Song: "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
Artist: Joy Division
Album: Love Will Tear Us Apart (7" single)
Year: 1980
Length: 3:26
Label: Factory Records
- Download Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart (Permanent Mix)".mp3
- Download Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart (original)".mp3
- Download Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart (Live from Let the Movie Begin)".mp3
- Download Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart (Live at Les Baines Douches 18 December 1979)".mp3
This song was written in the fall of 1979, and released in April 1980 and as such is the oldest track on my list of my top 40 favorite all-time records. It's most famous for the fact that the writer of the song, lead singer Ian Curtis, killed himself one month after its release, propelling the song to the band's first chart position, peaking at #13 in the UK. It's been re-released several times after that, including a 1983 version which charted again, and a 1995 version for the "best of" Permanent album, with a remix done by Don Gehman that is the version that I most prefer (and one of those included here). The surviving band members, of course, formed New Order, which had two songs in my top 40, but none quite reached the heights of their final song with the star-crossed Curtis, whose depression and pain is so evident on this record, and who sadly died way too young.
"Love Will Tear Us Apart" has remained popular and was listed by NME magazine as the best single of all time in 2002. The song was listed by Rolling Stone magazine at number 179 in its top 500 songs of all time.[2] In May 2007, NME placed it at number 19 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever, one place ahead of another Joy Division song, "Transmission". The song reached number 1 in the inaugural Triple J Hottest 100 music poll of 1989 and again in 1990.
#7 Favourite Song of All-Time
When routine bites hard
And ambitions are low.
And resentment rides high
But emotions won't grow.
And we're changing our ways
Taking different roads.
Then love will tear us apart again.
Why is the bedroom so cold
You've turned away on your side
Is my timing that flawed?
Our respect run so dry
Yet there's still this appeal
That we've kept through our lives.
But love will tear us apart again.
You cry out in your sleep,
All my failings exposed
Gets a taste in my mouth
As desperation takes hold.
Is it something so good
Just can't function no more
When love will tear us apart again.
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