The Unpalatable Truth About New Order Lyrics

Yes. Let's!

Didn't they lock him in a room for True Faith/1963 and he didn't come out til he finished? I'm sure I read that somewhere. Might be worth trying again and the same goes with the music - deadlines!

Apart from the occasional clunker, I hold Movement through Republic in high regard (some higher than others). I feel like the decline in lyrical quality coincides with Gillian's departure. Once it was "just the lads" and they indulged their worst rock impulses (Rock The Shack, Working Overtime) everything kinda sucked. Get Ready, WFTSC, and Lost Sirens are definitely ranked at the bottom for me. Things improved dramatically with Gillian's return and Music Complete.

50poundnote wrote: Apart from the occasional clunker, I hold Movement through Republic in high regard (some higher than others). I feel like the decline in lyrical quality coincides with Gillian's departure. Once it was "just the lads" and they indulged their worst rock impulses (Rock The Shack, Working Overtime) everything kinda sucked. Get Ready, WFTSC, and Lost Sirens are definitely ranked at the bottom for me. Things improved dramatically with Gillian's return and Music Complete.

Agreed. Now, if we can only get a little more Gillian backing vox on there too...

tapebias wrote: Didn't they lock him in a room for True Faith/1963 and he didn't come out til he finished? I'm sure I read that somewhere. Might be worth trying again and the same goes with the music - deadlines!

Reminds me of the time Johnny locked him in a room with a legal prescription and a pen.

I loved NO's earlier-mid phase lyrics. Obtuse, interpretational, irreverent.

Coupled with Bernard's earnest, almost childlike vocals, they offset the cold, hard machinery of the music perfectly.

He flipped to a more "observational" style of lyric with age. You can see why - he could no longer pretend he wasn't an elder musical statesman, well-heeled and yachting around the Med between albums. Hard to keep playing the poor, unsettled, alienated youth card.

Unfortunately his observations on life aren't his strong suit and I find the lyrics of stuff like Krafty, Restless, Be A Rebel and so on pretty bland. "We all need an job", "There's more to life", "You can change if you want to" type stuff.

Or maybe it was just the drugs.

I think one of the biggest clunky lyrical lines of Barneys anything that rhymes will do, lazyitus repertoire is:

Dont wanna own a key, don’t wanna wash my car

I still cringe every time I play Turn my Way. A great song ruined by one line.

50poundnote wrote: Apart from the occasional clunker, I hold Movement through Republic in high regard (some higher than others). I feel like the decline in lyrical quality coincides with Gillian's departure. Things improved dramatically with Gillian's return and Music Complete.

Gillian is their secret weapon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There's a common misconception that the plodding dadrock between Republic and Mucous Complete is due to losing Gillian (their secret weapon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). It sounds cool - blame men for everything - but it isn't borne out by the facts cos she was on Brutal and Get Ready (though not the tour). The only album she missed was Sirens/LS and I've no idea how much she contributed to MC, but I doubt it was more than the others. The others are their secret weapon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, there was a real change after Technique. Their approach became far more professional or bog standard, depending on your point of view. I read that one of the reasons they started repeated setlists in 89 was practical: travelling long distances meant they had to programme equipment in advance, and big US venues were less tolerant of their fucking around on stage.
And yeah, the Turd my Way lyrics are sub Andrew Dice Clay, despite the strong music. I could say that republic had strong lyrics but weak music, Get ready the opposite. Or I could shut the fuck up cos no one cares what anyone else thinks.

depthcharge wrote:

tapebias wrote: Didn't they lock him in a room for True Faith/1963 and he didn't come out til he finished? I'm sure I read that somewhere. Might be worth trying again and the same goes with the music - deadlines!

Reminds me of the time Johnny locked him in a room with a legal prescription and a pen.

Try again? Not if it leads to another Raise the Pussy.

Like everything new order lots of contradictions when it comes to lyrics.

I think movement to republic Bernard (and the others as they were involved up to technique) I think NO lyrics are underrated. Some songs may mean nothing at all but cut deep with the listener a 1000 islands in the sea...., others can be an oxymoron but still great, if you listen hard I will make you see, be genuinely funny and bring a smile, you look like a pig you should be in a zoo, Be moving, this is a song about the innocent. Anthem like, up down turn around, mundane, maybe I’ve forgotten the name and the address.

After the factory years they have been mixed, smiles have been replaced with cringes (slow jam). Too much hey now, hey you , hey hey hey.....Personally I think get ready is a strong album but let down my lyrics although personally listening enjoyment is not ruined.

However I like Bernards observational lyrics on songs such as Restless, Krafty etc, MC definitely a return to better lyrics. In fact MC gets the balance right as when not much mean it is on tracks like tutti fruiti which is a full on dance track where lyrics are rarely required to be the focal point more ab96t the hook! Nice to see stray dog getting some deserved love.

NO have always been about the music and the lyrics are just a part and not the whole.

I'd agree with most of the Shadow. The classic example is Primitive Notion, which would be up there with 24 Hours and Sunrise if the lyrics weren't so limp. Magic potion? What is this, Harry fucking Potter? The lyrics to Leave me Alone are, like a lot of them, meaningless and meaningful at the same time. As I mentioned, Republic is better lyrically than musically, though some of the second side is fairly cringeworthy. Get Ready is musically tough but lyrically crud. You CAN buy honey with money. Is it just me or does Winnie the Pooh sound like a polite term for anal?

Put a bit of Technique on earlier, goes well with the sunshine, thought I'd enjoy a bit of what many folk think of as Bernards best lyrics, you know, before he went a bit hey now hey nonny nonny. Fine Time. Teeth .

Brilliant.