The A-side and main single was one of the group's more popular songs "Thieves Like Us" and the catalogue number for the single was FAC 103. Both tracks appear on the group's 1987 Substance compilation.
"Lonesome Tonight" is known for lead singer Bernard Sumner "hocking a loogie" around the song's four-minute mark. Like many early New Order songs, it features an extended instrumental conclusion, with Sumner's lyrics ending not quite three minutes into its playing time. The song has been played 29 times in concert.
Released April 1984
Format 12"
Recorded ???
Genre Electro
Length 5:11
Label Factory - FAC 103
Writer Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert
Producer New Order
Lonesome Tonight
New Order Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I look into your eyes
I'm pleasant when we meet
I'm there when you go home
How many times before
Could you tell I didn't care?
When you turned your back on me
I knew we'd get nowhere
The history of all truth
A heart that's left at home
Becomes a heart of stone
Do you believe in truth, ooh
The lies we told of youth
A cause we call our own
Beside an empty throne
How many times before
Could you tell I didn't care?
When you reached out in your sleep
And you knew I wasn't there
My eyes are made of stone
Just like your sordid home
How many times before
Did you leave my soul alone?
The lyrics to New Order's song Lonesome Tonight explore the themes of love, detachment, and the passage of time. The singer walks along the street, looking into the eyes of someone they have feelings for. While they are pleasant when they meet, the singer acknowledges that they have not shown enough caring in the past, and that when the other person turned their back on them, they knew their relationship was going nowhere. The first verse speaks to the idea of missed opportunities and the pain that comes with realizing you didn't do enough to nurture a relationship that matters.
In the second verse, the lyrics become more introspective, exploring the idea of truth and lies in youth. The singer acknowledges that they, like many young people, had a cause they called their own, but the truth of that cause was often just a lie. The line "beside an empty throne" could be interpreted as a metaphor for the youth's idealistic beliefs being shown to be without merit or support in the real world. The final lines of the verse again explore the idea of detachment and the fact that the singer has left someone's soul alone in the past.
Overall, the song's lyrics present a bittersweet reflection on missed chances and lost love, with a palpable sense of regret and sadness.
Line by Line Meaning
I walk along the street
I am wandering aimlessly through the streets
I look into your eyes
I make eye contact with you as we pass by each other
I'm pleasant when we meet
I put on a friendly demeanor when we encounter each other
I'm there when you go home
I am present when you reach your destination
How many times before
Could you tell I didn't care?
Have you noticed how many times I've shown apathy towards you?
When you turned your back on me
I knew we'd get nowhere
I recognized that our relationship was not progressing once you gave up on it
Do you believe in youth
Do you have faith in the energy and exuberance of young people?
The history of all truth
The cumulative knowledge that is universally accepted
A heart that's left at home
Becomes a heart of stone
If someone's love is not reciprocated, they become emotionally cold
Do you believe in truth, ooh
The lies we told of youth
Do you believe in honest living or the fibs we told when we were young?
A cause we call our own
Beside an empty throne
We claim ownership of a particular movement, despite it having no real impact
When you reached out in your sleep
And you knew I wasn't there
You extended a metaphorical hand, only to realize that I was not there to reciprocate
My eyes are made of stone
Just like your sordid home
My eyes are as hard and emotionless as your unpleasant living situation
How many times before
Did you leave my soul alone?
How many instances have there been where you neglected my emotional well-being?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEPHEN PAUL DAVID MORRIS, PETER HOOK, BERNARD (GB 2) SUMNER, GILLIAN LESLEY GILBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind