Joy Division
"An Ideal For Living" EP, recorded Pennine Sound Studios, Oldham (December 1977)
Unreleased 1st album, RCA Studio Sessions, Arrow
Studios, Manchester (May 3-4, 1978)
The following is my best attempt at decoding all the lyrics to all the songs in this Joy Division recording session. I have several documents containing whole gigs and recording sessions entirely transcribed by myself, so I figured instead of giving you just one song in all its forms, I'll give you a whole session today.
Track-List:
1. Warsaw
2. No Love Lost
3. Leaders of Men
4. Failures
5. The Drawback6. Leaders of Men
7. (They) Walked in Line
8. Failures (of the Modern Man)
9. Novelty
10. No Love Lost
11. Transmission
12. (Living in the) Ice Age
13. Interzone
14. Warsaw
15. Shadowplay
9. Novelty
10. No Love Lost
11. Transmission
12. (Living in the) Ice Age
13. Interzone
14. Warsaw
15. Shadowplay
1-4: "An Ideal For Living"
5-15: RCA Studio Sessions
I don't really have a whole lot to say, here. We all know the history of these two sessions, how important (or unimportant) they were for the evolving band.
Fresh off of the name change from Warsaw, Joy Division produced and manufactured their own EP. It was an entirely in-house project, with the band financing it and guitarist Bernard Sumner drawing the Nazi-youth cover art for it. Pictures of the band Gareth Davey took decorated the liner notes and inside sleeve (note: few pictures from this photo-session have surfaced).
The production and pressing job they did on the vinyl was of extremely poor quality and the Nazi imagery drew boos from critics, but the effort eventually attracted legendary radio DJ and apparently experienced band manager Rob Gretton to the band.
Joy Division were rather unpopular. The lack of promotion or recorded material during the Warsaw days really hurt them, and they had to almost start from scratch when the EP was released.
As 1978 continued, the band slowly started getting more and more material written and performing. The year started out rough; every other month, they would get a gig or two. At one point, an extensive November 1978 tour was planned, but most of the gigs were canceled, since the bands they were supposed to support, The Rezillos and The Undertones, had an incident at their gig on November 14, 1978, causing most of Joy Division's section of the tour to be canceled.
On April 14, 1978, at the Rafter's club in Manchester, Joy Division were set to play along with several others bands. Ian walked up to famous TV anchorman and host Tony Wilson, viciously, furiously haranguing him for not showing the band on his Granada TV's "Granada Reports" show. The move was bold and daring, and it earned them an appearance on September 20. Joy Division was the last band to perform at the club that night (they started at about 2:00 am). By then, the band was so pumped up and fueled by blind rage that they gave an extremely entertaining performance that not only won over Tony Wilson but Rob Gretton.
After the show, Rob Gretton approached the band, congratulating them and giving them his phone number. Within a short time, the band ousted their old manager Terry Mason (friend of the band who stayed with them, as a roadie and a sound mixer during most of their gigs) in favor of the new punter. Under Gretton's direction, "An Ideal for Living" was rereleased as a 12" vinyl, with a new cover art that eradicated the Nazi imagery.
Rob Gretton quickly got them a deal with RCA to record. On May 3 and 4, 1978, the band went into the studio and recorded eleven songs, including new versions of their previous "An Ideal for Living" tracks. Under the direction of one of the producers (I think Rod Searling), the band was introduced to the disco song "Keep On Keepin' On", which they wanted the band to do a cover of. The band was impressed and learned the instrumentals, but come recording time, they got Ian drunk and he ended up belting the lyrics to "Interzone".
The eleven tracks were supposed to comprise a new, first album, but for whatever reason, the deal feel through. Some say that the band disliked the post-production RCA did on the tracks and the direction the band wanted to go, but I'm not too sure. Surely Rob Gretton would've wanted the album to be released regardless, to attract attention to the band and make money?
Nevertheless, the tracks were left in the archives, unreleased and unheard, until Alan Erasmus, an associate and original Factory partner with Tony Wilson and Peter Saville, organized for the tracks to be released on vinyl bootleg in 1981 and eventually on CD in 1989.
In my opinion, the RCA tracks are amazing. Everyone knows and loves "An Ideal for Living" ("No Love Lost" is STILL my jam), but not a lot of people talk about the RCA songs. Personally, I think it contains one of the best versions of "Transmission". The raw, naked tracks have never been released, but I think a lot of the post-production enhances the songs. Whadda listening to me, for?! Go listen and judge for yourself! I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Warsaw
3 5 0 1 2 5 go!
