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Interzone Lyrics
<i>I walked through the city limits</i>
Someone talked me in to do it
<i>Attracted by some force within it</i>
Had to close my eyes to get close to it
<i>Aound a corner where a prophet lay</i>
Saw the place where she'd a room to say
<i>A wife fence where the children played</i>
Saw the bed where the body lay
<i>And I was looking for a friend of mine</i>
And I had no time to waste
<i>Yeah, looking for some friends of mine</i>
<i>The cars screeched hear the sound on dust</i>
Heard a noise just a car outside
<i>Metallic blue turned red with rust</i>
Pulled in close by the building's side
<i>In a group all forgotten youth</i>
Had to think, collect my senses now
<i>Are turned on to a knife edged view</i>
Find some places where my friends don't know
<i>And I was looking for a friend of mine</i>
And had no time to waste
<i>Yeah, looking for some friends of mine</i>
<i>Down the dark streets, the houses looked the same</i>
Getting darker now, faces look the same
<i>And I walked round and round</i>
No stomach, torn apart
<i>Nail me to a train</i>
Had to think again
<i>Trying to find a clue, trying to find a way to get out</i>
Trying to move away, had to move away and keep out
<i>Four, twelve windows, ten in a row</i>
Behind a wall, well I looked down low
<i>The lights shined like a neon show</i>
Inserted deep felt a warmer glow
<i>No place to stop, no place to go</i>
No time to lose, had to keep on going
<i>I guess they died some time ago</i>
I guess they died some time ago
<i>And I was looking for a friend of mine</i>
And I had no time to waste
<i>Yeah, looking for some friends of mine</i>
Someone talked me in to do it
<i>Attracted by some force within it</i>
Had to close my eyes to get close to it
<i>Aound a corner where a prophet lay</i>
Saw the place where she'd a room to say
<i>A wife fence where the children played</i>
Saw the bed where the body lay
<i>And I was looking for a friend of mine</i>
And I had no time to waste
<i>Yeah, looking for some friends of mine</i>
Heard a noise just a car outside
<i>Metallic blue turned red with rust</i>
Pulled in close by the building's side
<i>In a group all forgotten youth</i>
Had to think, collect my senses now
<i>Are turned on to a knife edged view</i>
Find some places where my friends don't know
<i>And I was looking for a friend of mine</i>
And had no time to waste
<i>Yeah, looking for some friends of mine</i>
Getting darker now, faces look the same
<i>And I walked round and round</i>
No stomach, torn apart
<i>Nail me to a train</i>
Had to think again
<i>Trying to find a clue, trying to find a way to get out</i>
Trying to move away, had to move away and keep out
<i>Four, twelve windows, ten in a row</i>
Behind a wall, well I looked down low
<i>The lights shined like a neon show</i>
Inserted deep felt a warmer glow
<i>No place to stop, no place to go</i>
No time to lose, had to keep on going
<i>I guess they died some time ago</i>
I guess they died some time ago
<i>And I was looking for a friend of mine</i>
And I had no time to waste
<i>Yeah, looking for some friends of mine</i>
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To clarify a little, the song is an apparent homage to Naked Lunch (no "The") by William S. Burroughs. The book is partially set in The Interzone, an imaginary location which was Burroughs' own way of expressing themes that are also very prevalent in Joy Division's music: claustrophobia, paranoia, fear of authoritarian control, rebellion against societal norms of being, and the sense of everyday life as a sort of exotic living nightmare.
The original working title of Naked Lunch was Interzone, and there is also a published book called The Interzone, which is a collection of letters and short stories, but it does include a portion of the original working manuscript for Naked Lunch.
Anyway, read Naked Lunch and you'll find more than a few parallels between Burroughs' worldview and the one expressed in Joy Division's songs. It's no surprise that Ian Curtis was a fan of his writing.
For the trivia-minded, Joy Division even played a gig alongside Burroughs (and Cabaret Voltaire) on October 16th, 1979, at which Ian met Burroughs in person.
Great song! So underrated. The lyrics are amazing. -jess
This is definately one of my favorite Joy Division songs... I love the feel of it, it's kind of manic. Even so, I have no idea what it means, or even if it means anything. ^__^;;
i think its a tribute song to williams burroughs a writer who ian curtis was a big fan of the title of the song interzone is after the setting in which a series of william burroughs book ocure
getting darker now...faces look the same
Oooooo everyday life. wicked
Yes, thank you "miesvanderrobot" for that great trivia info...that is mind blowing...I knew about "The Interzone" reference...and "Interzone" is short form for "International Zone"...this is what the expats called Tangier in the '50 and '60s because it was a "melting pot" of artists, writers and junkies from all over the world. But I think there are lyrical references to JG Ballard's novels "Crash" and "Vermilion Sands" and the two writers are juxtoposed by Ian Curtis..."The cars screeched..and turned on to knife edged view", etc...
This song is pretty similar to the song Problems by the Sex Pistols, the riff is almost the same.
Yes! Infact JD seen the concert of Sex Pistols in Manchester in 1976 and had very influenced by them. (Seen the period of Warsaw, when the influenced were very strong)
Yes! Infact JD seen the concert of Sex Pistols in Manchester in 1976 and had very influenced by them. (Seen the period of Warsaw, when the influenced were very strong)
i think its a tribute song to Williams burroughs a writer who Ian curtis was a big fan of the title of the song interzone is after the setting in which a series of William burroughs books occur
The Naked Lunch.
thank you for shedding some light on the situation, miesvanderrobot