Home > Alternative >

Your Funny Uncle

Writers - Tennant/Lowe
First released - 1989
Original album - Alternative
Producer - Pet Shop Boys
Subsequent albums - Introspective 2001 reissue Further Listening 1988-1989 bonus disc
Other releases - b-side of single "It's Alright"

The other "It's Alright" b-side, a short, poignant, downbeat song with a lovely melody, unusual in that there's not a trace of percussion to be found. Inspired by the recent funeral of a friend who had died of AIDS-related illness (the same friend whose death had inspired "Being Boring"), Neil adopts the role of an observer at just such a funeral, watching the others in attendance. The "funny uncle" of the title is one such person, who, "with military bearing," meets and greets the young friends of the deceased. Perhaps there's a sense of irony in this older, repressed relative—quite possibly himself gay—meeting the gay friends of his nephew, who has died in his prime. (Please see the detailed annotation below about the connotations of the term "funny uncle.")

Amidst the spare but harmonically lush instrumentation—all, aside from the piano, played on a keyboard sampler—a lead clarinet (a musical echo of the uncle's heyday and personality) takes us to the conclusion. The closing words ("…no more pain, no fear…. These former things have passed away…."), embellished with increased reverb to give them greater emphasis, are derived from the biblical book of Revelation, an excerpt that Neil himself had read aloud at his friend's funeral:

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
- Revelation 21:4, King James Version

An important implication lies in the implicit contrast of gay generations—the older repressed generation exemplified by the "funny uncle" as opposed to the younger, far more open generation represented by the deceased as well as by Neil and their mutual friends. When he sings "These former things have passed away," Neil could be referring to the repression faced by that older generation. In the wake of both gay liberation and AIDS, the closet is, if not history, at least well on its way out. As the song's final words put it, "Another life begins today."

Annotations

Neil has stated that he borrowed the title from the 1948 poem "Indoor Games Near Newbury" by the British poet John Betjeman (1906-1984), which includes the following lines:
And your funny uncle saying
"Choose your partners for a fox-trot. Dance until it's tea o'clock…."
The term "funny uncle" doesn't have the same connotations in Britain that it does in the United States. In the States it's very often (though not necessarily) used to refer to an uncle who deviates from the "sexual norm" in some way. Before "gay liberation," it might have referred to a homosexual uncle. That usage would now be considered quite politically incorrect, so these days it would probably be reserved (when used at all) for someone with pedophilic or other highly questionable tendencies. It Britain, however, it most often refers to someone who's simply somewhat eccentric—although, rightly or wrongly, it might invoke, at least subliminally, sexual connotations as well.

From this perspective (if you'll excuse the digression), the recurring character of Uncle Arthur on the 1960s U.S. TV sitcom Bewitched was a walking, talking pun. Quite literally a "funny uncle" (that is, an uncle who was "funny ha-ha"), he was obsessed with cracking jokes and playing pranks, while at the same time of "questionable" sexuality ("funny strange")—never overtly hinted at on television but blatantly suggested by the fact that he was portrayed by comedian Paul Lynde, "officially" closeted (it was the sixties, after all) but whose gayness was essentially known by pretty much everyone who was even slightly tuned in to such things at the time. But, as I said, that's a digression with nothing whatsoever to do with this song except to note that the title character may or may not be that type of "funny uncle."
A June 8, 2023 article in The Guardian, "Pet Shop Boys' 30 Greatest Songs – Ranked!"—which placed "Your Funny Uncle" at #12 in its list—astutely called attention to the contrast between the two older-generation male characters in this song: "the father who can’t come to terms with his late son's sexuality [and] the military uncle greeting the deceased's friends with kindness." This, too, suggests that the "funny uncle" of the title may himself be gay, though closeted, and might for that reason be far more sympathetic to his lamented nephew and his friends.
As explained above, the lines near the end of the song, beginning "To wipe away the tears" and ending "These former things have passed away," are adapted from biblical verses, Revelation 21:4. They're specifically cited in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer as well as in other Christian liturgies for suggested use at funeral services.

List cross-references

All text on this website aside from direct quotations (such as of lyrics and of other nonoriginal content) is copyright © 2001-2024 by Wayne Studer. All Rights Reserved. All lyrics and images are copyright © their respective dates by their respective owners. Brief quotations and small, low-resolution images are used for identification and critical commentary, thereby constituting Fair Use under U.S. copyright law. Billboard chart data are copyright © their respective dates by Nielsen Business Media, Inc.