Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)

"Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" is a Pet Shop Boys song that was released as a single on 12 August 1996, the second track to be lifted from the album Bilingual, which saw the duo take on a Latin influence as a reaction to the Britpop explosion that was prevalent at the time.

"Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)"
Single by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Bilingual
A-side	"To Step Aside" (US)
B-side	"Betrayed" "How I Learned to Hate Rock & Roll"
Released	12 August 1996 (1996-08-12) (UK) 1 April 1997 (1997-04-01) (US)
Genre	Latin pop dance-pop Axé
Length	4:02
Label	Parlophone – R 6443 (UK) Atlantic – 85430 (US)
Songwriter(s)	Nego Do Barbalho Wellington Epiderme Negra Ademario Neil Tennant Chris Lowe
Producer(s)	Pet Shop Boys Chris Porter
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
"Before" (1996) "Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" (1996) "Single-Bilingual" (1996)

The single was one of the most widely played records on UK radio in 1996, and reached number eight in the UK Singles Chart.

In the US, the single was released by Atlantic Records in April 1997 with "To Step Aside" as a double A-side. Thirteen mixes of the track were commissioned and spread over various formats, several of them promotional-only. The single did not chart in the States, but following its success in the UK it became a major success all over Europe. (Curiously, despite the Portuguese title, it was not a hit in Portugal, nor in the other major Lusophone country, Brazil.)

Music video

The video for the single was shot at the Wet 'n Wild water theme park in Orlando, Florida and features the 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 listing

7": Parlophone / RLH 6443 (UK)

1. "Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" – 4:01
2. "Before (Single Edit)"

CD: Parlophone / CDR 6443 (UK)

1. "Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" – 4:01
2. "Betrayed" – 5:18
3. "How I Learned to Hate Rock 'n' Roll" – 4:40
4. "Se a vida é" (Pink Noise mix) – 5:37

CD: Parlophone / CDRS 6443 (UK)

1. "Se a vida é" (Mark Picchiottis Deep and Dark vocal) – 7:58
2. "Se a vida é" (Mark Picchiottis Shelter dub) – 8:40
3. "Se a vida é" (Deep Dish Liquid remix) – 9:57
4. "Se a vida é" (Deep Dish dub) – 11:45

CD: Atlantic / 85430-2 (US)

1. "Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" (Album version) – 4:01
2. "Se a vida é" (Mark Picchiotti's Deep and Dark vocal) – 7:58
3. "To Step Aside" (album version) – 3:48
4. "To Step Aside" (Ralphi's Disco vox) – 9:07
5. "The calm before the storm" – 2:45
6. "Betrayed" – 5:17

CD: Atlantic / n/a (US)

1. "To Step Aside" (Hasbrouck Heights mix) – 8:59
2. "To Step Aside" (Hasbrouck Heights radio mix) – 4:08
3. "To Step Aside" (Quiet mix) – 3:46
4. "To Step Aside" (Brazilian Anthem dub) – 9:00
5. "To Step Aside" (Champagne beats) – 3:57
6. "To Step Aside" (a cappella – verse 1 chorus) – 1:06
7. "To Step Aside" (a cappella – verse 2 chorus) – 0:58
8. "To Step Aside" (a cappella – bridge) – 0:18
9. "To Step Aside" (a cappella – verse 3 chorus) – 1:19

• US CD-R promo "Vinnie Vero Mixes" studio acetate

2x12": Parlophone / 12RD 6443 (UK)

1. "Se a vida é" (Mark Picchiotti's Deep and Dark vocal) – 7:58
2. "Se a vida é" (Mark Picchiotti's Deep and Dark instrumental) – 7:58
3. "Se a vida é" (Mark Picchiotti's Shelter dub) – 8:40

1. "Se a vida é" (Deep Dish Liquid mix) – 9:57
2. "Se a vida é" (Pink Noise mix) – 5:37
3. "Se a vida é" (Deep Dish dub) – 11:45
4. "Se a vida é" (radio mix) – 4:01

• limited edition, dayglow green/yellow vinyls

2x12": Atlantic / 85430-0 (US)

