Released: November 14, 1988
Songwriter: Chris Lowe Neil Tennant
Producer: Stephen Lipson Trevor Horn
[Verse 1]
I get out of bed at half past ten
Phone up a friend who's a party animal
Turn on the news and drink some tea
Maybe if you're with me we'll do some shopping
[Verse 2]
One day I'll read or learn to drive a car
If you pass the test you can beat the rest
But I don't like to compete or talk street, street, street
I can pick up the best from the party animal
[Chorus]
I could leave you, say goodbye
Or I could love you, if I try
And I could
And left to my own devices, I probably would
Left to my own devices, I probably would
[Verse 3]
Pick up a brochure about the sun
Learn to ignore what the photographer saw
I was always told that you should join a club
Stick with the gang if you want to belong
[Verse 4]
I was a lonely boy, no strength, no joy
In a world of my own at the back of the garden
I didn't want to compete or play out on the street
For in a secret life I was a roundhead general
[Chorus]
I could leave you, say goodbye
Or I could love you, if I try
And I could
And left to my own devices, I probably would
Left to my own devices, I probably would
Oh, I would
[Bridge]
I was faced with a choice at a difficult age
Would I write a book or should I take to the stage?
But in the back of my head I heard distant feet
Ché Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat
[Verse 5]
It's not a crime when you look the way you do
The way I like to picture you
When I get home it's late at night
I pour a drink and watch the fight
[Verse 6]
Turn off the TV, look at a book
Pick up the phone, fix some food
Maybe I'll sit up all night and day
Waiting for the minute I hear you say
[Interlude]
[Chorus]
I could leave you, say goodbye
Or I could love you, if I try
And I could
And left to my own devices, I probably would
[Chorus]
Come on, baby, say goodbye
Or I could love you, if I try
And I could
And left to my own devices, I probably would
Left to my own devices, I probably would
Come on, baby
Left to my own devices, I probably would
I get out of bed at half past ten
Phone up a friend who's a party animal
Turn on the news and drink some tea
Maybe if you're with me we'll do some shopping
[Verse 2]
One day I'll read or learn to drive a car
If you pass the test you can beat the rest
But I don't like to compete or talk street, street, street
I can pick up the best from the party animal
[Chorus]
I could leave you, say goodbye
Or I could love you, if I try
And I could
And left to my own devices, I probably would
Left to my own devices, I probably would
[Verse 3]
Pick up a brochure about the sun
Learn to ignore what the photographer saw
I was always told that you should join a club
Stick with the gang if you want to belong
[Verse 4]
I was a lonely boy, no strength, no joy
In a world of my own at the back of the garden
I didn't want to compete or play out on the street
For in a secret life I was a roundhead general
[Chorus]
I could leave you, say goodbye
Or I could love you, if I try
And I could
And left to my own devices, I probably would
Left to my own devices, I probably would
Oh, I would
[Bridge]
I was faced with a choice at a difficult age
Would I write a book or should I take to the stage?
But in the back of my head I heard distant feet
Ché Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat
[Verse 5]
It's not a crime when you look the way you do
The way I like to picture you
When I get home it's late at night
I pour a drink and watch the fight
[Verse 6]
Turn off the TV, look at a book
Pick up the phone, fix some food
Maybe I'll sit up all night and day
Waiting for the minute I hear you say
[Interlude]
[Chorus]
I could leave you, say goodbye
Or I could love you, if I try
And I could
And left to my own devices, I probably would
[Chorus]
Come on, baby, say goodbye
Or I could love you, if I try
And I could
And left to my own devices, I probably would
Left to my own devices, I probably would
Come on, baby
Left to my own devices, I probably would
more tracks from the album
Videography (The Singles Collection on Video)
- Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)
- West End Girls [7"Version]
- Being Boring [7" Edit]
- Domino Dancing (7" Version)
- It’s Alright [7" Version]
- Left to My Own Devices [7" Version]
- Rent [7" Version]
- How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously? [Single Version]
- Heart [Video Mix]
- Always on My Mind [Video Mix]
- Jealousy [7" Version]
- Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You)
- It’s a Sin
- DJ Culture
- So Hard
- Love Comes Quickly
- What Have I Done to Deserve This?
- Suburbia [Video Mix]
From the albums
- In Depth (1989)
- Videography (The Singles Collection on Video) (1991)
- Discography (1991)
- Essential (1998)
- Introspective: Further Listening 1988 – 1989 (2001)
- PopArt: The Hits (2003)
- PopArt (The Videos) (2003)
- Ultimate (2010)
Pet Shop Boys popular songs
- West End Girls
- It’s a Sin
- Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)
- Go West
- Always On My Mind
- Being Boring
- Suburbia
- What Have I Done to Deserve This?
- Domino Dancing
- The Pop Kids
- Left to My Own Devices
- Rent
- New York City Boy
- Love etc.
- Love is a Bourgeois Construct
- Burning the heather
- Dreamland
- Closer to Heaven 3
- Footsteps
- Closer To Heaven / Left To My Own Devices
- Je T’aime Moi Non Plus
- Yesterday, When I Was Mad (Coconut 1 12" Mix) [Disco 2 Version]
- In His Imagination
- Sail Away