I was there in the backstage
When first light came around
I grew up not a changeling
To win the first time around
I could see all the weakness
I could pick all the faults
But I concede all the faith tests
Just to stick in your throats
31G, 31G, 31G
Hung around in your soundtrack
To mirror all that you've done
To find the right side of reason
To kill the three lies for one
I could see all the cold facts
I could see through your eyes
All this talk made no contact
No matter how hard we tried
31G, 31G, 31G
I can still hear the footsteps
I can see only walls
I slid into your mantraps
With no hearing at all
I just see contradiction
Had to give up the fight
Just to live in the past tense
To make believe you were right
31G, 31G, 31G
3, 5, 0, 1, 2, 5
No Love Lost
So long, sitting here; didn’t hear the warning
Waiting for the tape to run
We’ve been moving ‘round in different situations
Knowing that the time would come
Just to see you torn apart, witness to your empty heart
I need it
I need it
I need it
Through the wire screen, the eyes of those standing outside looked in at her
As into the cages of some rare creature in a zoo
In the hand of one of the assistants, she saw the same instrument
Which they had, that morning, inserted deep into her body
She shuddered instinctively
No life at all, in the house of dolls
No love lost, no love lost
You’ve been seeing things in darkness, not in learning
Hoping that the truth will pass
No life underground, wasted, never changing
Wishing that this day won’t last
To never see you show your age, to watch until the beauty fades
I need it
I need it
I need it
Leaders of Men
Born from some mother's womb
Just like any other room
Made a promise for a new life
Made a victim out of your life
When your time's on the door
And it drips to the floor
And you feel you can touch
All the noise is too much
And the seeds that are sown
Are no longer your own
Just a minor operation
To force a final ultimatum
Thousand words are spoken loud
Reach the dumb to fool the crowd
When you walk down the street
And the sound not so sweet
And you wish you could hide
Maybe go for a ride
To some peep show arcade
Where the future's not made
A nightmare situation
Infiltrate imagination
Smacks of past holy wars
By the wall, we've broken laws
The leaders of men
Born out of your frustration
The leaders of men
Just a strange infatuation
The leaders of men
Made a promise for a new life
No saviour for our sakes
To cross the internees of hate
Self induced manipulation
To crush all thoughts of mass salvation
Failures
Don't speak of false messiahs
Failure of the modern man
To the center of our life's desires
As a whole, not an also ran
Burned in a hollow field
Break the image of your father's son
Drawn to an inner feel
He was thought of as the only one
He no longer denies
All the failures of the modern man
He no longer picks sides
Sees the failures of the modern man
Wise words and sympathy
Tell the story of our history
New strength gives a real touch
Sense and reason make it all too much
With a strange fatality
Break the spirits of a lesser man
Some other race could see
In his way he was the only one
He no longer denies
All the failures of the modern man
No, no, he can't pick sides
Sees the failures of the modern man
Now that it's right to decide
In his time he was a total man
Taken from Caesar's side
Kept in silence just to prove who's wrong
No, no, he can't despise
All the failures of the modern man
No, no longer denies
All the failures of the modern man
The Drawback
Seen the troubles and the evils of this world
I've seen the stretches between godliness and sin
I've heard the promise and confessions of due faith
And hypocrisy that always lies within
And they left it for you
All of this for you
And they left it for you
All of this for you
I've seen the products and the other world of waste
I've seen the color of corruption deep within
I've seen them lose themselves in dignity and taste
To see in black and white and through to black again
And they left it for you
All of this for you
And they left it for you
All of this for you
And they left it for you
All of this for you
And they left it for you
Everything for you
I've seen the troubles and the evils of this world
I've seen the ones who could succeed but always lose
I've seen what's left of poor technology and work
And watched them drowning as they leave their ship of fools
And they left it for you
All of this for you
And they left it for you
All of this for you
Leaders of Men
Born from some mother's womb
Just like any other room
Made a promise for a new life
Made a victim out of your life
When your time's on the door
And it drips to the floor
And you feel you can touch
All the noise is too much
And the seeds that are sown
Are no longer your own
Just a minor operation
To force a final ultimatum
Thousand words are spoken loud
Reach the dumb to fool the crowds
When you walk down the street
And the sound's not so sweet
And you wish you could hide
Maybe go for a ride
To some peep show arcade
Where the future's not made
A nightmare situation
Infiltrate imagination
Smacks of past holy wars
By the wall, we've broken laws
The leaders of men
Born out of your frustration
The leaders of men
Just a strange infatuation
The leaders of men
Made a promise for a new life
No saviour for our sakes
To cross the internees of hate
Self induced manipulation
To crush all thoughts of mass salvation
(They) Walked in Line
All dressed in uniform, so fine
They drank and killed to pass the time
Wearing the shame of all their crimes
With measured steps, they walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They carried pictures of their wives
And other tags to prove their lives
And made it through the whole machine
With dirty hearts and hands washed clean
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
Full of a glory never seen
They made it through the whole machine
To never question anymore
Hypnotic trance, they never saw
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
They walked in line
Walked in line
Walked in line
Failures (of the Modern Man)
Don't speak of safe messiahs
A failure of the modern man
To the center of our life desires
As a whole, not an also ran
Love in a hollow field
Break the image of your father's son
Drawn to an inner feel
He was thought of as the only one
He was thought of as the only one
He no longer denies
All the failures of the modern man
No, no, no, he can't pick sides
Sees the failures of the modern man
Wise words and sympathy
Tell the story of our history
New strength gives a real touch
Sense and reason make it all too much
With a strange fatality
Broke the spirits of a lesser man
Some other race could see
In his way he was the only one
In his way he was the only one
He no longer denies
All the failures of the modern man
No, no, no, he can't pick sides
Sees the failures of the modern man
Now that it's right to decide
In his time he was a total man
Taken from Caesar's side
Kept in silence just to prove who's wrong
He no longer denies
All the failures of the modern man
No, no, no, he can't pick sides
Sees the failures of the modern man
All the failures of the modern man
Novelty
When people listen to you, don't you know it means a lot?
