The tragic truth behind Joy Division song ‘She’s Lost Control’
A defining band of the post-punk scene, Joy Division produced a range of iconic tracks during their short time together. Forming in 1977 under the name Stiff Kittens, the group popularised Tony Wilson’s Factory Records, which eventually went on to establish the Hacienda and fostered the ‘Madchester’ scene. Although they only released two studio albums, Unknown Pleasures and Closer, Joy Division’s influence is incredibly enduring. One of their most popular tracks, ‘She’s Lost Control’ has a heartbreaking backstory.
Forming as a result of the blossoming punk scene in Manchester, Joy Division’s early work was characterised by buzzsaw guitars, heavy basslines and fast-paced drumming. It was not until the legendary producer Martin Hannett got his hands on them that the Joy Division sound we all know and love was born. Hannett transformed the group from young punks into incredible post-punk artists with a timeless appeal. ‘She’s Lost Control’ was one of the defining tracks of that sound.
Of course, Joy Division were no strangers to darkness. It is nearly impossible to think about the group without the context of lead singer Ian Curits’ suicide. His dark, poetic lyrics were one of the main attractions of the band. Curtis struggled with depression for a long time, which can be heard in a lot of his lyrics when viewed in hindsight. His mental health was also impacted by his suffering from epilepsy.
While working at the job centre in his hometown of Macclesfield, Curtis had gotten to know a young woman with epilepsy. Attempting to aid her in gaining employment, the Joy Division frontman eventually noticed that the woman had stopped turning up. After enquiring about her, he found out that she had died after suffering from an epileptic fit. It was this harrowing story that inspired Curtis to go home and write ‘She’s Lost Control’.
Notably, Curtis would go on to struggle with epilepsy himself. In December 1978, on the long drive back up to Manchester from their first show in London, Curtis suffered what was later found to be an epileptic fit. After receiving a diagnosis in January, the frontman’s health rapidly declined as Joy Division progressed. Towards the end of his life, Ian would regularly have seizures on stage as he struggled to cope with his illness.
A week after his diagnosis, Curtis and the rest of the group recorded ‘She’s Lost Control’ during their first session for John Peel. Opening with Morris’ signature drum beat, involving early usage of a drum machine, the track begins side two of the seminal record Unknown Pleasures. The song’s iconic bassline, provided by Peter Hook, was reportedly Curtis’ favourite. Joy Division performed this track on Something Else, which features Ian’s usual erratic dance moves, which are often said to be influenced by his epilepsy.
The harrowing story that led to ‘She’s Lost Control’ is chronicled on film in the 2007 biopic Control. In spite of its dark meaning, or perhaps because of it, it has since become one of the band’s defining songs.
