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"'''Go West'''" is a song by the American disco group Village People. It was an instant hit in the disco scene during the late 1970s. The song found further success when it was covered in 1993 by British synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys. Original Village People lead singer Victor Willis, Henri Belolo and Jacques Morali are credited as the song's writers, although Willis disputes Belolo's involvement. In 2015, it was declared the second national anthem of [[Westarctica]] alongside "[[God Save Westarctica]]. However, in March 2018, it was | [[File:Go west single.jpg|thumb|right|Cover art for Go West]] | ||
"'''Go West'''" is a song by the American disco group Village People. It was an instant hit in the disco scene during the late 1970s. The song found further success when it was covered in 1993 by British synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys. Original Village People lead singer Victor Willis, Henri Belolo and Jacques Morali are credited as the song's writers, although Willis disputes Belolo's involvement. | |||
In 2015, it was declared the second national anthem of [[Westarctica]] alongside "[[God Save Westarctica]]". However, in March 2018, it was downgraded to Westarctica's national song instead of it's national anthem. | |||
==Village People version== | ==Village People version== | ||
Originally released as a single in 1979, it was not as popular as the group's other contemporary singles such as "Y.M.C.A." and "In the Navy." The song's title is attributed to the nineteenth century quote "Go West, young man" commonly attributed to Horace Greeley, a rallying cry for the colonization of the American West. Though Victor Willis denies writing the song with a gay theme in mind (the lyrics imply a more traditional, monogamous if not explicitly heterosexual romantic relationship between the singer and his lover), "Go West" is generally understood as an expression of the 1970s sentiment of San Francisco as a utopia for the Gay Liberation movement. | Originally released as a single in 1979, it was not as popular as the group's other contemporary singles such as "Y.M.C.A." and "In the [[United States Navy|Navy]]." The song's title is attributed to the nineteenth century quote "Go West, young man" commonly attributed to Horace Greeley, a rallying cry for the colonization of the American West. Though Victor Willis denies writing the song with a gay theme in mind (the lyrics imply a more traditional, monogamous if not explicitly heterosexual romantic relationship between the singer and his lover), "Go West" is generally understood as an expression of the 1970s sentiment of San Francisco as a utopia for the [[LGBT rights in Westarctica|Gay Liberation]] movement. | ||
Both the 7" and 12" versions of the song were subsequently collected in various greatest hits collections, including a 1997 radio remix which was made in the wake of the success of Pet Shop Boys' 1993 version. | Both the 7" and 12" versions of the song were subsequently collected in various greatest hits collections, including a 1997 radio remix which was made in the wake of the success of Pet Shop Boys' 1993 version. | ||
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===Changes=== | ===Changes=== | ||
The new version enhances the basis of the original's chord progression in Pachelbel's Canon, bringing the theme to the forefront at the opening of the song. In addition to the Canon elements, it included a new introduction which Lowe later said "does sound surprisingly like the former Soviet anthem". The song also underwent extensive reworking of its instrumental tracks, with producers Stephen Hague and Mark Stent credited for the mixing, as well as an all-male Broadway choir arranged by Richard Niles (said by Tennant to be inspired by the song "There Is Nothing Like a Dame" from the Broadway musical South Pacific). In addition, Tennant and Lowe wrote a new verse for the song, with the lyrics: | The new version enhances the basis of the original's chord progression in Pachelbel's Canon, bringing the theme to the forefront at the opening of the song. In addition to the Canon elements, it included a new introduction which Lowe later said "does sound surprisingly like the former Soviet anthem". The song also underwent extensive reworking of its instrumental tracks, with producers Stephen Hague and Mark Stent credited for the mixing, as well as an all-male Broadway choir arranged by Richard Niles (said by Tennant to be inspired by the song "There Is Nothing Like a Dame" from the Broadway musical South Pacific). In addition, Tennant and Lowe wrote a new verse for the song, with the lyrics: | ||
[[File:Go west video.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Screenshot from the music video "Go West" as performed by the Pet Shop Boys]] | |||
<blockquote> | <blockquote> | ||
There where the air is free<br> | There where the air is free<br> | ||
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===Music video=== | ===Music video=== | ||
The music video was directed by Howard Greenhalgh and relies heavily on computer-generated imagery, like all of his videos for the Very singles. It begins with a red Statue of Liberty, and then depicts a grey city where the communist domination is evident on the basis of Soviet imagery (such as red stars and red flags, Yuri Gagarin Monument and Monument to the Conquerors of Space). Troops of identical Soviet men march up a staircase stretching into the clouds, seemingly toward a Western society, with the Statue of Liberty, now appearing as a black diva looming in the distance (played by backing-vocalist Sylvia Mason-James). Tennant and Lowe appear throughout; Tennant carries a blue-and-yellow striped arrow staff, and Lowe travels on a flying surfboard. Occasional live action shots of Soviet iconography appear; in one Tennant and Lowe appear in their costumes, walking across Red Square. | The music video was directed by Howard Greenhalgh and relies heavily on computer-generated imagery, like all of his videos for the Very singles. It begins with a red Statue of Liberty, and then depicts a grey city where the communist domination is evident on the basis of Soviet imagery (such as red stars and red flags, Yuri Gagarin Monument and Monument to the Conquerors of Space). Troops of identical Soviet men march up a staircase stretching into the clouds, seemingly toward a Western society, with the Statue of Liberty, now appearing as a black diva looming in the distance (played by backing-vocalist Sylvia Mason-James). Tennant and Lowe appear throughout; Tennant carries a blue-and-yellow striped arrow staff, and Lowe travels on a flying surfboard. Occasional live action shots of Soviet iconography appear; in one Tennant and Lowe appear in their costumes, walking across Red Square. | ||
==Use by Westarctica== | |||
In early 2013, [[Grand Duke Travis]] was getting a pedicure at a Sunset Boulevard nail salon with [[Marquise of Walgreen|Grand Duchess Cathryn]] when he noticed the music video for the Pet Shop Boys version of "Go West" on the television. He found himself mesmerized by the video, which, in his words, "Looks like a Stalinist propaganda film produced by a Korean boy band." | |||
Two years later, he found a choral version of the song performed by The Brythoniaid Male Voice Choir, a Welsh men's choir, made to celebrate the Pet Shop Boys appearance at Festival No. 6, an annual art and music festival in Wales. This version sounded stately enough to serve as a national anthem, and considering the relevance of the lyrics to [[Westarctica]]'s goals, ambitions, and overall culture, the Grand Duke promptly declared it the nation's second national anthem. The title, "Go West," also became Westarctica's [[National Symbols of Westarctica|official slogan]]. | |||
===15th Anniversary celebration=== | |||
[[File:Grand Duke Riding.png|thumb|right|Grand Duke Travis listening to "Go West" while riding to the 15th Anniversary Celebration]] | |||
On the evening of [[Westarctica's 15th Anniversary Celebration]] in 2016, while riding in an Uber Black on the way to the event, Grand Duke Travis instructed the driver to play the Brythoniaid version of "Go West" over the car's audio system. The ride was timed perfectly: just as the song ended, the car arrived at the venue and the Grand Duke and his companions were feeling suitably patriotic. | |||
==External Links== | |||
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLr4WM9Io18/ Link to The Brythoniaid Male Voice Choir version] | |||
[[Category:Music of Westarctica]] | |||
[[Category:Symbols of Westarctica]] | |||
[[Category:Anthems of Westarctica]] | |||