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.
Shellshock
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
"Shellshock" is a song by New Order that was released in 1986 as a single and then included in the band's fifth studio album, "Brotherhood." The lyrics speak about a relationship that causes the singer pain and leaves him in a state of confusion, represented by the term "shellshock," a reference to the mental trauma soldiers experience after being in combat. The chorus repeats the phrase "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," highlighting the singer's inability to let go of the relationship and the intensity of the emotions involved.
The verses contain vivid imagery and metaphors, such as "A cold that sleeps within my heart/It tears the earth and sun apart" and "Life becomes a life of crime," painting a picture of the singer's internal struggles caused by the tumultuous relationship. The final verse suggests that the singer has been dishonest and manipulative in the relationship, admitting that he has "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."
Overall, "Shellshock" portrays the complexities and pains of a relationship that has gone sour and caused emotional trauma. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the singer's struggle to move on and the dangers of holding onto something that is ultimately destructive.
Line by Line Meaning
Shellshock
Repeating the title to emphasize the chaotic emotional state of the singer
Hold on, it's never enough
The singer is urging the listener to persevere in the face of adversity
It's never enough until your heart stops beating
Nothing in life is truly satisfying or complete until death
The deeper you get, the sweeter the pain
As one becomes more emotionally invested or attached, the pleasure and pain become more intense
Don't give up the game until your heart stops beating
Keep fighting until the very end
You call me on the phone, you left me all alone
The singer's love interest has left them feeling abandoned and isolated
All I get from you is shellshock
The singer is emotionally overwhelmed and traumatized by their love interest's actions
Another day goes by and all I do is cry
The artist is consumed by their emotions and can't escape the pain
I'd tell the world and save my soul
The artist wants to speak out and be heard in order to find redemption
But rain falls down and I feel cold
External circumstances such as the weather mirror the artist's internal turmoil
A cold that sleeps within my heart
The emotional pain the singer feels is deeply rooted and persistent
It tears the earth and sun apart
The pain is so overwhelming it feels like it could destroy the world
But that's the way that I can win
Through the pain and suffering, the singer will ultimately triumph
A victim of your evil sin
The singer blames their love interest for their suffering
You've lost the hold you've had on me
The singer has finally broken free from their love interest's control
By causing the changes that you never see
The love interest may not realize the impact of their actions on the artist
When we walk through open doorways
The artist is experiencing a sense of transition or change
Counting time in one or more ways
The singer is reflecting on how they spend their time and the impact it has on them
We can't find our peace of mind
The singer and their love interest are unable to find emotional stability or satisfaction
And life becomes a life of crime
The emotional turmoil and pain is so intense, it feels like a crime against oneself
And that's the day I call your name
The artist has reached a breaking point and turns to their love interest for answers
I came to you, I called in vain
The artist is discovering that their love interest is unable or unwilling to help them
I've been good and I've been bad
The singer acknowledges their flaws and mistakes
But common sense I've never had
The artist struggles to make rational decisions in matters of the heart
No matter how I try and try
The singer is committed to finding a solution, but is constantly met with obstacles
I hide the truth behind a lie
The singer may be lying to themselves or others about their true feelings or motives
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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