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.
Shell Shock
New Order Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shellshock
Shellshock
Shellshock
Shellshock
Shellshock
Shellshock
Hold on, it's never enough
The deeper you get, the sweeter the pain
Don't give up the game until your heart stops beating
Until your heart
You call me on the phone, you left me all alone
All I get from you is shellshock
Another day goes by and all I do is cry
All I get from you is shellshock
I'd tell the world and save my soul
But rain falls down and I feel cold
A cold that sleeps within my heart
It tears the earth and sun apart
But that's the way that I can win
A victim of your evil sin
You've lost the hold you've had on me
By causing the changes that you never see
Hold on, it's never enough
It's never enough until your heart stops beating
The deeper you get, the sweeter the pain
Don't give up the game until your heart stops beating
Hold on it's never enough
It's never enough until your heart stops beating
The deeper you get, the sweeter the pain
Don't give up the game until your heart stops beating
Oh
Until your heart
When we walk through open doorways
Counting time in one or more ways
We can't find our peace of mind
And life becomes a life of crime
And that's the day I call your name
I came to you, I called in vain
You lost the faith within your heart
The fire in your soul from the end to the start
Hold on, it's never enough
It's never enough until your heart stops beating
The deeper you get, the sweeter the pain
Don't give up the game until your heart stops beating
Hold on, until your heart, until your heart
That's the way
I've been good and I've been bad
But common sense I've never had
No matter how I try and try
I hide the truth behind a lie
But that's the way that I can win
A victim of your evil sin
You lost the faith within your heart
The fire in your soul from the end to the start
Hold on, it's never enough
It's never enough until your heart stops beating
The deeper you get, the sweeter the pain
Don't give up the game until your heart stops beating
Hold on, it's never enough
It's never enough until your heart stops beating
The deeper you get, the sweeter the pain
Don't give up the game until your heart stops beating
Hold on, it's never enough
It's never enough until your heart stops beating
The deeper you get, the sweeter the pain
Don't give up the game until your heart stops beating
Hold on, it's never enough
It's never enough until your heart stops beating
The deeper you get, the sweeter the pain
Don't give up the game until your heart stops beating
Hold on, it's never enough
It's never enough until your heart stops beating
The deeper you get, the sweeter the pain
Don't give up the game until your heart stops beating
The song "Shell Shock" by New Order is a melancholic tribute to the lingering memory of past relationships. The song starts off with the repetition of the words "Shellshock," which is a term used for post-traumatic stress disorder in soldiers. However, in this context, it is a metaphor for the emotional pain caused by a relationship that has ended. The lyrics describe the singer's feelings of abandonment and loneliness. The lines "You call me on the phone, you left me all alone/All I get from you is shell shock" convey the singer's frustration that even though the other person is still in their life, they are emotionally unavailable.
The chorus of the song, "Hold on, it's never enough/It's never enough until your heart stops beating/The deeper you get, the sweeter the pain/Don't give up the game until your heart stops beating," is a reflection of the singer's ambiguity towards the relationship. They know they should let go, but there is something about the pain of the relationship that entices them to hold on. The lines "The deeper you get, the sweeter the pain" also suggest that the singer is experiencing a sense of addiction to the emotional turmoil the relationship brings.
Overall, "Shell Shock" is a poignant reminder of the fallout of past relationships and the lingering pain and memories they leave behind.
Line by Line Meaning
Shellshock
The title of the song, represents the feeling of psychological disturbance that results from prolonged exposure to active warfare, especially being under bombardment.
Hold on, it's never enough
Don't give up or quit, as striving for more is never enough or satisfactory.
It's never enough until your heart stops beating
Human’s are wired for ambition and constantly want to achieve new endeavors unless they are dead.
The deeper you get, the sweeter the pain
The more you invest in something, the more attached it becomes and thus hurts more if it fails or comes to an end.
Don't give up the game until your heart stops beating
Keep playing the game of life with passion and drive until you breathe your last breath.
Until your heart
Reaffirmation of the message that one should continue striving until their heart stops beating.
