… Read Full Bio ↴Written by Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Peter Hook & Gillian Gilbert
Produced by New Order
Released May 1983 on Power, Corruption & Lies
Notes Working title of 'KW-1' due to it's similarity to Kraftwerk.
Was featured on the 2009 British crime film Bronson, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.
Your Silent Face
New Order Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Remains a stupid lie
It's never been quite the same
No hearing or breathing
No movement, no colors
Just silence
Rise and fall of shame
We asked you what you'd seen
You said you didn't care
Sound formed in a vacuum
May seem a waste of time
It's always been just the same
No hearing or breathing
No movement no lyrics
Just nothing
The sign that leads the way
The path we can not take
You've caught me at a bad time
So why don't you piss off
The lyrics of New Order's song “Your Silent Face” contain various themes and symbols throughout its stanzas. The first verse starts with the phrase “A thought that never changes remains a stupid lie”, which signifies that fixed and inflexible ideas can be flawed and misleading. It is followed by the line “No hearing or breathing, no movement, no colors, just silence”, which might describe a state of contemplation, anesthesia or even death. The second verse, “Rise and fall of shame, a search that shall remain” hints at a failed attempt to find something that was lost, which had a devastating effect. Moreover, the line “You said, you didn’t care” indicates that the search was in vain and that the answer, whatever it was, did not have any significance to the person being asked.
The next part of the lyrics introduces the idea that sounds in a vacuum may seem useless or meaningless. The phrase “No hearing or breathing, no movement, no lyrics, just nothing” might suggest that even though an action is performed, it does not necessarily create any value or meaning. At the same time, the lyrics mention a “sign that leads the way, the path we cannot take,” which alludes to something unattainable or unreachable. The final verse concludes with “You’ve caught me at a bad time, so why don’t you piss off?” which implies that the singer is not in the mood to talk, does not want to be bothered and simply wants to be left alone.
Line by Line Meaning
A thought that never changes
An idea that remains constant and unchanging in one's mind
Remains a stupid lie
Is actually a falsehood and should not be believed
It's never been quite the same
The situation at hand has never been identical before
No hearing or breathing
There is a complete absence of sound or living beings
No movement, no colors
There is a total lack of visual or physical activity
Just silence
The absence of any sound whatsoever
Rise and fall of shame
The fluctuation between pride and embarrassment
A search that shall remain
A quest that will remain unfulfilled and incomplete
We asked you what you'd seen
We inquired about your experiences and observations
You said you didn't care
You stated that you were indifferent and unconcerned
Sound formed in a vacuum
An auditory experience created in an environment of no air or matter
May seem a waste of time
Could be perceived as having no purpose or value
It's always been just the same
The situation has never changed; it has remained consistent
No hearing or breathing
There is a complete absence of sound or living beings
No movement no lyrics
There is no movement, and no words or poetry are being expressed
Just nothing
There is a void or nothingness; it is completely empty
The sign that leads the way
An indication or symbol that directs people towards a certain path or direction
The path we can not take
The choice that we are unable to make or follow
You've caught me at a bad time
You have approached me during a less than ideal or opportune moment
So why don't you piss off
Please leave me alone or go away
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Gillian Lesley Gilbert, Peter Hook, Stephen Paul David Morris, Bernard Sumner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind