Voted the greatest
song of the millennium in 2000 on John Peel’s BBC Radio One show, it was also
used to close out 2007 Ian Curtis biopic ‘Control’.
Atmosphere
Produced By Martin Hannett
Written By Ian Kevin Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Paul
David Morris and Bernard Sumner.
Album: Substance
[Chorus]
Walk in silence
Don't walk away, in silence
[Verse 1]
See the danger
Always danger
Endless talking
Life rebuilding
Don't walk away
[Chorus]
Walk in silence
Don't turn away, in silence
[Verse 2]
Your confusion
My illusion
Worn like a mask of self-hate
Confronts and then dies
Don't walk away
[Verse 3]
People like you find it easy
Naked to see
Walking on air
Hunting by the rivers
Through the streets
Every corner abandoned too soon
Set down with due care.
[Chorus]
Don't walk away, in silence
Don't walk away
The song is about
the breakdown of a relationship and abandonment - 'walk in silence' being the
main lyrical motif. It sounds like a funeral march. The original music was
written by Peter Hook and Stephen Morris in Joy Division's rehearsal studio -
hence the bass-driven melody and military drumbeat. Many of Joy Division's song titles just sound
nice (Stephen Morris apparently chose many of the titles) and do not have much
to do with the lyrics. 'Atmosphere's'
title and lyrics are related: 'People like you find it easy/Aching to
see/Walking on air'. It is about a
person who can easily walk away from a relationship, feeling no burden doing
so. It may have something to do with Ian
Curtis's troubled marriage and his love affair with a young Annik Honore. The
song is about walking away from a relationship without feeling weighed down -
as if treading on the atmosphere or 'walking on air'. The original lyrics to 'Chance' had 'rules
are broken/false emotions' instead of 'your confusion/my illusion/worn like a
mask of self-hate/confronts, and then dies'.
The earlier, changed, lyrics tell us something about the later
lyrics. The witness in the song, the
person who has been 'abandoned to soon/set down with due care', is saying the
other person was deceitful - creating an illusion of being emotionally affected
or confused, while in reality they wore a 'mask of self-hate'. The person who walked away simply loved
lightly. Curtis sings in a damning tone,
'people like you find it easy', then, later, 'hunting by the rivers, through
the streets/every corner/abandon too soon' - suggesting that such people who
walk away from love are predatory and find "love" on in the 'streets'
and 'every corner'.
The chime effect
was actually part of a tambourine that was placed on a disc and recorded in
echo by Morris and Joy Division producer Martin Hannett. It is amazing how much information there is
on this obscure band with such a short recording history.
This was not a hit when it was first released, following
the death of lead singer Ian Curtis. It only entered the UK charts when it was
re-released eight years later. The song was also played at the funeral of
Factory Records founder Tony Wilson, who worked with Joy Division.
About Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in
Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band consisted of
singer Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bass player Peter
Hook, and drummer Stephen Morris.
Formed by Sumner and Hook after the two attended a Sex
Pistols gig, Joy Division soon moved beyond their punk roots to develop a sound
and style that helped pioneer the late-1970s post-punk movement. The band's
self-released 1978 debut EP, An Ideal for Living, drew the attention of the
Manchester television personality Tony Wilson, who signed the group to his
independent label Factory Records. Joy Division's debut album Unknown
Pleasures, recorded with producer Martin Hannett, was released in 1979 to
critical acclaim.
As the band's popularity grew, singer Curtis suffered
from personal problems that included depression, a failing marriage, and
epilepsy. He found it increasingly difficult to perform live concerts, during
which he sometimes suffered seizures. In May 1980, on the eve of the band's
first American tour, Curtis committed suicide, aged 23. The band's second and
final album, Closer, was released two months later; the album and preceding
single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" became the band's highest charting
release.
After Curtis's death, the remaining members continued as
New Order and achieved critical and commercial success. Although their career spanned
less than four years, Joy Division continues to exert an influence on a variety
of subsequent artists.
Sources and
Additional Information:
