Rent

“Rent” is one of the tracks from English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys (Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe) and their second studio album “Actually”, which was released in 1987.

Written by the Pet Shop Boys with production done by Julian Mendelsohn, “Rent” is a track that discusses a financially one-sided relationship, with references to a “rent boy” (a male prostitute). However, band member Tennant cleared up the meaning behind the song in the album’s “Further Listening” liner notes: | I’ve always imagined it’s about a kept woman, and I always imagined it set in America. I vaguely thought of one of the Kennedys, for some reason, and imagined that this politician keeps this woman in a smart flat in Manhattan, and he’s still got this family, and the two of them have some [sort] of relationship and they do love each other but it’s all kind of secret…’.

There is currently no music video available online for “Rent”. The official audio upload of the track is available on the Pet Shop Boys channel. Since its upload in May 2020, the video has 24,774 views.

Release Date: 12th October 1987

Songwriter/s: Neil Tennant & Chris Lowe

Producer: Julian Mendelsohn

Label: Parlophone

Chart Rankings: In its year of release, “Rent” hit the charts in many locations, reaching #81 in Australia, #27 in Austria, #17 in Belgium, #12 in Finland, #5 in Ireland, #25 and #28 on various charts in the Netherlands; #23 in New Zealand, #1 in Poland, #21 in Spain, #19 in Sweden, #10 in Switzerland, #8 in the UK and #10 in West Germany.

The lyrics to “Rent” can be accessed here: LINK