Leave Me Alone

"Every one of us is an island. If it were not so we should go mad at once. Between these islands are ships, aeroplanes, telephones, wireless— what you will. But they remain islands. Islands that can sink or disappear for ever." -John Fowles (Conchis in The Magus)

This song is about love, but more than anything it's about the Absurd. It's about our search for meaning in this life, and our struggle to find it. It's like we think we're all stranded on our own little islands and every day we dream that a ship will come and take us away, but we might actually be the islands themselves. Ships may pass by from time to time and we may even catch wind of other islands, but if we face the truth we'll probably be living the rest of our lives stranded here. Even so, there's a sort of comfort in knowing that although we are all alone in some regards, there are thousands of other islands out in this vast ocean.

I'm probably getting these words wrong, but I just smile :-)

I think it’s about realizing how many people are lonely just like you are, and how everyone hides it so it’s hard to notice. A thousand islands in the sea, it’s a shame because they can’t see all the other lonely people because they’re hiding under ground. So maybe now he’s seeing just how many lonely people to connect with, a vision that would bring him luck. But he is stuck between reaching out to others, and asking people to leave him alone, like he’s used to doing.

This used to be my favorite song from Power Corruption & Lies. I just loved how catchy and melancholy it was at the same time. Brilliant.

This is probably my number 1 favourite song, ever. I still don't fully understand the song, but here's my interpretation ...

"I'm in a relationship and I feel that she doesn't get me, and this makes me feel lonely. But this is how all of my relationships have been, and it's how I see everyone's relationships.

I do love her, but at the same time hate her ... but I'm going to end it"

Even writing this I have had to have a dozen goes at it !

This is my favourite song. I even had it as a ringtone and several years ago my cell started ringing when i was in a maths test and it kept ringing for 2 minutes or so. And everyone loved it for some reason.

'On a thousand islands in the sea / I see a thousand people just like me' This makes me think of how the Narrator feels he is alone, though he knows he isn't, 'the sea' could represent the separation and disconnection he feels away from other people.

'We live always underground / It's going to be so quiet in here tonight / A thousand islands in the sea / It's a shame' This suggests that the Narrator thinks that people who are alone are 'always underground' (maybe metaphorically) and are not seen or known. The second two lines make me think of how the Narrator has become submissive in being lonely, and just simply thinks of his (and other people's situation) 'a shame', a bit like 'it is what it is' sort of situation.

'And a hundred years ago / A sailor trod this ground I stood upon / Take me away everyone / When it hurts thou' 'A hundred years ago' could suggest that this state of being lonely has been happening a long time, and in a sense is normal. 'A sailor trod this ground I stood upon' makes me think of how the sailor (who would've sailed at sea) found his place, or in this context 'island', and perhaps became content with loneliness. 'Take me away everyone, when it hurts thou', makes me think of how the Narrator does not want to be in the way, and just thought it would be easier to be alone, as not to hurt anyone, removing himself from society.

'From my head to my toes / From the words in the book / I see a vision that would bring me luck' 'From the words in the book' could suggest a religious text of sorts, that perhaps the Narrator puts faith in, to bring him luck, perhaps to get him out of his state of isolation, or maybe because believing in something doesn't make him feel completely alone.

'From my head to my toes / To my teeth, through my nose / You get these words wrong / You get these words wrong / Everytime / You get these words wrong / I just smile' 'You get these words wrong / Everytime' could suggest how when he tries to make contact with other people they misinterpret his words, but in the end he doesn't care he just smile, 'everytime' could also show a sort of helplessness, and that he feels no one will understand him, so he's better off alone.

'But from my head to my toes / From my knees to my eyes / Everytime I watch the sky / For these last few days leave me alone / But for these last few days leave me alone / Leave me alone / Leave me alone'

• 'Everytime I watch the sky' could suggest a place above the sea and islands, above what the Narrator sees as underground, perhaps a heaven or refuge, a place where he hopes to be, or maybe just observes. 'The sky' could refer to society beyond his isolation, but with him being underground and society in the sky, he feels distant and detached, knowing it's a place he can never reach, and now all he is asking for is to be alone. 'For these last few days' could show how he knows he's spent his alone (in and out of attempts to reconnect with society), but now all he asks is to be alone in it's most complete state.

(one of my favourite New Order album tracks :)

[Edit: Weirs spacing, difficult to read]

It comes from someone who feels detached and emotionally cleaned out.

From the isolation he feels, he sees a sea of alienated people:

"On a thousand islands in the sea I see a thousand people just like me... A thousand islands in the sea It's a shame"

Everyone is an island isolated from each other.

What do I feel like when I'm alienated? Sometimes I feel like being alone - telling people to leave me alone.

"A hundred unions in the snow I watch them walking, falling in a row"

Probably written during strikes in the 80's but relevant on a snowy 2nd February in 2009 with unions on strike once more.

it's definitely about feeling emotionally drained. almost referring to the notion that "it's a shame" how alike we all are to one another; like he's coming to the realization that all the uniqueness is gone.

"On a thousand islands in the sea I see a thousand people just like me"

A great way to start the song. Almost seems to be saying "Everybody else is just like me, so why are you picking on me?" Hence the name of the song. Anyways love this song XD