Can You Forgive Her? (song)

"Can You Forgive Her?" is a song by Pet Shop Boys, recorded for their 1993 album Very. One of the more dramatic songs recorded by the duo—reminiscent of early hits like "It's a Sin", it features an irregular 6/4 time signature. The lyrics describe in the second person a young man's humiliation when his girlfriend accuses him of still being in love with a childhood friend; the woman is "not prepared to share you with a memory", and is "going to go and get herself a real man instead". The title of the song derives from the Anthony Trollope novel of the same name.

"Can You Forgive Her?"
Single by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Very
B-side	"Hey, Headmaster", "What Keeps Mankind Alive?"
Released	31 May 1993
Genre	Synthpop
Length	3:53
Label	Parlophone / EMI
Songwriter(s)	Neil Tennant, Chris Lowe
Producer(s)	Neil Tennant, Chris Lowe
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
"Was It Worth It?" (1991) "Can You Forgive Her?" (1993) "Go West" (1993)

"Can You Forgive Her?" was released as Very's lead single, almost four months before the LP itself, and became the duo's 13th top-ten single in the United Kingdom, debuting and peaking at number seven. Although it peaked outside the US Billboard Hot 100, it became a number-one single on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. The song became a top-ten hit in Denmark, Finland, Italy and Sweden.

The second B-side, "What Keeps Mankind Alive?", appears on the 2001 re-release of Introspective, having originally being recorded for a BBC Radio programme in 1988 narrated by Sting celebrating the 60th anniversary of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's acclaimed musical, The Threepenny Opera.

Marketing

In marketing for the single, the Pet Shop Boys adopted a costume involving orange overalls and extremely tall pointy hats ("dunce caps"). The music video was directed by Howard Greenhalgh and depicted the duo wearing the costumes while wandering in a surreal (partly) computer-generated environment. Live action shots were filmed in a number of either well known or futuristic locations around London. They cross London Bridge in the rush hour crowd and also walk over the footbridge at Poplar station on the Docklands Light Railway. They are shown at the top of The Monument in the City of London. The park scenes were filmed in Battersea Park and one shot shows them standing in one of the remaining sculptures from the 1951 Festival of Britain fun fair.

The single cover and two inserts with small models depicted Pet Shop Boys costumes, and were both photographed by Marcus Leith.

Track listings

7": Parlophone / R 6348 (UK)

• A. "Can You Forgive Her?" – 3:54
• B. "Hey, Headmaster" – 3:06

12": Parlophone / 12R 6348 (UK)

• A1. "Can You Forgive Her?" (Rollo Remix) – 6:00
• A2. "Can You Forgive Her?" (Rollo Dub) – 4:51
• B1. "Can You Forgive Her?" (MK Remix) – 7:26
• B2. "Can You Forgive Her?" (MK Dub) – 5:53

12": EMI / Y-56279 (US)

• A1. "Can You Forgive Her?" (Rollo Remix) – 6:00
• A2. "Can You Forgive Her?" (Rollo Dub) – 4:51
• A3. "Can You Forgive Her?" – 3:54
• B1. "Can You Forgive Her?" (MK Remix) – 7:28
• B2. "Can You Forgive Her?" (MK Dub) – 5:53

CD 1: Parlophone / CDR 6348 (UK)

1. "Can You Forgive Her?" – 3:54
2. "Hey, Headmaster" – 3:06
3. "Can You Forgive Her?" (Rollo Remix)
4. "Can You Forgive Her?" (Rollo Dub)

CD 2: Parlophone / CDRS 6348 (UK)

1. "Can You Forgive Her?" (MK Remix) – 7:26
2. "I Want to Wake Up" (1993 Johnny Marr Remix) – 5:25
3. "What Keeps Mankind Alive?" – 3:25
4. "Can You Forgive Her?" (MK Dub) – 5:53

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1993) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[1] 17 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[2] 18 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[3] 21 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[4] 37 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[5] 4 Denmark (Tracklisten)[6] 6 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[7] 14 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[8] 2 Germany (Official German Charts)[9] 17 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[10] 12 Ireland (IRMA)[11] 13 Italy (Musica e dischi)[12] 8 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 28 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] 29 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] 46 Spain (AFYVE)[16] 17 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17] 9 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 19 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[19] 7 US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[20] 9 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[21] 10 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[22] 1 US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[23] 31

Year-end charts Chart (1993) Position Australia (ARIA)[24] 92 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[25] 17 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[26] 82 Germany (Official German Charts)[27] 78 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[28] 43

References

1. "Australian-charts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Can You Forgive Her?". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
2. "Austriancharts.at – Pet Shop Boys – Can You Forgive Her?" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
3. "Ultratop.be – Pet Shop Boys – Can You Forgive Her?" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
4. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2256." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
5. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2251." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
6. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10 no. 29. 17 July 1993. p. 24. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 3 May 2020 – via American Radio History.
7. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10 no. 28. 10 July 1993. p. 19. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 1 February 2020 – via American Radio History.
8. 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.
9. "Offiziellecharts.de – Pet Shop Boys – Can You Forgive Her?". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
10. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 – Vikan 8.–14. júlí". DV (in Icelandic). 15 July 1993. p. 20. ISSN 1021-8254. Retrieved 3 May 2020 – via Timarit.is.
11. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Can You Forgive Her?". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
12. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10 no. 28. 10 July 1993. p. 20. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 3 May 2020 – via American Radio History.
13. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 29, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 6 August 2019.
14. "Dutchcharts.nl – Pet Shop Boys – Can You Forgive Her?" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
15. "Charts.nz – Pet Shop Boys – Can You Forgive Her?". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
16. Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
17. "Swedishcharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Can You Forgive Her?". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
18. "Swisscharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Can You Forgive Her?". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
19. "Pet Shop Boys: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
20. "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
21. "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
22. "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
23. "Pet Shop Boys Chart History(Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
24. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
25. "The RPM Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1993". RPM. Vol. 58 no. 23. 18 December 1993. p. 23. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved 6 August 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
26. "1993 Year-End Sales Charts" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10 no. 51/52. 18 December 1993. p. 15. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 1 February 2020 – via American Radio History.
27. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts – 1993" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
28. "The Year in Music – Hot Dance Music Club Play Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 105 no. 52. 25 December 1993. p. YE-52. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 3 May 2020 – via American Radio History.