Pioneers of dance music in the 1980s and one of the first bands to effectively and popularly synthesize keyboard- and guitar-based music, New Order's members hailed from Salford and Macclesfield, England out of the ashes of Joy Division, are noted as being one of the first bands to bridge the gap between Post-Punk and Dancefloor. They were Factory Records' highest selling artist. They also funded Factory's famous Manchester club, The Haçienda. The band partnered with Quincy Jones's American label Qwest, recorded with legendary hip-hop producer Arthur Baker (on 1983's single "Confusion" and 1984's "Thieves Like Us"), and they embraced Ibizan club culture on the album, Technique.
The band was formed in 1980 by the three surviving members, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris of Joy Division after the lead singer Ian Curtis committed suicide. Morris' girlfriend (and later wife) Gillian Gilbert joined in October 1980 on keyboards and occasional guitar shortly after contributing guitar to the second release of New Order's first single "Ceremony". Their early music followed in the same vein as Joy Division, most notably on debut album Movement. This is mostly seen now as a 'transitional' album where the new 4-piece band was trying to find a new identity.
They continued to develop their music and their identity with tracks such as "Procession" and "Temptation" until 1983 when, under the influence of early electro funk and Italo-Disco tracks (most notably Klein & MBO's Dirty Talk), they released "Blue Monday", arguably their most famous song and the biggest-selling 12" single of all time. This came in such a detailed Peter Saville-designed sleeve (replicating a floppy disc) that it is claimed by some that the band's record company, Factory, lost money on every copy sold.
The release of "Blue Monday" coincided with the album Power, Corruption & Lies which further developed their dance/rock crossover. Other albums followed in 1985 (Low-Life), 1986 (Brotherhood) and 1989 (Technique, influenced heavily by Ibiza's acid house scene). In 1990 the band scored their sole number 1 hit with a song written by Keith Allen and performed with the England football team, "World in Motion", the official England World Cup song. One more album, Republic followed in May 1993, which was released by London Records after the collapse of Factory in November 1992.
The band effectively split in 1993 to pursue solo projects, but returned with a triumphant gig at the Reading Festival in 1998. After the recording of 2001's Get Ready album Gillian Gilbert left the band amicably for family reasons - her and Stephen's daughter Grace had been diagnosed with Transverse myelitis and she came to the decision that it would be easier for the band to replace her than her husband. They have since gone on to produce one more album with the help of Phil Cunningham of Marion when they released their last album, Waiting For The Sirens' Call.
Hook left acrimoniously in 2007 and according to him, the band has effectively broken up. However, Sumner, Cunningham and Morris repeatedly denied that the band was over, and that if Hook no longer wanted to be in the band, that was his choice. Hook has since threatened to take legal action if they attempt to continue as New Order. In 2009, Sumner, Morris and Cunningham announced that they did not plan on continuing on as New Order without Hook. However, in September 2011 it was announced that they will reform as New Order for two concerts in October (Brussels and Paris), without Hook but with Gillian Gilbert. Hook's replacement is Tom Chapman, who is also in Bad Lieutenant with Sumner, Morris and Cunningham. The charity gigs in Brussels and Paris were very successful and New Order decided to go on tour in 2012. They played various concerts all over the world and also some big festivals in the summer.
Discography (studio albums):
Movement (1981)
Power, Corruption & Lies (1983)
Low-Life (1985)
Brotherhood (1986)
Technique (1989)
Republic (1993)
Get Ready (2001)
Waiting for the Sirens' Call (2005)
Lost Sirens (2013)
Music Complete (2015)
Collaborations and other projects:
Shortly after the split, Sumner and Cunningham formed Bad Lieutenant. The band's debut album Never Cry Another Tear, released in 2009, features Morris on drums on several tracks, although he is not an official member of the band and has committed to continue musical projects with Gillian Gilbert. The band's various solo projects understandably seemed to contain elements of the New Order 'sound', and gave some clues as to each member's contribution to the band.
Bernard Sumner worked with Johnny Marr (formerly of The Smiths) and Neil Tennant (of The Pet Shop Boys) in the 'supergroup', Electronic. Peter Hook formed the bands Revenge and, later, Monaco. These projects gained some commercial success. Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert recorded two albums of songs as The Other Two, and also did scoring work for film and television.
Each of New Order's four original members have, at various times, acted as producers and/or guest musicians under the moniker of Be Music for a myriad of Factory labelmates and other artists, including: Section 25, A Certain Ratio, Happy Mondays, Paul Haig, The Stockholm Monsters, The Stone Roses, and Stanton Miranda.
