Produ… Read Full Bio ↴Written by Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook & Stephen Morris
Produced by Martin Hannett
Recorded March 1980, Britannia Row, London
Released 18 July 1980 on Closer
Personnel Vocals by Ian Curtis. Guitar by Bernard Sumner. Bass by Peter Hook. Drums by Stephen Morris.
Passover
Joy Division Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Destroying the balance I'd kept
Doubting, unsettling, and turning around
Wondering what will come next
Is this the role that you wanted to live?
I was foolish to ask for so much
Without the protection and infancy's guard
It all falls apart at first touch
Watching the reel as it comes to a close
Brutally taking its time
People who change for no reason at all
It's happening all of the time
Can I go on with this train of events?
Disturbing and purging my mind
Back out of my duties, when all's said and done
I know that I'll lose every time
Moving along in our God-given ways
Safety is sat by the fire
Sanctuary from these feverish smiles
Left with a mark on the door
Is this the gift that I wanted to give?
Forgive and forget's what they teach
Or pass through the deserts and wastelands once more
And watch as they drop by the beach
This is the crisis I knew had to come
Destroying the balance I'd kept
Turning around to the next set of lives
Wondering what will come next
"Passover" is a song by Joy Division from their album "Closer". This song is about the singer's realisation that life has lost meaning and seems futile. The song's opening lines "This is a crisis I knew had to come / destroying the balance I'd kept" set the tone for the rest of the track. The singer expresses confusion and disillusionment, wondering if the role in life he's chosen is the right one. The song's title evokes the biblical story of Exodus, where the Israelites commemorate the angel of death passing over their homes, marking liberation from slavery. In the lyrics, the mark on the door indicates that the singer has not been saved from his crisis, but instead remains trapped in the wasteland of life.
The song's chorus repeats the phrase "Is this the role that you wanted to live?" - which could be interpreted as an existential question, or alternatively, the voice of someone who is frustrated with their situation. The second verse mentions that there are people who change for no reason at all, suggesting that life is unpredictable and can change dramatically without warning. The singer then wonders if they can continue to deal with the shift that is happening in their mind, before coming to the conclusion that they will always be defeated by their duties.
Overall, "Passover" is a bleak and introspective song about the struggle to find purpose and meaning in life. It is one of Joy Division's most haunting and poetic tracks.
Line by Line Meaning
This is a crisis I knew had to come
I foresaw this crisis and knew it was inevitable.
Destroying the balance I'd kept
It is disrupting the equilibrium that I tried to maintain.
Doubting, unsettling, and turning around
Feeling uncertain, disturbed, and changing direction in my thoughts.
Wondering what will come next
Questioning what the future holds.
Is this the role that you wanted to live?
Asking if this is the life I wanted to have.
I was foolish to ask for so much
Recognizing that my aspirations were too lofty.
Without the protection and infancy's guard
Realizing the vulnerability of not having a safety net.
It all falls apart at first touch
Things can easily crumble at the slightest disturbance.
Watching the reel as it comes to a close
Observing something end.
Brutally taking its time
The ending is slow and painful.
People who change for no reason at all
Not understanding why others change without a clear cause.
It's happening all of the time
This phenomenon is a common occurrence.
Can I go on with this train of events?
Doubting whether I can continue with the current situation.
Disturbing and purging my mind
Causing agitation and mental cleansing.
Back out of my duties, when all's said and done
Abandoning responsibilities when everything is resolved.
I know that I'll lose every time
Believing that failure is inevitable.
Moving along in our God-given ways
Continuing on our natural path.
Safety is sat by the fire
Security is found by the warmth of the hearth.
Sanctuary from these feverish smiles
Finding refuge from disingenuous expressions.
Left with a mark on the door
Leaving an indelible impression.
Is this the gift that I wanted to give?
Questioning if this is the present I wished to offer.
Forgive and forget's what they teach
The lesson to let go of grudges and move on.
Or pass through the deserts and wastelands once more
Considering whether to endure hardships again.
And watch as they drop by the beach
Observing others leave and move on.
This is the crisis I knew had to come
Repeating the inevitability of the current predicament.
Destroying the balance I'd kept
Causing imbalance that I fought to avoid.
Turning around to the next set of lives
Preparing for the next chapter.
Wondering what will come next
Anticipating and pondering about the future.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bernard Sumner, Ian Kevin Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Paul David Morris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Miau
on New Dawn Fades
I really like the fact that this explanation is thorough and provides some insight regarding the song's meaning, seen by the line by line meaning. It is true that the listener is open to interpretations, the way that they personally perceive the song, how it might resonate with them on an intimal level. Though, like the majority of songs, there is a "standard definition" , I would say that everyone is open to their own interpretations based on the overall perspective of the listener. Like this analysis,, I have my own respective one. This is by far one of the most "optimistic" meanings granted to the song. Personally, I always correlated the sing with a more pessimistic meaning, but like any other form of art, songs are open to interpretation and thats what makes it all special and awesome.