What are West End Girls like?
The lyrics to the Pet Shop Boys' tune doesn't indicate it.
I get the impression that they are posh, or at least fancy themselves that.
asked Nov 10, 2020 at 19:14
-
Please provide a proper title. This is not a forum.– BCdotWEBCommented Jul 3, 2021 at 19:53
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
Without being so presumptuous as to characterise the 'type' of girls who come from either the east or west end, we can assume that the songs meaning somewhat reflects the character of the west-end and east-end of London.
*Note that today, the old boundaries have been somewhat blurred by development...
East end
The area was notorious for its deep poverty, overcrowding and associated social problems. Wikipedia
West end
The term was first used in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross Wikipedia
So, historically, 'West-end girls' would have been upper class and stylish whereas 'East-end girls' would have been working class and (one can assume) not stylish.
The song's lyrics are largely concerned with class, inner-city pressure. Tennant later said that some listeners had assumed the song referred to prostitutes, but was actually, "about rough boys getting a bit of posh." Wikipedia
