New Order Lyrics

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In fear every day, every evening,
He calls her aloud from above,
Carefully watched for a reason,
Painstaking devotion and love,
Surrendered to self preservation,
From others who care for themselves.
A blindness that touches perfection,
But hurts just like anything else.

Isolation, isolation, isolation.

Mother I tried please believe me,
I'm doing the best that I can.
I'm ashamed of the things I've been put through,
I'm ashamed of the person I am.

Isolation, isolation, isolation.

But if you could just see the beauty,
These things I could never describe,
These pleasures a wayward distraction,
This is my one lucky prize.

Isolation, isolation, isolation, isolation, isolation.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Joy Division's Isolation explore the inner turmoil of a person who is struggling with their own mental health and feelings of isolation from others. The lines "In fear every day, every evening, He calls her aloud from above" suggest a state of heightened anxiety and the need for comfort from someone above. The person is "carefully watched for a reason" which may imply a sense of paranoia and distrust. The following line "Painstaking devotion and love, Surrendered to self-preservation, From others who care for themselves" explain that the person has become isolated from others as they cannot trust them and must focus on self-preservation. This isolation has become a way of life for the person and they cannot see a way out, as "A blindness that touches perfection, But hurts just like anything else".

Line by Line Meaning

In fear every day, every evening
Every day and every evening, the singer lives with fear and anxiety.

He calls her aloud from above
The singer calls out to someone, possibly a loved one or a higher power, for help or guidance.

Carefully watched for a reason
The singer feels as though they are being closely monitored or observed for a specific purpose.

Painstaking devotion and love
The artist feels a deep and difficult love, possibly for someone or something that is causing them pain or difficulty.

Surrendered to self preservation
The artist has given up on trying to maintain relationships with others and is focusing solely on their own survival and well-being.

From others who care for themselves
The singer feels as though others are only concerned with their own interests and are not willing to provide support or care.

A blindness that touches perfection
The singer is experiencing a state of perfection or completeness but is unable to truly appreciate it due to their own struggles.

But hurts just like anything else
Despite the perfection, the artist still experiences pain and suffering like anyone else.

Mother I tried please believe me
The artist is reaching out to their mother, asking for understanding and validation of their efforts.

I'm doing the best that I can
The artist is assuring their mother that they are trying their hardest in the face of difficult circumstances.

I'm ashamed of the things I've been put through
The singer feels a sense of shame or embarrassment about the difficult experiences they have faced.

I'm ashamed of the person I am
The artist has internalized this shame and sees it as a reflection of their own character or identity.

But if you could just see the beauty
Despite the struggles and shame, the singer still sees the beauty in the world and in their own experiences.

These things I could never describe
The singer feels an inability to truly convey the depth of their experiences or emotions.

These pleasures a wayward distraction
The singer sees moments of joy or pleasure as fleeting and distracting from their overall struggles and pain.

This is my one lucky prize
Despite the pain and difficulty, the artist sees their one joy or lucky break as a valuable and meaningful prize.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNARD SUMNER, IAN KEVIN CURTIS, PETER HOOK, STEPHEN PAUL DAVID MORRIS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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