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.
Way Of Life
New Order Lyrics
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How you once lived with someone else
The way of life that you had tried
The way they hurt you deep inside
That's the only thing about it
I can't find anyone to doubt it
That's the only thing about it
I can't find anyone to doubt it
When I look at you I know you're lying
All you say and do
Seems to fall apart and leave you crying
But I thought I could've seen you here today
But you leave me standing each and every way
You told me a pack of lies
That I can't even reason with
Failure of your moral code
The kind of things that I can't give
That's the only thing about it
I can't find anyone to doubt it
That's the only thing about it
I can't find anyone to doubt it
Who do you think you're talking to?
When I look at you I know you're lying
All you say and do
Seems to fall apart and leave you crying
Who do you think you're talking to?
When I look at you I know you're lying
All you say and do
Seems to fall apart and leave you crying
The lyrics to New Order's song Way of Life speak to the disappointment and frustration that comes with realizing someone you care about has been lying to you. The singer is addressing someone who has opened up to them and shared a painful past relationship, but as the song progresses it becomes clear that this person is not being truthful. The singer sees through their lies and can't understand why they can't be honest. The repetition of the line "who do you think you're talking to?" emphasizes the singer's exasperation with this person. The chorus is particularly poignant, with the lines "when I look at you I know you're lying, all you say and do seems to fall apart and leave you crying." This suggests that the person who is lying is not only hurting those around them, but also themselves.
The second verse of the song continues the theme of disappointment and betrayal. The singer expresses their frustration with the "pack of lies" they've been told, which they can't even reason with. The line "failure of your moral code" suggests that this person is not living up to their own standards or values. The singer understands that they can't change this person, but it still hurts them deeply.
Overall, the lyrics to Way of Life are a testament to the pain that comes with dishonesty and unfulfilled promises. The singer clearly cares about the person they're addressing, but is ultimately let down by their inability to be truthful. The repetition of certain lines throughout the song emphasizes the weight of the singer's disappointment.
Line by Line Meaning
You told me about yourself,
You shared personal information with me
How you once lived with someone else
You lived with another person at some point in your life
The way of life that you had tried
Your lifestyle at some point in the past
The way they hurt you deep inside
Your previous lifestyle caused you emotional pain
That's the only thing about it
This is the only indisputable aspect
I can't find anyone to doubt it
No one disputes this fact
That's the only thing about it
This is the only indisputable aspect
I can't find anyone to doubt it
No one disputes this fact
Who do you think you're talking to?
Who do you mistakenly believe you are communicating with?
When I look at you I know you're lying
I can tell that you are not telling the truth
All you say and do
Your words and actions
Seems to fall apart and leave you crying
Your choices end up in disappointment and tears
But I thought I could've seen you here today
I expected to encounter you at this location
But you leave me standing each and every way
You always disappoint me when we meet
You told me a pack of lies
You deliberately deceived me
That I can't even reason with
I am unable to make sense of your lies
Failure of your moral code
You have broken the rules of ethics and decency
The kind of things that I can't give
These are qualities that I do not possess
That's the only thing about it
This is the only indisputable aspect
I can't find anyone to doubt it
No one disputes this fact
That's the only thing about it
This is the only indisputable aspect
I can't find anyone to doubt it
No one disputes this fact
Who do you think you're talking to?
Who do you mistakenly believe you are communicating with?
When I look at you I know you're lying
I can tell that you are not telling the truth
All you say and do
Your words and actions
Seems to fall apart and leave you crying
Your choices end up in disappointment and tears
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