Just to recap, this is going to be a part of an occasional series of posts I'm going to make on this blog. This'll be where I compare an early set of lyrics to a later set of lyrics for one Joy Division song. Sometimes I may compare multiple sets of lyrics of just one song to each other. When you couple in a lot of the live variations to certain songs, you can get all sorts of results.
Today's choice is going to be a little bit shorter. Like the very first "First To Closing Lyrics" post, I will only be taking a look at one song's two studio versions: Chance/Atmosphere.
Often regarded as one of JD's best songs, "Atmosphere" is a time-honored capsule of JD itself. It's one of my personal favorite songs of theirs, like anyone.
Most people nowadays know that the first version of the song was originally called "Chance", as that version was included on the Heart and Soul boxset. The song was an in-studio improvisation, done during the Piccadilly Radio Sessions on June 4, 1979. At the time, no name was given to it, so Martin Hannet dubbed the song "Chance". The lyrics of that early version were pretty different than what they would ultimately become.
The song held its name for live shows, apparently until the gig at Royalty Theatre, Kingsway, London on June 17, 1979. Rob Gretton’s physical set-list from that show was published in 2006 and apparently the name “Chance” was crossed out and replaced with the name “Atmosphere”. Who renamed it, I don't know, but from then on, the song was known by that name.
The song held its name for live shows, apparently until the gig at Royalty Theatre, Kingsway, London on June 17, 1979. Rob Gretton’s physical set-list from that show was published in 2006 and apparently the name “Chance” was crossed out and replaced with the name “Atmosphere”. Who renamed it, I don't know, but from then on, the song was known by that name.
Piccadilly Radio Session (June 4, 1979) (First Studio Session)
Walk in silence
Walk away in silence
See the danger, always danger
Endless talking, life rebuilding
Don’t walk away
Face the danger
Walk in silence
Don’t walk away in silence
See the danger, always danger
Rules are broken
False emotions
Don’t walk away
People like you find it easy
Always in tune, walking on air
They’re hunting in pacts, by the rivers through the streets
It may happen soon, then maybe you’ll care
Walk away, walk away
From danger
I…I’m just crossing the line
Just crossing the line
Trying to get by
Back where I was, back where I was…
See me crossing the line
Don’t walk away
Don’t walk away
Don’t walk away
Don’t walk away
From the danger…
Just crossing the line…
Just crossing the line…
(The full version has never been released in any form, unfortunately...the song fades out with the closing "Just crossing the line..." lines.)
Lyrically, "Chance" is a lot longer and more fragile than the later version. Ian sings it with a great deal of insecurity, it seems. I guess he wasn't used to improvising with lyrics (as you can tell in some of the IALP rehearsals). I actually prefer these lyrics. I wish Ian had kept the choruses. FYI, I plan on covering the constant "line" imagery that I keep seeing in Ian's lyrics sometime...
The second, more famous version (that Anton Corbijn's video used):
‘Sordide Sentimental’
Studio Session (October-November 1979)
Walk in silence
Don’t walk away in
silence
See the danger, always
danger
Endless talking, life
rebuilding
Don’t walk away
Walk in silence
Don’t turn away in
silence
Your confusion, my
illusion
Worn like a mask of self
hate
Confronts and then dies
Don’t walk away
People like you find it
easy
Naked to see, walking on
air
Hunting by the rivers,
through the streets; every corner
Abandoned too soon, set
down with due care
Don’t walk away in
silence
Don’t walk away
And there you have it! Atmosphere's evolution. I plan on covering the many live versions of "Atmosphere" some other time. Ian would change the lyrics and combine these two drafts CONSTANTLY during live shows.
Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading.
-Wallflower
