Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
Walk in silence,
Don't walk away, in silence.
See the danger,
Always danger,
Endless talking,
Life rebuilding,
Don't walk away.
Walk in silence,
Don't turn away, in silence.
Your confusion,
My illusion,
Worn like a mask of self-hate,
Confronts and then dies.
Don't walk away.
People like you find it easy,
Naked to see,
Walking on air.
Hunting by the rivers,
Through the streets,
Every corner abandoned too soon,
Set down with due care.
Don't walk away in silence,
Don't walk away.
Don't walk away, in silence.
See the danger,
Always danger,
Endless talking,
Life rebuilding,
Don't walk away.
Walk in silence,
Don't turn away, in silence.
Your confusion,
My illusion,
Worn like a mask of self-hate,
Confronts and then dies.
Don't walk away.
People like you find it easy,
Naked to see,
Walking on air.
Hunting by the rivers,
Through the streets,
Every corner abandoned too soon,
Set down with due care.
Don't walk away in silence,
Don't walk away.
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
His wife was in the process of leaving him ("walk in silence").
He had regret for his affair and wanted to reconcile with his wife ("don't walk away in silence").
He saw that they were both hurting ("see the danger, always danger").
His efforts to talk with his wife were unsuccessful, and she was going to start her life over without him, so he pleaded her to stay. ("endless talking, life rebuilding, don't walk away").
Ian's wife was confused about what to do with him, and it's after this that he finally realizes the severity of his actions and regrets what he did ("Your confusion, my illusion").
Ian's affair caused his marriage to fail. He caused his own problem and he hated himself for it, and wanted to die ("Worn like a mask of self-hate, confronts and then dies").
The last verses are a stab at his wife for not understanding him. He had issues that came through a lifetime of self-hatred. (People like you find it easy, naked to see. Walking on air, hunting by rivers, through the streets every corner abandoned to soon. Set down with due care).
The first part of the song was pretty much an apology and plea for his wife to stay because he loved her. Then with the ending verses he shows how unhappy he is with his wife and life in general. Notice how after he reveals his suicidal idealization ("confronts and then dies") he takes a jab at his wife almost like it's all her and everybody else fault he feels that way.
Ian brought about his own downfall. He had an affair, and it was because of the affair he committed suicide. The lesson to be learned is make good choices and don't be your own downfall.
Basically, I've always thought of it as Ian acknowledging the seriousness and general un-fixableness (couldn't think of an actual word there, ugh) of his own problems while at the same time trying to get some other person to understand that even though his life is pretty much shit, "yours" doesn't have to be. I think part of that was I always heard it as "I walk in silence / but don't walk away in silence" for some reason. Hmm. But it's a fantastic song nonetheless.
Many seem confused over "Walk in silence/Don't walk away, in silence" like it's some sort of contradiction. Take it a line at a time...walk in silence, BUT don't walk away in silence. In other words, be easy with me, give me space, etc., but don't leave me all alone either.
"Walk in silence/Don't walk away, in silence."
Ian Curtis was not crazy, he had one of the most beautiful and creative minds of all time. He had so much on his plate: Debbi, his family, his fans, his seizures, the other girl he was seeing. He was just buried in stress and sadness that he wanted to end the pain by killing himself. Not many people are born as strong as others, and that goes for mental strength and physical strength. We all look the same on the inside but we all function differently.
I just wish he didn't end his life so we could all could feel the love he had for music for generations. But his legacy lives on.
Don't take the movie 'Control' as the gospel of Ian Curtis' life. Or many of the legends surrounding him, either.
In the days leading up to May 18, 1980, Ian's friends and family knew he was unhappy about a few things, and his marriage was on the skids, but NO ONE had any idea that he was going to kill himself. If anyone had seriously thought so, they would have got him help, or got him committed. It was a shock to everyone, no one saw it coming.
Don't take the movie 'Control' as the gospel of Ian Curtis' life. Or many of the legends surrounding him, either.
In the days leading up to May 18, 1980, Ian's friends and family knew he was unhappy about a few things, and his marriage was on the skids, but NO ONE had any idea that he was going to kill himself. If anyone had seriously thought so, they would have got him help, or got him committed. It was a shock to everyone, no one saw it coming.
"D'ont walk away, in silence". Total rejection, you easily picture someone being walked away from perhaps a hint of disgust or verbal communication broken down. The loner is never seen as part of the coesive mix that guaratees success in the group, to attach yourself to the loner is to distinguish yourself from the group. People always walk away if you are different, will you bring them down to as oppossed to the comfort in the mob.
"see the danger Always danger". Able to bring a stream of thought to its linear end, clouded by your own experience, in this case trapped in a negative cycle,fear paramount.
"Endless talking, life rebuilding" The constant battle to solve the problem through addressing it, with some progress being made, part solutions found giving encouragement.The euphoria of a false-dawn, the joy of sharing with another-others who understand and help to find solutions. What if that freind who has helped you lay some blocks walks away.
"your confusion my illusion" the grandious aloofness of the misunderstood genius basking in the fact that they are not understood.
"worn like a mask of self hate" did he enjoy being percieved as this tortured soul, did he play it up, what was his true source of pain, did he really know and not want to face up to some darker demon he met but refused to confront, easier to hide where others can see as a simple hiding place.
"confronts and then dies" balances with life rebuilding, face the problem, if solve your stronger for it. Someone strong enough to face up to you and not let you indulge yourself but then they leave.
"people like you find it easy" he is setting himself apart angry at the fact that he is not some. Life is complex, not just simple bodies to be looked at face value, or life some simple current that we row in behind rudderless.
"hunting by the rivers" "hunting" suggests a viscousness, a simple image of the tranquill fisherman on the side of a river is clouded and made complex by his anger at not being able to do it himself and anger that these people who just supposedly let life drift by without having to engage in answering the difficult questions he posed for himself. they are everywhere.
"everycorner" what is around the corner? Danger more danger?
"abandoned to soon" people have walked away, from him and from their attempts to understand lifes difficulties, unconfronted by him and by themselves. The image of a child abandoned by their parents at a young age comes to mind before they are equiped to deal with lifes issues
"set down with due care" like at an airport with a set down only lane, no stoping to say proper goodbye but i get a hint of sarcasm here, people are pretending to understand,pretending to care whereas in fact they may be walking away, in their minds the cannot wait to get away as quickly as they can.
One last thing...Saddness depression etc are social constructs, that what appears to be 'sad(-)' songs bring so much 'pleasure(+)' proves the point. Perhaps one point is that our struggle for acceptance by others and to belong will only really be solved when we accept ourselves warts and all,and that in the meantime if someone does not like our warts then thats not their fault either....Let them walk away-but do not push.............A pity his genius was so often accompanied by pain.....