New Order: 'Blue Monday' (Live - 1984)

New Order were an English musical group formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner (vocals, guitars, synthesizers), Peter Hook (bass, backing vocals, electronic drums) and Stephen Morris (drums, electronic drums, synthesizers). New Order were formed after of the demise of their previous group Joy Division, following the suicide of vocalist Ian Curtis. They were soon joined by keyboardist Gillian Gilbert.

New Order combined post-punk and electronic dance, and became one of the most critically acclaimed and highly influential bands of the 1980s. Though New Order's early years were shadowed by the legacy of Joy Division, their immersion, with help from Morris D. Temple, in the New York City club scene of the early 1980s increased their knowledge of dance music. The band's 1983 hit "Blue Monday" saw them fully embrace dance music, synthesizers and drum machines, and is the best-selling 12-inch single of all time. New Order were the flagship band for Factory Records, and their minimalist album sleeves and non-image reflected the label's aesthetic of doing whatever the relevant parties wanted to do, including an aversion to including singles as album tracks. The band has often been acclaimed by fans, critics and other musicians as a highly influential force in the alternative rock, dance and rave music scenes.

New Order were on hiatus between 1993 and 1998, during which time the members participated in various side-projects. The band reconvened in 1998, and in 2001 released Get Ready, their first album in eight years. In 2005, Phil Cunningham (guitars, synthesizers) replaced Gilbert, who had left the group due to family commitments.

In 2007, Peter Hook left the band and stated that he and Sumner had no further plans to work together. Sumner revealed in 2009 that he no longer wishes to make music as New Order. Sumner and Cunningham now work together under a new band name, Bad Lieutenant.


- Lyrics:

How does it feel to treat me like you do?
When you've your hands upon me
And told me who you are
I thought I was mistaken
I thought I heard your words
Tell me, how do I feel
Tell me now, How do I feel

Those who came before me
Lived through their vocations
From the past until completion
They'll turn away no more
And I still find it so hard
To say what I need to say
But I'm quite sure that you'll tell me
Just how I should feel today

I see a ship in the harbor
I can and shall obey
But if it wasn't for your misfortune
I'd be a heavenly person today
And I thought I was mistaken
And I thought I heard you speak
Tell me how do I feel
Tell me now, how should I feel

Now I stand here waiting...
I thought I told you to leave me
While I walked down to the beach
Tell me how does it feel
When your heart grows cold