Rent (song)

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For the title song from the musical of the same name, see Rent (musical). For the song by Todrick Hall, see Quarantine Queen.

"Rent"
Single by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Actually
B-side"I Want a Dog"
Released12 October 1987
GenreSynth-pop
Length5:08 (album version)
3:35 (single version)
7:06 (extended version)
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Julian Mendelsohn
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
"What Have I Done to Deserve This?"
(1987) 		"Rent"
(1987) 		"Always on My Mind"
(1987)
Music video
"Rent" on YouTube

"Rent" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their second studio album, Actually (1987). It was released as the album's third single on 12 October 1987.[1]

Song information[edit]

The lyric is commonly thought to deal with a financially one-sided relationship, i.e. that of a kept man, the title implying more specifically the lot of a rent boy. Neil Tennant, however, stated in the Actually: 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...

It peaked at number 8 in the British charts. Producer Stephen Hague remixed the song for single release.

Video[edit]

The video for the song was directed by Derek Jarman. It features two intercut storylines. One, filmed in black and white, shows Chris Lowe arriving at King's Cross station by train and walking past various low-life characters. The other, filmed in colour, features Margi Clarke as the partner of a wealthy man (played by Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath), who is hosting a dinner party. The lyrics are sung by Tennant, who plays her chauffeur. The woman becomes annoyed when the man pays her no attention. She then gets Tennant to drive her to King's Cross. There, she meets Lowe on the platform and they embrace.

Track listing[edit]

  • 7": Parlophone / R 6168 (UK)
  1. "Rent" – 3:35
  2. "I Want a Dog" – 4:57
  • 12": Parlophone / 12R 6168 (UK)
  1. "Rent" (Extended Mix) – 7:06
  2. "Rent" (Dub) – 6:06
  3. "I Want a Dog" – 4:57
  • also available on CD (Parlophone / CD R 6168)

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for "Rent"
Chart (1987–1988) Peak
position
Australia (Australian Music Report)[2] 81
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[3] 27
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] 17
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[5] 11
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[6] 12
Ireland (IRMA)[7] 5
Italy (Musica e dischi)[8] 11
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 28
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 25
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 23
Spain (AFYVE)[12] 21
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[13] 19
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] 10
UK Singles (OCC)[15] 8
West Germany (Official German Charts)[16] 10

Cover versions[edit]

Rent was covered by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine and was included as a B-side for their single R.u.b.b.i.s.h, and was later included in their compilation album This is the Sound of an Electric Guitar.

In popular culture[edit]

The song plays during a karaoke scene in the 2023 film Saltburn.[17]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Andy Strickland, ed. (10 October 1987). "Index". Record Mirror. p. 2. ISSN 0144-5804.
  2. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 232. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  3. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Rent" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Rent" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  5. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 46. 21 November 1987. p. 14. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  6. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 233. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  7. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rent". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 30 May 2022. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Pet Shop Boys" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
  9. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Pet Shop Boys" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Rent" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  11. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Rent". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  12. ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  13. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Rent". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  14. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Rent". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  15. ^ "Pet Shop Boys: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  16. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Pet Shop Boys – Rent" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  17. ^ Sharpe, Lynn (28 January 2024). "Farleigh & Oliver's Karaoke Scene Highlights The Deeper Meaning Of Their Roles In Saltburn's Twists". ScreenRant. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
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