Here To Stay

It seems like everyone thinks evey NO song is about Ian Curtis!

I don't think this is about Ian Curtis, not so sure what is about anyway... Sometimes I related NO songs to IC... but that's probably because those two thoughts are already in my mind so I can't freely listen and decide what is about... Some things seem to hint at it, anyway... like the constant "he", "the second look", "the leap ahead", "the hope kept alive", but I don't think that the parts "he'll remove all of your pain", "this worhy cause of human kind", "this open book yet to be read" suggest Ian Curtis... And it maybe that the "we" is not the band, but some kind of methaphor for something else...

I agree, I think it probably is about Curtis. Originally I thought it might be about Tony Wilson of Factory Records, because he was the one who gave Joy Division (and therefore New Order) their break, but I think that was largely because I first heard it when it was used at the end of 24 Hour Party People. A powerful song...

well, i really loved 24 hour party people,the ending song is this really good song (I love New Order, dont you, people? :), so i guess that they are singing about the "Madchester", many people is inspired by them, as a new opportunity, as a new light (" Like a bright light on the horizon"), as a new legacy ( This open book, yet to be read),like a group of people who always will follow them (Madchester bands)and never forget what they´ve done for music. Like, Madchester movement will never dissapear. WE ARE HERE TO STAY, says the song, well that´s just my opinion :I

This song is all about the Antichrist. There are several hints in the song that makes me think about this:

"This blue eyed boy Who wants to be

This worthy cause Of human kind This pawn set up by time"

The Antichrist will be seen at the end of time as the noblest living Earth, but in the end will be just a pawn of the devil in his plans for world domination.

"Like a bright light on the horizon Shining so bright, he'll get you flying He'll drive you away, he'll drive you insane But then he'll remove all of your pain"

Planet Venus, when seen as a bright light in the sky just before sunrise, has been called for centuries under the name 'Lucifer'. 'Lucifer' come from a Latin expression that means 'Lightbearer', and is one of the names given by Christian tradition to the devil. Anyone who can make a person fly, make him insane and remove all his pain (does not specify whether the pain is physical or spiritual) needs to have magical or spiritual qualities that not anyone would have or could develop.

"This open book Yet to be read This second look This leap ahead

The hope I held inside With you, was kept alive"

'The open book yet to read' represents the fact that, although the existence of the Antichrist is already known, the extent of his evil and harm to be done to the world is not yet completely known nor fully understood. The singer has faith the "light" of the Antichrist will keep alive the hope that the world will make a "leap forward" and walk away definitively from God.

'We're here to stay...'

The followers of darkness are and will continue to seek to bring the world into the abyss; among those followers, it seems, this band. They make clear what they are aspiring to even in their name: 'New Order'.

Maybe many of you may or may not agree with it, but this is my opinion. Greetings.

Messianic definitely. I think nocopies is on the right track. “Like a bright light on the horizon, he'll remove all of your pain, he'll get you flying, worthy cause of human kind. Etc.”

I think however this is sung from the context of the individuals personal messianic desire to be the Christ, or some type of savior. (This blue eyed boy that follows me). Blue eyed being symbolic of hope, innocence, even naivety, is following the teller of the tale. He has a desire to be a 'worthy cause of Humankind', the greatest aspiration a person can have but also wants this to be played out by fate, not out of personal ambition. (This pawn set up by time). In other words, to be chosen. “He'll get you flying” could be a literal reference to the rapture, or more likely may be symbolic of the emancipation of the spirit by this individual. “Like a bright light on the horizion” may be a reference to Lucifer, the bearer of light, the antichrist, but it more likely may be symbolic of hope. Either way, there is a relationship as the antichrist is full of pride and any aspiration to personally be the embodied realization of hope for humanity ultimately stems from pride so this could be inadvertently referring to Lucifer while not being the intention of the writer of the song. In any case, this song is definitely Messianic & not specifically about Curtis.

We can put this one to bed. It's about raising a child. Bernard Sumner said so at the Chicago concert at the Aragon on Oct 12th. If you want proof, find the bootleg of the concert. "That was a song about having a kid. This next one [Your Silent Face] I wrote about having a teenager which is a different thing altogether."

Produced by The Chemical Brothers, the song failed to be included on New Order's seventh album "Get Ready", although the single cover has the same layout as the 2 previous ones "Crystal" and "60 Miles An Hour". However, it appeared on their compilation "International" and in the soundtrack of the film "24 Hour Party People".

I think it's about Ian Curtis. How he wanted to be famous yet failed to achieve it himself. However, New Order DID achieve that fame and in a way kept Ian's dream (and his name and work) alive by doing so. Though they're tired of being overshadowed by his presence they realized that the music was just too good to waste time fighting and bickering with each other (the group broke up from 1993-1998) about and remembered how good it felt to play when they were young and just having a good time. Ian's ghost isn't a weight they have to bear, it's a blessing. So with that in mind New Order are "here to stay." Great track.