Love Will Tear Us Apart
"Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a song by Joy Division, probably their most famous.
It features the eerie baritone vocals of Ian Curtis. It was originally released in April 1980, and after Curtis's suicide in May of that year, it became the band's only hit, reaching number 13 on the UK charts. The band broke up after his death and reformed as New Order. It was re-released in 1983 and reached number 19 on the UK charts.
The song appears on the Substance compilation album. It was first recorded in November 1979, then re-recorded in January 1980 and March 1980. It is the latter version that appears on Substance.
Supposedly the song is a cynical response to the 1975 Grammy Award–winning number one hit song "Love Will Keep Us Together" by Captain & Tennille. The lyrics are perceived to reflect the problems in Ian Curtis's marriage to Deborah Curtis, as well as his general frame of mind in the time leading up to his suicide.
Numerous cover versions have been recorded, by Paul Young, The Cure, Unbroken, Fall Out Boy and Squarepusher among others, whilst the most recent version to be a hit single in the UK Top 75 Singles Chart is an ambient reading of the song by Glenn Gregory and his band Honeyroot. There were also two versions done by Swans, one sung by Michael Gira in his own drawling baritone, the other by female singer Jarboe. Bono regularly plays a snippet from the track during U2's live performances of "With or Without You", and U2 played a full cover with The Arcade Fire in 2005. Nouvelle Vague also released a cover of the song on their eponymous debut album - a collection of new wave and punk songs in a bossa nova style - in 2005. Most recently Jose Gonzalez covered the song acoustically for his album.
Deborah Curtis had the phrase "Love Will Tear Us Apart" inscribed on Ian Curtis's memorial stone.
The song is featured in a scene in the 2001 film Donnie Darko. It also features in the film about the Manchester music scene, 24 Hour Party People, with several scenes about the band and Curtis's suicide.