| Joy Division – Insight Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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realisation and remebering. pure and simple. 'my life is ruined, but you know what, i'm gonna accept it.' simple observation of his society told ian that ultimately, life means nothing if you have not the power to prolong it. so subsequently he accepts fate and turns to question others and pontificate on his life. "Hey don't you know you were right?" and "but we remember, when we were young" finally, he imparts a final statement of not being afraid, possibly foretelling of his acceptance of suicide? much much more than meets the eye/ear of course (as with any jd song) but who are we to interpret a song as beautiful and haunting as this? |
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| Joy Division – Shadowplay Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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it seems when looking at shadowplay you can divide the song into three sort of 'state of mind' zones (for lack of a better term). i want to say to bkane that that is a really interesting point, it really can explain a lot. screamingtuod and bliss freak, please read them again and ask yourself how they can totally be related to porn? poverty maybe, but surely not porn. jvw and blueberry hill, also brilliant meanings. briefly before i start (sort of) ian curtis never wrote lyrics out in their completed form, rather he would write segments and portions which would be organised into full songs when the band rehearsed. so shadowplay's seperate segments can clearly be read. the first part speaks of curtis' complete and utter isolation. he feels like no one on earth can really help him, and so after searching in himself and in his surroundings for acceptance, consolation and forgiveness, he abandons all hope and realises the crushing truth. the analogy of the room with the window in the corner, obviously points to the fact that upon realisation of this, he sees that the only way out is through drastic measures or cataclysmic change. segment, or stanza two, points to a more threatening surrounding environment. 'in the shadowplay' could be a reference to a multitude of things: Joy Division shows, their early gigs a warsaw at punk venues, or curtis' interpretation of all the hassle's in the background of his life, as in the stuff that goes on inside his mind that are hazy and unclear to others. 'acting out your own death, knowing no more' seems like an accusation of ignorance and surrender on the part of another party. it sounds similar to the core message of 'novelty' which was all about shedding of your past and acceptance of the rpesent, or face the consequences. 'the assasins all grouped in four lines, dancing on the floor' is a collectivised stab at the seemingly faceless and violent crowds (assasins) and ian's penchant for observing Nazism. (before anyone starts, im not saying ian and joy division were nazi's, but it is a well known fact that they were interested in the more sheltered aspects of the nazi regime, such as the joy division's and the nazi's rise to power, just look at songs like no love lost or warsaw) 'cold steel' as most people know is slang for weapons ie knives, brass knuckles etc. so maybe this refers again to ian interest in nazi violence, or maybe his personal experiences of violence. odour on their bodies made a move to connect is a remarkably abstract sounding lyric, perhaps referencing the atmosphere of live gigs...? i could only stare in disbelief as the crowds all left is probably the most easily interpruted line in the song. it simply refers to ian's realisation that people he once knew and appreciated have been replaced, old friends, family etc. and now he can only stare in disbelief at new, strange people who have entered his life, such as crowds, groupies etc. stanza three is the least jd like stanza i think. although it does sharply reference prostitution or sexual slavery, it sounds almost vulgur and crude so much so that it couldve stemmed from some of ian's earlier writings. the repetiton of the opening stanza's underlying message nicely sums up the song. but it feels out of place when coupled with the preceding lines about debauchery and filth. overall, shadowplay is one of jd's best known songs, and one of their most punk rock influenced. this is shown by the chugging bass, simple drums and power chord dominated guitar. lyrically wise it is a snapshot of ian's life, from young boy growing up in isolated macclesfield, to realising hope has gone, to pondering on ignorance and naivety, even to the depths of your soul to realise the truth. a thoroughly riveting ride through the haunting and ethereal mind of post-punk rock's greatest poet. to quote "ian curtis' story is the last great story of pop" |
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