… Read Full Bio ↴Written by Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Peter Hook & Phil Cunningham
Produced by New Order & Stuart Price
Released March 2005 on Waiting for the Sirens' Call
Notes Co-producer Stuart Price works under the alias Les Rythmes Digitales and also as part of Zoot Woman. Backing vocals are by Dawn Zee and Beatrice Hatherley.
Band comments (2005)
Bernard: “A very difficult song to write, with a tortuous route to get to where it is now! I can’t categorise it, but loosely, it is a dance record. Get Ready had no dance tunes, which we were very aware of, especially after we toured that record in 2001. It’s important to keep the balance.
Hooky: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.
Guilt Is a Useless Emotion
New Order Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for an opportunity to step in front of me
Maybe I'm losing my mind
Searching for another place in another time
Real love can't be bought
It is wild and it can't be caught
Real love can't be sold
(I need your love) I just want to buy it
(I need your love) will you help me find it?
(I want your love) how can you deny it?
(I need your love) you've just gotta try it
(I want you now) something that you gotta know
(I need you now) my love for you I want to show
(I want your love) I'm telling you that I belong
(I need your love) you and me just can't go wrong
Standing on top of the world
Thinking of the joy you bring
When you do that thing to me
You sure know a lot for a girl
You can bring the good times back
Get me on the track
Real love can't be bought
It is wild and it can't be caught
Real love can't be sold
It's another color than gold
(I need your love) I just want to buy it
(I need your love) will you help me find it?
(I want your love) how can you deny it?
(I need your love) you've just gotta try it
(I want you now) something that you gotta know
(I need you now) my love for you I want to show
(I want your love) I'm telling you that I belong
(I need your love) you and me just can't go wrong
(I need your love)
(I need your love)
(I need your love)
(I need your love)
(I need your love) I just want to buy it
(I need your love) will you help me find it?
(I want your love) how can you deny it?
(I need your love) you've just gotta try it
(I want you now) something that you gotta know
(I need you now) my love for you I want to show
(I want your love) I'm telling you that I belong
(I need your love) you and me just can't go wrong
You and me just can't go wrong
You and me just can't go wrong
You and me just can't go wrong
You and me just can't go wrong
The lyrics to New Order's song Guilt Is a Useless Emotion talks about a search for love that can't be bought or sold, but is wild and can't be caught. The opening lines suggest that the singer is looking for an opportunity, maybe a chance to find this real love he seeks. He is standing on top of the world, thinking of the joy this love brings him. The singer seems desperate for this love, saying he just wants to buy it, and he is urging his lover to not deny him a chance to experience this kind of love. He assures her that they belong together.
The chorus repeats the same lines over and over again to emphasize that real love can't be bought nor sold, and it is not the same as gold. The repetition of "I need your love" creates a strong impact on the listener, emphasizing the singer's desperation for this kind of love. Real love is something that can't be controlled or constrained, and it is the kind of love that the singer seeks.
In summary, the song speaks about the quest for true love and how it can't be found in material things. The singer is pleading his case to the girl he loves that they belong together and asks for her to give him a chance to experience this true love with her.
Line by Line Meaning
Just another day in the week
A mundane day with nothing special happening
Waiting for an opportunity to step in front of me
Hoping for something exciting or life-changing to happen
Maybe I'm losing my mind
Feeling unsure or unstable
Searching for another place in another time
Looking for a new environment or situation
Real love can't be bought
True love isn't a commodity
It is wild and it can't be caught
Love is unpredictable and can't be controlled
Real love can't be sold
Love can't be purchased or traded
It's another color than gold
Love is more valuable and meaningful than wealth
(I need your love) I just want to buy it
Asking if love is available for purchase or influence
(I need your love) will you help me find it?
Asking for help in finding love
(I want your love) how can you deny it?
Asking why the person can't reciprocate feelings
(I need your love) you've just gotta try it
Encouraging the person to give love a chance
(I want you now) something that you gotta know
The singer has an important message for the person
(I need you now) my love for you I want to show
The singer wants to express their love to the person
(I want your love) I'm telling you that I belong
Asserting that the singer and the person are meant to be together
(I need your love) you and me just can't go wrong
Expressing confidence in the relationship between the artist and the person
Standing on top of the world
Feeling on top of the world, as if everything is going well
Thinking of the joy you bring
Reflecting on the happiness the person brings into the singer's life
When you do that thing to me
Referring to something the person does that makes the singer happy
You sure know a lot for a girl
Surprised that a woman could know so much
You can bring the good times back
The person has the ability to bring joy and happiness back into the artist's life
Get me on the track
Help the artist get back on the right path
(I need your love)
Repeating the desire for love
(I need your love)
Repeating the desire for love
(I need your love)
Repeating the desire for love
(I need your love)
Repeating the desire for love
You and me just can't go wrong
The relationship between the singer and the person is solid and unbreakable
You and me just can't go wrong
The relationship between the artist and the person is solid and unbreakable
You and me just can't go wrong
The relationship between the artist and the person is solid and unbreakable
You and me just can't go wrong
The relationship between the singer and the person is solid and unbreakable
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Paul David Morris, Phillip Cunningham
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind