When you consider the talent that assembled for the song, it seems almost preordained that it would become a smash. One of the cleverest bands of the 80s connects with a legendary songwriter on the song. And then they bring in an iconic voice from the 60s to sing it with them.
“What Have I Done to Deserve This?”, performed by Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield, somehow managed to live up to all that talent and then some. And it also brought Springfield back to the public eye after a long artistic dry spell.
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The Perfect Duet Partner
Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe began writing “What Have I Done To Deserve This?” in 1984, well before they rose to fame as Pet Shop Boys. At that stage, they were writing and recording songs with the hopes that they’d soon have an opportunity to release them to the world.
Around that time, an American named Allee Willis connected with the duo for a planned art project. When they got to talking with Willis, they found out that she was a songwriter as well, having written the lyrics for classic Earth, Wind & Fire tracks like “September”. They decided they’d write together.
“What Have I Done To Deserve This?” emerged from their songwriting session. Tennant and Lowe immediately knew who they wanted to sing the song with them. But getting their first choice wasn’t going to be easy, considering they set their sights on the legendary British singer Dusty Springfield.
Dusty and the Duo
Springfield provided some of the most indelible pop moments of the 60s with vocals that were somehow technically pristine and emotionally raw all at once. But the end of the decade also ended her run of mainstream relevance. The 70s and 80s witnessed her artistic decline, while she was also beset by personal problems.
When Pet Shop Boys reached out to her, she initially declined. But after she heard their classic single “West End Girls”, she reconsidered. Springfield provided harmony vocals and also took the lead on several sections of “What Have I Done To Deserve This?” that were specifically written for her by Willis.
Considering that Pet Shop Boys’ label had suggested other alternatives for duet partners, such as Tina Turner, the duo was going out on a limb with Springfield. But nobody could doubt the finished product. It landed at No. 2 in both the UK and the US when released in 1987 as a single from the album Actually.
Behind the Lyrics of “What Have I Done To Deserve This?”
The song takes the form of a back-and-forth between Tennant and Springfield about a broken love affair. “You always wanted a lover,” Tennant begins. “I only wanted a job.” He continues in that vein in the spoken-word sections, bemoaning the crossed signals before wondering, “How am I gonna get through?”
When Springfield soars into her solo sections, the lyrics take on the smooth simplicity of 60s pop. “Since you went away, I’ve been hanging around,” she sings. “I’ve been wondering why I’m feeling down.” The title refrain sums up the frustrating endpoint they’ve reached.
On top of solidifying Pet Shop Boys’ spot as England’s most thoughtful hitmakers, “What I Have Done To Deserve This?” also sparked a brief career resurgence for Dusty Springfield. Her album Reputation, released in 1990, earned her top critical notices and featured Lowe and Tennant repaying her by writing several songs for the LP.
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