Academic
New Order Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I was so misguided in my youth
I couldn't help but drink this poison brew
You had a strange perception of the truth
Oh, baby, I remember you
Oh, baby, I remember you
And your blood runs dry
You'll never see or hear the crashing of the sea
The tempers rise, that stops all time
When lovers eyes are locked in harmony
I was aware that danger lay ahead
And I couldn't bare this stranger in my head
Have you got a face (have you got a face), have you got a soul
Well, he ain't got nothing, not even a hole
I gave a try a long time ago
When your fate was designed, but you didn't know
Oh baby, I remember you
'Cause your heart is cold
And your blood runs dry
You'll never see or hear the crashing of the sea
The tempers rise, that stops all time
When lovers eyes are locked in harmony
'Cause your heart is cold
And your blood runs dry
You'll never hear or feel the crashing of the sea
The tempers rise, that stops all time
When lovers eyes are locked in harmony
The lyrics to New Order's song "Academic" explore the pain and consequences of a toxic relationship. The singer remembers a time when they were deeply in love with their partner, but they were "misguided in [their] youth" and drank the "poison brew" of the relationship. The partner had a "strange perception of the truth," suggesting that they were perhaps manipulative or deceitful.
Despite the pain and danger the singer sees ahead, they were initially willing to give the relationship a chance. However, they ultimately realize that their partner has "got nothing, not even a hole," implying that they have no depth or substance. The partner's heart is "cold" and their blood runs "dry," leading the singer to believe that they will never truly feel or experience true love ("you'll never hear or feel the crashing of the sea").
The lyrics of "Academic" paint a picture of a relationship that is full of pain and disappointment, but the singer still remembers their former love. The contrast between the singer's nostalgia for the past and the harsh truths of the present serves to highlight the emotional complexity of toxic relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a time my world belonged with you
There was a period when you were paramount in my life
But I was so misguided in my youth
However, my inexperience and immaturity made me naive and foolish
I couldn't help but drink this poison brew
The toxic relationship was addictive and I couldn't break away from it
You had a strange perception of the truth
Your view of reality was unusual and eccentric
Oh, baby, I remember you
I recall your presence in my life
'Cause your heart is cold
Your emotions are frigid
And your blood runs dry
You're devoid of passion and vitality
You'll never see or hear the crashing of the sea
You'll never experience the beauty and power of nature
The tempers rise, that stops all time
During a lovers' quarrel, time seems to stand still
When lovers eyes are locked in harmony
When two people in love gaze into each other's eyes and understand each other's feelings
I was aware that danger lay ahead
I knew trouble was coming
And I couldn't bare this stranger in my head
I couldn't tolerate the unfamiliar thoughts and feelings in my mind
Have you got a face (have you got a face), have you got a soul
Do you have any discernible physical or spiritual traits
Well, he ain't got nothing, not even a hole
The person in question is completely empty and meaningless
I gave a try a long time ago
I attempted to make things work in the past
When your fate was designed, but you didn't know
When your destiny was predetermined, but you were unaware of it
'Cause your heart is cold
Your emotions are frigid
And your blood runs dry
You're devoid of passion and vitality
You'll never see or hear the crashing of the sea
You'll never experience the beauty and power of nature
The tempers rise, that stops all time
During a lovers' quarrel, time seems to stand still
When lovers eyes are locked in harmony
When two people in love gaze into each other's eyes and understand each other's feelings
'Cause your heart is cold
Your emotions are frigid
And your blood runs dry
You're devoid of passion and vitality
You'll never hear or feel the crashing of the sea
You'll never experience the beauty and power of nature
The tempers rise, that stops all time
During a lovers' quarrel, time seems to stand still
When lovers eyes are locked in harmony
When two people in love gaze into each other's eyes and understand each other's feelings
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNARD SUMNER, GILLIAN LESLEY GILBERT, PHILLIP CUNNINGHAM, STEPHEN PAUL DAVID MORRIS, THOMAS LOUIS CHAPMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bobwatts5662
Classic New Order, they always managed to hit that sweet spot between sad introspection and uplifting power. Never grown tired of listening to them.
@Scallion_D
A lot of New Order's stuff from the 21st century is so underrated.
Such a good song.
@MD-ru5vs
And what about their perfect songs made in the 20th century ? I mean from 1981 to 1999.
@wilddogwatching6457
@M D not underrated. that's the period of time they're known for
@heshter
Absolute fucking gem, makes me feel like a teenager again
@Holy.Spirit
+heshter wow im 20 and reading this comment got me feeling weird
@Holy.Spirit
Mark Richardson well how many weeds did u take?
@digital777889999
I agree. This is how music is supposed to sound. Not like the crap shit that's playing these days! I feel like I'm in high school all over again!
@yumakuga1010
+Stephen Nam Im 17 and wish we had music like this, its absolutely awesome
@digital777889999
+Li Syaoran Enjoy this new album and make it your own. Glad you like the song and the new album, and are a big fan of New Order. I am a Joy Division and New Order fan since 1986! Come join the fan club!