2 album name rumors. I bet the SuperBowl big-whigs wish they’d gone with the Bono/J-Lo duet now….

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