Leave Me Alone
New Order (Joy Division) Lyrics


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On a thousand islands in the sea
I see a thousand people just like me
A hundred unions in the snow
I watch them walking, falling in a row
We live always underground
It's going to be so quiet in here tonight
A thousand islands in the sea
It's a shame

And a hundred years ago
A sailor trod this ground I stood upon
Take me away everyone
When it hurts thou

From my head to my toes
From the words in the book
I see a vision that would bring me luck
From my head to my toes
To my teeth, through my nose
You get these words wrong
You get these words wrong
Everytime
You get these words wrong
I just smile

But from my head to my toes
From my knees to my eyes
Everytime I watch the sky
For these last few days leave me alone
But for these last few days leave me alone




Leave me alone
Leave me alone

Overall Meaning

The first verse of the song "Ecstasy" by New Order portrays a sense of isolation and similarity. The singer sees thousand islands and people just like him, indicating that despite the vastness of the world, there is a certain sameness to all human beings that can make one feel alone in a crowd. The second line of the first verse, "A hundred unions in the snow, I watch them walking, falling in a row," can be interpreted in a few ways. It could indicate the unity and solidarity of a hundred people or groups, but the "falling in a row" portion could also be interpreted as them falling or failing one after the other.


The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "From my head to my toes" twice and further emphasizes the repetition in the second line. The use of repetition and the linking of body parts, as well as the mention of a book and a vision, all suggest a spiritual or religious element to the song. The following lines, "You get these words wrong, You get these words wrong, Every time you get these words wrong, I just smile," could indicate forgiveness and understanding towards those who may not understand the singer's beliefs or vision.


The final verse of "Ecstasy" refers to the singer watching the sky and feeling alone for the last few days, suggesting a sense of sadness and a desire for solitude. The line "Take me away everyone, when it hurts thou" could be interpreted as the singer wishing to escape or be taken away from their current situation when it's too much to bear.


Line by Line Meaning

On a thousand islands in the sea
There are so many islands in the sea where people live in isolation from the rest of the world.


I see a thousand people just like me
I see so many people who are just like me and are living their life on these remote islands.


A hundred unions in the snow
There are a hundred workers' unions out there who are working hard, even in the snow.


I watch them walking, falling in a row
I observe them as they march in unison, with no deviation, falling in a row.


We live always underground
We isolate ourselves from the rest of the world by living in our remote islands.


It's going to be so quiet in here tonight
It is going to be so peaceful and quite on this island tonight, as always.


It's a shame
It is unfortunate that we have to live our lives in such isolation.


And a hundred years ago
A long time ago, a sailor visited this island where I currently stand.


A sailor trod this ground I stood upon
This sailor stepped on the same ground where I am standing right now.


Take me away everyone
I wish that everyone could rescue me from this isolated place and take me to a more lively environment.


When it hurts thou
When the pain is too much to bear, please take me away.


From my head to my toes
From the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, I feel overwhelmed with emotions.


From the words in the book
I get inspired by the words I read in books and imagine a life beyond this island.


I see a vision that would bring me luck
I have a vision of a life that would bring me happiness, and I hope it becomes a reality.


To my teeth, through my nose
Every breath I take, everything I feel and taste, reminds me of my isolation.


You get these words wrong
You don't understand the way I feel or the things I say.


Every time
Every single time, you fail to grasp my emotions.


I just smile
I try to mask my feelings and pretend that everything is fine, but it's not.


Every time I watch the sky
Every time I look up at the sky, I hope to see a sign of change.


For these last few days leave me alone
I need some time alone to figure things out and ponder about my life on this island.


But for these last few days leave me alone
These last few days have been difficult, so I just want some space and time to myself.


Leave me alone
Please leave me in solitude with my thoughts and emotions, until I figure out how to change my life on this island.




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BERNARD (GB 2) SUMNER, GILLIAN LESLEY GILBERT, PETER HOOK, STEPHEN PAUL DAVID MORRIS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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