Ian Curtis’ original handwritten lyrics for Joy Division track ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’
When Joy Division released their now best-known single, ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ in June 1980, it would only be another month before lead singer Ian Curtis killed himself, just 23 years of age. After struggling with epilepsy, depression, and his deteriorating marriage, Curtis was found dead in his kitchen on the eve of the band’s first North American tour.
Curtis never lived to see just how successful Joy Division would become. The single was Joy Division’s first chart hit, reaching number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the UK Indie Chart. ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ gained recognition due to the untimely death of its singer; the melancholic lyrics, in contrast with an optimistic sound, certainly struck a chord within listeners, who associated the song with a tragic death.
The band have expressed regret over not recognising Curtis’ cry for help which was so obvious within his lyrics. Drummer Stephen Morris shared: “I just thought ‘Yeah, this is a good song’, someone might like it. It was a great period for the band, but Ian’s personal life – that was all going badly. In retrospect, when you listen to it in light of what happened, it seems bloody obvious. I honestly didn’t realise that he was writing about himself. I just said, ‘These are great lyrics, Ian’. That makes it a bit difficult to listen to now.'”
Curtis wrote ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ as a contemptuous response to The Captain and Tennille’s track ‘Love Will Keep Us Together’. The musician was disillusioned by his failing marriage, the lack of stability in his life, and evergrowing health issues, leading him to pen the melancholic track.
Bassist Peter Hook described the song by saying, “It’s quite strange really because the lyrics are very dark, but I find the song to be very uplifting – no other Joy Division song works like that. People go nuts for that song when we play it live, but it really is quite dark.”
The title of the band’s last single before Curtis’ suicide was inscribed on his gravestone, which can be found in Macclesfield Cemetry. Curtis’ legacy lives on through the music he created in his short life, however, ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ remains the band’s most heart-wrenching due to the circumstances surrounding its release and Curtis’ subsequent death.
Check out the multiple versions of Curtis’ handwritten lyrics for their iconic track below.