You call me on the phone, you left me all alone
Someone close to the singer left them alone, was not available or provided inadequate support when needed involving a phone call.
All I get from you is shellshock
The feeling of being let down and disturbed, as the singer expected more from the person who left them alone.
Another day goes by and all I do is cry
The singer is still upset and emotional because of the experience that led to shellshock.
I'd tell the world and save my soul
The singer would share their experience with everyone to find solace or relief and protect their emotional well-being.
But rain falls down and I feel cold
The singer faces external factors that worsen their emotional state and cause them to feel more isolated and alone.
A cold that sleeps within my heart
The singer is struggling with a lack of emotional warmth or connection in their heart, leading to their disturbed state.
It tears the earth and sun apart
The turmoil within the singer's heart creates dark, negative effects that pervade and impact the world around them.
But that's the way that I can win
The singer believes that by enduring and persevering through hardships, they can ‘win’ in some way.
A victim of your evil sin
The singer believes that they have been negatively affected by someone else's wrongdoing, leading to their suffering.
You've lost the hold you've had on me
The person who caused the singer's shellshock no longer has the same level of control over their emotions and life.
By causing the changes that you never see
The person who caused the singer's shellshock may be unaware of the impact they have had and the changes they have wrought in the singer's life.
When we walk through open doorways
A general comment that refers to opening oneself up to new and potentially painful experiences.
Counting time in one or more ways
The singer is aware time is moving on, but unsure of the direction or effect it has on their life.
We can't find our peace of mind
The singer is struggling to find a sense of calm or trust around those they have relationships with.
And life becomes a life of crime
The singer feels imprisoned or trapped by their thoughts and emotions, leading to a sense of dread or negativity around life.
And that's the day I call your name
The singer associates a specific day of suffering with the individual or group that caused their shellshock.
I came to you, I called in vain
The singer attempted to reach out and seek help, but those who could offer support were unavailable or unwilling.
You lost the faith within your heart
The person who caused the singer's shellshock lost their ability to empathize or connect with the singer's emotions.
The fire in your soul from the end to the start
The singer is saying the person who caused their emotional pain might have always been emotionally unavailable and unresponsive.
I've been good and I've been bad
The singer admits to having a mixture of positive and negative choices throughout life.
But common sense I've never had
The singer is acknowledging a lack of logical thinking in their life choices and behavior.
No matter how I try and try
The singer tried and failed to change their emotional state and situation.
I hide the truth behind a lie
The singer conceals their true feelings behind a facade, making them feel dishonest and insincere.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN ROBIE, STEPHEN MORRIS, BERNARD SUMNER, PETER HOOK, GILLIAM GILBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@zerocorpse5024
I just want to say a big thanks to Rhino and New Order for putting these videos on here in high quality. So many of the 80s music videos on YouTube are in awful 360p quality (or worse!) and it's nice to see a band/label caring about how these videos are seen by the fans.
@carlhanson8845
My Pretty In Pink soundtrack ate itself in the late 80s and I lost this gem. Isn't it great to find almost everything on YouTube?
@LittleGremlin144
I can’t imagine life without YouTube because of songs like this. Love My Way & If You Leave are classics too 🥹
@tonyswift8566
The best 80's bands knew how to start a song, this is no exception. The Cure the same for me. The instrumental at the start is great, building into the song.
@sophielaurenti8846
I cry every time I hear these songs from my youth. Two more weeks and I will get to see my childhood idols live. Thank you for your music!
@sislau
This is such a great song. New Order experimented with many sounds. I think this one, True Faith, Bizarre Love Triangle, Blue Monday ... They had such a great sound on these songs.
@charmlessnerd8582
Tell me how this amazing song has 116.000 views? Any shit in nowdays can reach 1 billion and no one can be better than New Order... The world is crazy
@PoliticallyPink
it's cos there are a zillion versions and copies out there and this one has only been up for a while, and doesn't pop up first.
@b.sweeney4102
because its actually shortened and its not as good as the cut on substance, cutting the breakdown out of a new order track is 😩
@SniffyPoo
the video of the band tuning their instruments probably doesnt help