Synopsis

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe sit silently in the front of a taxi as an eccentric passenger, played by Joss Ackland, climbs in and changes the mood. The journey unfolds with a dreamlike, slightly unsettling atmosphere rather than a conventional pop narrative. When the passenger leaves, the duo drive away, leaving him alone with his thoughts. The video's detached performances and surreal imagery reflect the Pet Shop Boys' deliberately theatrical visual style.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video is an excerpt from the Pet Shop Boys' surreal feature film *It Couldn't Happen Here*, released in 1988. It is therefore closer to a film sequence than a separately constructed promotional storyline.

• Joss Ackland plays the strange passenger in the taxi. His closing line echoes lyrics from the Pet Shop Boys' earlier song "What Have I Done to Deserve This?"

• *It Couldn't Happen Here* grew out of the duo's plans for an elaborate tour that proved too expensive to stage. The project developed into a feature-length musical film instead.

• The film was intentionally impressionistic and avoided a conventional linear plot, using the Pet Shop Boys' songs to help shape its atmosphere and movement.

• Filming for the feature took place over three weeks in November 1987, including locations in Clacton-on-Sea and south London.

• "Always on My Mind" was released as a single on November 30, 1987, and became the UK's Christmas number one. The official video was upgraded and made available in 4K in 2023.