1. "Se a vida é" (Mark Picchiotti's Deep and Dark vocal) – 7:58
2. "Se a vida é" (Deep Dish Liquid mix) – 9:57
3. "To Step Aside" (Ralphi's Disco vox) – 9:07
4. "To Step Aside" (Hasbrouck Heights mix) – 8:50

1. "To Step Aside" (Davidson Ospina dub) – 7:30
2. "To Step Aside" (Ralphi's Old School dub) – 7:33
3. "To Step Aside" (Brutal Bill mix) – 7:30
4. "To Step Aside" (Ralphi's House vox 2) – 7:32

12": Specialty Records / DMD-2412 (US)

1. "To Step Aside" (Brutal Bill mix 2) – 10:03
2. "To Step Aside" (Quiet mix) – 3:42
3. "To Step Aside" (Ralphi's Old School dub 2) – 9:14
4. "To Step Aside" (Davidson Ospina dub 2) – 7:29

• Promotional test pressing only

Remixers

Deep Dish

1. "Se a vida é" (Deep Dish Liquid mix) – 9:57
2. "Se a vida é" (Deep Dish dub) – 11:45

Richard Morel

1. "Se a vida é" (Pink Noise mix) – 5:37

Mark Picchiotti

1. "Se a vida é" (Mark Picchiotti's Deep and Dark vocal) – 7:58
2. "Se a vida é" (Mark Picchiotti's Deep and Dark instrumental) – 7:58
3. "Se a vida é" (Mark Picchiotti's Shelter dub) – 8:40

Ralphi Rosario

1. "To Step Aside" (Ralphi's Disco vox) – 9:07
2. "To Step Aside" (Ralphi's Old School dub) – 7:33
3. "To Step Aside" (Ralphi's House vox ii) – 7:32
4. "To Step Aside" (Ralphi's Old School dub 2) – 9:14

Vinnie Vero

1. "To Step Aside" (Hasbrouck Heights radio mix) – 4:08
2. "To Step Aside" (Hasbrouck Heights mix) – 8:50
3. "To Step Aside" (Brazilian Anthem dub) – 9:00
4. "To Step Aside" (Champagne beats) – 3:57
5. "To Step Aside" (Quiet mix) – 3:42

Davidson Ospina

1. "To Step Aside" (Davidson Ospina dub) – 7:30
2. "To Step Aside" (Davidson Ospina dub 2) – 7:29

Bill Marquez (Brutal Bill)

1. "To Step Aside" (Brutal Bill mix) – 7:30
2. "To Step Aside" (Brutal Bill mix 2) – 10:03

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1996) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[1] 11 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[2] 14 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[3] 50 Czech Republic (IFPI CR)[4] 2 Denmark (IFPI)[5] 9 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[6] 24 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[7] 3 France (SNEP)[8] 40 Germany (Official German Charts)[9] 18 Hungary (Mahasz)[10] 3 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[11] 30 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 24 Poland (LP3)[13] 30 Scotland (Official Charts Company)[14] 10 Spain (AFYVE)[15] 4 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 12 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 17 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[18] 8

Year-end charts Chart (1996) Position Australia (ARIA)[19] 97

References

1. "Australian-charts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
2. "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.
3. "Ultratop.be – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
4. "Top 10 Czech Republic" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
5. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13 no. 38. 21 September 1996. p. 18. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
6. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13 no. 37. 14 September 1996. p. 16. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
7. "Pet Shop Boys: Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
8. "Lescharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
9. "Offiziellecharts.de – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
10. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13 no. 37. 14 September 1996. p. 18. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
11. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 188 Vikuna 21.9. – 27.9. '96)" (PDF) (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið Vísir. Retrieved 21 July 2018. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
12. "Charts.nz – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
13. "Notowanie nr768" (in Polish). LP3. 18 October 1996. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
14. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
15. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
16. "Swedishcharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
17. "Swisscharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
18. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
19. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1996". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Archived from the original on 2 November 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2019.

External links

• Pet Shop Boys - Se A Vida E (That's The Way Life Is) Official Music Video on YouTube
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics