Background and composition
Though ostensibly about a romantic relationship with a man perceived by the public as a "moron", the song has been acknowledged as being, on another level, about Tony Blair's beleaguered "special relationship" with George W. Bush. [2] The protagonist of the song is eventually brought to wonder if the other's stupidity might not be a front: [4]
- Is stupid really this stupid
- or a different kind of smart?
- Do we really have a relationship
- so special in your heart? [5]
The title was inspired by the novelty t-shirts with the slogan and an arrow pointing at the person standing next to the wearer. [6]
Release
"I'm with Stupid" was selected as the lead single from Fundamental because Pet Shop Boys felt it reflected the theme and attitude of the album. It replaced the originally announced "Minimal", which had been the preferred choice of Parlophone after the label rejected the duo's initial suggestion of "The Sodom and Gomorrah Show". "Minimal" subsequently became the second single. [7]
"I'm with Stupid" was released on CD, DVD, and 7-inch vinyl picture disc formats. The DVD included the music video. [8] Remixers of the single include Melnyk, Max Tundra, Abe Duque and Pet Shop Boys themselves. Several of the official remixes were not released on physical media, being exclusively available on the iTunes Store and other digital music stores, due to Official Charts Company rules limiting the number of physical single versions. [8] The Melnyk remix appeared on Fundamentalism with the special edition of the album, and the PSB Maxi-mix was included on Disco 4 (2007) and on the reissue, Fundamental: Further Listening 2005–2007 (2017). [9] The single was not released in any form in the United States.
One of the single's B-sides, "The Resurrectionist", in keeping with the group's fondness for unusual historical subject matter in their songs, is about body-snatching in the English Regency era, carried out by people called resurrectionists. Lyricist Neil Tennant was inspired by the book The Italian Boy: Murder and Grave-Robbery in 1830s London (2004) by Sarah Wise. Several historic locations mentioned in the song were near the duo's studio in London, including Blackfriars Bridge, St Bartholomew's Hospital (called Barts), and the former site of The Fortune of War pub. [11]
The song was A-listed to the primary BBC Radio 2 playlist. [12] The video was previewed exclusively on the mobile network 3 as part of a promotion capitalising on the increase in music sales via mobile downloads. [13]
"I'm with Stupid" was performed on the 23 April 2006 episode of Top of the Pops , in the last in a long series of Pet Shop Boys performances on the UK music programme. [14] The performance was planned to include six dancers, wearing masks depicting Blair's and Bush's faces. The BBC's editorial department objected, however, citing the need to be politically "impartial"; [15] in the end, only one Blair mask and one Bush mask was used, with the remaining four masks replaced by ones depicting Bill Clinton, David Cameron, Menzies Campbell, and Vladimir Putin. [16] The song was later performed in Germany in the form the BBC had objected to. [17] [18]
Music video
The video, filmed at Alexandra Palace in North London features David Walliams and Matt Lucas of Little Britain .
In the video, the duo stage a performance in which they play the roles of Tennant and Lowe and mime "I'm with Stupid" while dressed in Very -era outfits (mainly from the "Can You Forgive Her?" and "Go West" promotional campaigns). They are accompanied by a group of dancers, also dressed in similar costumes.
The video ends with Walliams and Lucas asking for the approval of the audience, which is revealed to be Tennant and Lowe themselves, bound to their seats.
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