05. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division

A Cry for Help That Nobody Heard

Artwork by me: @iamkikin

“Strange as it may sound, it wasn’t until after his death that we really listened to Ian’s lyrics and clearly heard the inner turmoil in it.” Bernard Sumner

Hello everyone! Thanks for subscribing and reading. I’m really enjoying creating these newsletters. I wanted to share a reflection I've had recently. I'm considering switching from a weekly to a bi-weekly schedule for the newsletter. I find it too fast to move from one song to another within a week; I can't fully immerse myself in the story, and I believe it's too short a time to produce quality content. I don't want to turn something I'm really enjoying into something I'm not. So, I think this is the wisest decision. I believe the newsletter should prioritize quality over quantity. Thank you for your understanding and for being part of this journey. Without further ado, let's begin with this issue.

Music, with its astonishing ability to translate complex emotions, finds its most intense expression in melodies that resonate deeply with those who listen. "Love Will Tear Us Apart," the iconic song by Joy Division, not only exemplifies this ability but also serves as a heartbreaking testament to the personal anguish that Ian Curtis, its vocalist and lyricist, was experiencing at that moment, ultimately leading to his tragic end by suicide while Iggy Pop's album "The Idiot" played in the background.

Although the lyrics of the song are a cry for help, expressing the artist's inner struggles, it is curious how this desperation went unnoticed by his bandmates. According to Bernard Sumner, guitarist of Joy Division, "Strange as it may sound, it wasn’t until after his death that we really listened to Ian’s lyrics and clearly heard the inner turmoil in it." (NYTIMES.com, 2015).

This revelation adds a poignant layer to the song's unique tone. Peter Hook, the band's bassist, further notes, "It’s quite strange really because the lyrics are very dark, but I find the song to be very uplifting – no other Joy Division song works like that" (Far Out Magazine). This duality, between the darkness of the lyrics and the seemingly positive vibe of the melody, adds an additional layer of complexity to the work.

The history of Joy Division, though brief, left a lasting legacy. They began their journey in 1976, inspired by a Sex Pistols concert, and quickly became an emerging force in the music scene. After numerous changes starting out originally as “Warsaw”, they solidified as Joy Division in 1978, signing with Factory Records, Tony Wilson's new record label. Their debut album, "Unknown Pleasures," released in 1979, marked the beginning of their meteoric rise.

However, during tours between 1979 and 1980, Ian Curtis dealt with frequent epileptic seizures exacerbated by an irregular lifestyle. Additionally, he began to experience marital problems, contributing to his growing depression, while the band, on its public pedestal, was not fully aware of his personal struggles. "He'd got married very, very young. And by the time of that song, he'd come to a fork in the road, relationship-wise. His life had changed enormously, and he had to make a choice. We thought his headspace was OK. But Ian had two faces – the public face for the band and the private troubles he had at home and the way they came out through his lyrics. We didn't really listen to the lyrics. Joy Division was four people on pedestals, and we didn't communicate with each other about what the songs are about." Bernard Sumner

The lyrics of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" explicitly reflect Curtis's situation and feelings. "When routine bites hard And ambitions are low" reveal the monotony and dwindling ambitions in his marriage to Deborah Curtis. The subsequent lines illustrate the growing resentment and lack of emotional connection, accounting for the imminent breakup.

"Then love, love will tear us apart again Love, love will tear us apart again" capture the essence of Curtis's dilemma as he embarked on an extramarital relationship with Annik Honoré, a Belgian journalist.

Although, Annik has said in an interview that: “It was a completely pure and platonic relationship, very childish, very chaste ... I did not have a sexual relationship with Ian, he was on medication, which rendered it a non-physical relationship. I am so fed up that people question my word or his: people can say whatever they want, but I am the only person to have his letters ... One of his letters says that the relationship with his wife Deborah had already finished prior to us meeting each other.” (Le Vif - Focus - 2010)

Furthermore, Curtis's suicide undoubtedly influenced the growing popularity of the song and the rise of Joy Division. Musically, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" stands out as the band's most complete song, which is no coincidence on its path to becoming a landmark in popular culture and Joy Division a "cult group.”

Some versions suggest that "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a cynical response to Captain and Tennille's song "Love Will Keep Us Together," and it is curious that the final version was recorded in the same studio, "Strawberry Studios." The song was rerecorded several times as the initial version did not completely convince Curtis and producer Martin Hannett.

Martin, being a perfectionist, insisted that each instrument be recorded separately, even the individual pieces of the drums. This distinctive drum recording technique contributed to the song's unique character.

Peter Hook recalls: “Martin sensed that it was a song that was going to last forever and wanted to make it really special. We recorded a lot of versions of this song.” (Loudersound, 2015).

When it came time to release "Love Will Tear Us Apart," Factory Records decided to release both the Strawberry Studios version and the original Pennine Studios version. The main difference between the two mixes lies in the tempo, production, and radically different vocal performance by Curtis.

The Vocal Performance is radically different. “Curtis’s vocals, when they enter, come from a different place: the band’s impresario, Tony Wilson, had encouraged him to listen to Frank Sinatra’s Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! and he captures something of that regretful croon.” (Financial Times 2021)

It is relevant to note that Peter Hook, bassist of Joy Division and New Order (the band formed after Ian's death), is fundamental in creating the most significant songs. Hook, referring to the early days of Joy Division, comments "The great thing about being young as a musician is that you’re not overdrawn at the riff bank yet. When we started off as Joy Division, every riff we came up with felt like a gift from God." Louder 2017

As Rick Rubin once mentioned, sometimes songs seem to channel from some unknown place. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" appears to be one of those songs destined to reach humanity and has become a milestone that elevated Joy Division to the ranks of the greatest bands in history.

In conclusion, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division transcends being just a simple song; it is a masterpiece that encapsulates the complexity of human emotions. The music's ability to express profound feelings is astonishingly manifested in this melody, combining dark lyrics with an apparently positive vibration. The tragic story of Ian Curtis, Joy Division's vocalist, and his personal struggle, narrated through the song, adds a layer of complexity and depth.

The duality between the desperation expressed in the lyrics and the apparent positivity of the melody reflects the artistic richness of the song. Joy Division's brief history left a lasting legacy, and the song became a landmark in popular culture, elevating the band to the status of a "cult group." The influence of Curtis's suicide on the song's popularity is undeniable, but its musical quality, meticulously perfected in the recording process, sets it apart as one of Joy Division's most complete works.

Additionally, the discrepancy between the public and private perceptions of Curtis's life, as well as the contrasting interpretations of the vocalist's personal relationships, adds layers of intrigue to the narrative. The song becomes a window into Curtis's intimate life, where his anguish and emotional dilemmas are poetically translated.

Furthermore, a fascinating detail highlighting the enduring nature of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is the inscription on Ian Curtis's tomb. On his commemorative stone lies the emblematic phrase of the song, "Love Will Tear Us Apart," a tangible testimony of how the work remains an integral part of Curtis's identity even in his final resting place. This curious fact reinforces the idea that the song transcends the musical realm to become an eternal element in cultural memory.

Bernt Rostad from Oslo, Norway, Original Ian Curtis grave stone - 2008, CC BY 2.0

Ultimately, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is more than just a musical piece; it is an artistic testimony to human complexity, a channeling of emotions that transcends time and continues to resonate in musical culture. The contribution of each member of Joy Division, especially Peter Hook's brilliance on bass, stands out as a fundamental part of this masterpiece. The song is not only a reflection of Curtis's personal tragedy but also a timeless gift that has left an indelible mark on the history of music.

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