Rocktrospectiva: Pet Shop Boys' Summery And Fun Single "Se A Vida É" Turns 30

Released on 12 August 1996 "Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" was a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, as the second single from their sixth studio album, Bilingual (1996). The song was based on "Estrada Da Paixão" by African-Brazilian band Olodum, which Pet Shop Boys heard during the South American leg of their Discovery tour in 1994. The band shares songwriting credits with Pet Shop Boys. The correct English translation of "Se a vida é" from Portuguese is actually "If Life Is...". ("That's the way life is" would be "É assim que a vida é..." or "A vida é assim".) The other Portuguese lyric is "Essa vida é..." ("This life is..."), which sounds very similar to "Se a vida é". Neil Tennant acknowledged that he started writing the lyrics with a mistranslation of the phrase but decided he liked it as is. The addition of "Essa vida é" was intended as a more accurate way to convey "that's the way life is".

"Se A Vida É" spent eight weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number eight, and became a top-five hit in the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, and Spain. It topped the European Hit Radio chart, with airplay on 98 stations in 23 countries. 

In the United States, the song was released in 1997 as a double A-side with "To Step Aside". This version reached number eight on the Billboard Maxi-Singles Sales chart while "To Step Aside" by itself reached number one on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart.

The single covers (CD1 pictured) featured photos from the music video shoot at a water park, taken by Lynda Churilla. The photos were printed on a yellow background in duotone pink, blue, green, red, and orange, with flecks of spot varnish to give an effect of splashing water. The 12-inch double vinyl cover had plain panels of the same colours, with the photos on the inner sleeves. The compact discs were yellow, and the vinyl records were green for side A/B and yellow for side C/D. Designer Mark Farrow described the look as "summery and fun and wet and sexy".

The accompanying music video for "Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" was shot at the Wet 'n Wild water theme park in Orlando, Florida, and was directed by Bruce Weber, who had also directed the video for "Being Boring" (1990). Actress Eva Mendes appeared in a small role as a teenager with her friends at the park. The video entered heavy rotation on MTV and VH1 that summer.

The single has been described as "a sexy and vibrant song", and a "life-affirming lambada". Other described it as the best Pet Shop Boys single in years. Justice demands it be the biggest of summer hits." An extremely commercial and very positive song, it features a four-piece brass section, a guitar and 20 female drummers. The latter's inclusion gives a sometimes thunderous rumble to appropriate sections of the song, but the rest is very lightweight and breezy, with a vaguely Latin flavour floating in with the brass section.

 

Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is) Track List: 

 

UK And Australian CD1 Japanese Maxi-CD Single: 

 

1. Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is)

2. Betrayed

3. How I Learned To Hate Rock 'n' Roll

4. Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is) (Pink Noise Mix)

 

UK And Australian CD2:

 

1. Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is) (Mark Picciotti's Deep And Dark Vocal) 

2. Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is) (Mark Picciotti's Shelter Dub)

3. Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is)" (Deep Dish Liquid Remix)

 

UK Cassette Single And European CD Single

 

1. Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is)

2. Betrayed

 

Japanese Mini CD Single: 

 

1. Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is)

2. Go West 

US CD Single: 

 

1. Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is) (Album Version) 

2. Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is) (Mark Picchiotti's Deep And Dark Vocal)

3. To Step Aside (Album Version)

4. To Step Aside (Ralphie's Disco Vox)

5. The Calm Before The Storm

6. Betrayed

 

US 2x12 inch Single: 

 

1. Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is) (Mark Pricchiotti's Deep And Dark Vocal)

2. Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is) (Deep Dish Liquid Remix)

3. To Step Aside (Ralphie's Disco Vox)

4. To Step Aside (Hasbrouck Heights Mix)

5. To Step Aside (Davidson Ospina Dub)

6. To Step Aside (Ralphie's Old School Dub) 

7. To Step Aside (Brutal Bill Mix)

8. To Step Aside (Ralphi's House Vox)