Joy Division/YMMV

• Ear Worm: 31G, 31G, 31G, 31G... from 'Warsaw'.
• Fandom Rivalry: Oh god, Joy Division fans vs. New Order fans. Joy Division fans argue that the band is nothing without Ian Curtis's dark, poetic lyrics, while New Order fans argue that New Order has the energy, song-writing prowess and experimentation that made Joy Division great or was lacking in Joy Division. Of course, many more fans enjoy both bands.
• Funny Aneurysm Moment: The first two sentences of Melody Maker's review of Unknown Pleasures: '"To talk of life today is like talking of rope in the house of a hanged man." Where will it end?'
  • Let's not forget the tombstone on the cover of Closer, which was released just weeks after Ian Curtis' suicide. (The art was created before his death.)
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: Joy Division has a strong cult following in New Zealand. When Ian Curtis died, a fan had painted a tribute to him on a Wellington wall, which still remains today, although it had been relocated and re-painted a few times.
• Harsher in Hindsight: Most of Ian's lyrics are ominous but In a Lonely Place stand out. It never actually came out in Ian's lifetime, but New Order re-recorded it as a b-side. The verse that stands out "Hangman looks round as he waits/Cord stretches tight and it breaks/One day we will die in your dreams/How I wish you were here with me now" Yikes.
  • Though not a Joy Division song, Throbbing Gristle's song "Weeping" become more chilling than usual when taken into account that it's not only about suicide, but one of Ian Curtis's favorite songs, to the point of singing parts of it during phone calls with TG members.
    • Or, more specifically, one he made to Genesis P-Orridge (who had himself written the song as a kind of suicide note) mere days before killing himself. Just singing "Weeping" into the phone before hanging up. There really are no words...
• Jerkass Woobie: Ian Curtis. As much of an asshole as the man may have been, his life was hell, and it didn't end all that well either.
• Serious Business: Much like Kurt Cobain, Ian is remembered as being a tragic tortured figure but his bandmates remember him as a rather goofy and kind-hearted individual. Stephen Morris recalls in one book how he would drop Ian off at his house after gigs in the early hours and then Ian would take his dog for a walk in the middle of the night.
• Tear Jerker: "Love Will Tear Us Apart". Also, "The Eternal" and "Decades".
  • Many Joy Division songs are TearJerkers, but when Ian sings "For entertainment they watch his body twist" in "The Atrocity Exhibition," and you remember about his epilepsy, you could definitely by forgiven for crying.
• Too Cool to Live: Ian Curtis.
• Too Good to Last: The strangely incredible mix of Curtis' creativity and lyrical talent, Martin Hannett's producion talents, and Bernard/Hooky/Stephen's fantastic talent with their respective instruments was numbered. The more famous the band became the more difficult it became for Curtis. Too good to last.
• True Art Is Angsty