Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division

photo © Southampton Old Lady

For Music Monday this week I present a track that moved us from Punk to New Wave (originally labelled post-punk).

Love Will Tear Us Apart (click on title for YouTube video) is a song by English band Joy Division. It was written in August 1979, and first performed in November 1979 when the band were backing the Buzzcocks. Fans, like myself, could relate to sensitive lyrics by Ian Curtis, which reflected the problems in his marriage, as well as his general frame of mind in the time leading up to his tragic suicide in May 1980.

We were shocked. Following new wave sounds remained very dark – everyone seemed to wear black in the early 80s. Ian’s wife Deborah Curtis had the phrase: “Love Will Tear Us Apart” inscribed on Ian’s memorial stone. His stone was stolen and had to be replaced later.

When routine bites hard
And ambitions are low
And resentment rides high
But emotions won’t grow
And we’re changing our ways, taking different roads

Then love, love will tear us apart again
Love, love will tear us apart again

Why is the bedroom so cold?
You’ve turned away on your side
Is my timing that flawed?
Our respect runs so dry
Yet there’s still this appeal
That we’ve kept through our lives

But love, love will tear us apart again
Love, love will tear us apart again

You cry out in your sleep
All my failings exposed
And there’s a taste in my mouth
As desperation takes hold
Just that something so good just can’t function no more

But love, love will tear us apart again
Love, love will tear us apart again