'Cause you've got to work so hard for everything you got
Can't rest on your laurels now, not when you've got none
You find yourself in the gutter, right back where you came from
Someone told me being in the know is the main thing
We all need the security that belonging brings
Can't stand on your own in these times, 'gainst all the odds
I don't wanna act all cool, like all the other sods
You slap our backs and pretend you knew
About all the things that we were gonna do
Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
When it's over?
You're on your own, now; don'tcha think that it's a shame?
But you're the only one responsible that's to blame
When you gonna grow up and act, and be yourself?
'Cause pretty soon you find yourself nailed to the shelf
Grab it while you can, but don't ever relax
'Cause there's always someone gonna stab your back
Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
When it's over?
No Love Lost
So long, sitting here; didn’t hear the warning
Waiting for the tape to run
We’ve been moving ‘round in different situations
Knowing that the time would come
Just to see you torn apart, witness to your empty heart
I need it
I need it
I need it
Two way mirror in the hall
They like to watch everything you do
Transmitters, hidden in the wall
So they know everything you say is true
Turn it on
Don’t turn it on
Turn it on
You’ve been seeing things in darkness not in learning
Hoping that the truth will pass
No life underground, wasted, never changing
Wishing that this day won’t last
To never see you show your age, to watch until the beauty fades
I need it
I need it
I need it
Transmission
Radio, live transmission
Radio, live transmission
Listen to the silence; let it ring on
Eyes, dark gray lenses, frightened of the sun
We would make a fine pair, living in the night
Left to blind destruction; take away our sight
We could go on as though nothing was wrong
And hide from the days to remain all alone
Stayed in the same place, staring all the time
Touching from a distance, further all the time
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio
And I could call out when the going gets tough
And we could make contact if we just holler
No language, just sound, is all that I know
We'll synchronize love to the beat of the show
And we could dance
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio
(Living in the) Ice Age
Seen the real atrocities
Buried in the sand
Stockpiled safety for a few
We stand holding hands
I'm living in the ice age
I'm living in the ice age
Nothing will hold, nothing will fit
Into the cold, no smile on your lips
Living in the ice age
Living in the ice age
Living in the ice age
Searching for another way
Hide behind the door
We're living holed in disused shafts
With hopes for little more
I'm living in the ice age
I'm living in the ice age
Nothing will hold, nothing will fit
Into the cold, no smile on your lips
Living in the ice age
Living in the ice age
Living in the ice age
Living in the ice age
Living in the ice age
Living in the ice age
Living in the ice age
Interzone
I walked through the city limits
Attracted by some force within it
Around a corner where some prophet lay
A wire fence where the children played
And I was looking for a friend of mine
Yeah, looking for a friend of mine
Car screeched, hear the sound of dust
Metallic blue, turned red with rust
Stood apart, all forgotten youth
Are turned on to a knife-edged view
And I was looking for a friend of mine
Yeah, looking for a friend of mine
Down the dark streets, houses looked the same
I was walking 'round and 'round and nailed me to a train
Had to get away, trying to find a way to get out!
Saw twelve windows, ten in a row
The light shined an unearthly glow
No place to stop, no place to go
I guess they died some time ago
And I was looking for some friends of mine
Yeah, looking for some friends of mine
Warsaw
I was there in the backstage
When first light came around
I grew up not a changeling
To win the first time around
I could see all the weakness
I could pick all the faults
But I concede all the faith tests
Just to stick in your throats
31G, 31G, 31G
Hung around in your soundtrack
To mirror all that you've done
To find the right side of reason
To kill the three lies for one
I could see all the cold facts
I could see through your eyes
All this talk made no contact
No matter how hard we tried
31G, 31G, 31G
I can still hear the footsteps
I can see only walls
All this talk made no contact
With no hearing at all
I just see contradiction
Had to give up the fight
Just to live in the past tense,
To make believe you were right
31G, 31G, 31G
3, 5, 0, 1, 2, 5
Shadowplay
To the center of the city where all roads meet looking for you
To the depths of the ocean where all hope sank searching for you
Moving through the silence without motion, waiting for you
In a room with no window in the corner, I found truth
In the shadowplay, acting out your own death; knowing no more
As the assassins all grouped in four lines dancing on the floor
And with cold steel odor on their bodies made a move to connect
I could only stare in disbelief as the crowds all left
I did everything, everything I wanted to
I let them use you, for their own ends
To the center of the city in the night, waiting for you
To the center of the city in the night, waiting for you
Thank you, goodnight.
-Wallflower
