Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)

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"Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)"
Pet Shop Boys - Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is).png
Single by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Bilingual
A-side"To Step Aside"
B-side
  • "Betrayed"
  • "How I Learned to Hate Rock & Roll"
Released12 August 1996 (1996-08-12)[1]
Genre
Length4:02
LabelParlophone
Composer(s)
  • Ademario
  • Wellington Epiderme Negra
  • Nego do Barbalho
  • Neil Tennant
  • Chris Lowe
Lyricist(s)Neil Tennant
Producer(s)
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
"Before"
(1996) 		"Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)"
(1996) 		"Single-Bilingual"
(1996)
Music video
"Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" on YouTube

"Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 12 August 1996 as the second single from their sixth studio album, Bilingual (1996). The single was one of the most widely played records on UK radio in 1996, and peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached the top five in Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary and Spain, and the top 10 in Denmark.

In the United States, the single was released on 1 April 1997 by Atlantic Records as a double A-side with "To Step Aside". 13 mixes of the track were commissioned and spread over various formats, several of them promotional-only. "To Step Aside" reached number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and number eight on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart.[2][3] (Curiously, despite the Portuguese title, it was not a hit in Portugal, nor in the other major Lusophone country, Brazil.)

Critical reception[]

Ross Jones from The Guardian described it as "a sexy and vibrant song" and a "life-affirming lambada". He added that "it's still one of the freshest, most joyous things you've ever heard."[4]

Music video[]

The 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 features actress Eva Mendes in a small role as a teenager with her friends at the park. The video, directed by Bruce Weber, entered heavy rotation on MTV and VH1 that summer.

Translation[]

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".

Track listings[]

Charts[]

References[]

  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 10 August 1996. p. 39. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  4. ^ Jones, Ross (17 August 1996). "Reviews: Singles". The Guardian.
  5. ^ Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is) (UK & Australian CD1 liner notes). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone. 1996. CDR 6443, 7243 8 83147 2 5.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is) (UK & Australian CD2 liner notes). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone. 1996. CDRS 6443, 7243 883162 2 4.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is) (UK cassette single sleeve). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone. 1996. TCR 6443.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is) (European CD single liner notes). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone. 1996. 7243 883194 2 3.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is) (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Pet Shop Boys. EMI Music Japan. 1997. TODP-2541.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ "Australian-charts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  11. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Ultratop.be – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13 no. 39. 28 September 1996. p. 22. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  14. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13 no. 38. 21 September 1996. p. 18. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  15. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13 no. 37. 14 September 1996. p. 16. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  16. ^ "Pet Shop Boys: Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  17. ^ "Lescharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  18. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  19. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13 no. 37. 14 September 1996. p. 18. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  20. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (No. 188 vikuna 21.9. – 27.9. '96)" (PDF). DV (in Icelandic). 20 September 1996. p. 16. ISSN 1021-8254 – via Timarit.is.
  21. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  22. ^ "PET SHOP BOYS - SE A VIDA É (THAT'S THE WAY LIFE IS)" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  23. ^ "Charts.nz – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  24. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  25. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  26. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  27. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  28. ^ "Pet Shop Boys: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  29. ^ "Australian Top 100 Singles 1996". The ARIA Report. Archived from the original on 2 November 2015 – via Imgur.

External links[]

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