Joy Division – Warsaw

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Three, five, zero, one, two, five go!

I was there in the back stage
When the first light came around
I grew up like a changeling
To win the first time around
I can see all the weakness
I pick all the faults
Well I concede all the faith tests
Just to stick in your throats

Thirty one G, thirty one G, thirty one G

I hung around in your soundtrack
To mirror all that you've done
To find the right side of reason
To kill the three lies for one
I can see all the cold facts
I can see through your eyes
All this talk made no contact
No matter how hard we tried

Thirty one G, thirty one G, thirty one G

I can still hear the footsteps
I can see only walls
I slid into your man-traps
With no hearing at all
I just see contradiction
Had to give up the fight
Just to live in the past tense
To make believe you were right

Thirty one G, thirty one G, thirty one G

Three, five, zero, one, two, five

Send "Warsaw" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by typo

Track duration: 02:26

"Warsaw" as written by Brian Eno, Ian Kevin Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Paul David Morris, Bernard Sumner, David Bowie

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Warsaw song meanings
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15 Comments

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  • -1
    General Comment:I think this song is actually about interrogations rudolf hess went through when he landed on enemy grounds. Tests and facts are mantioned, and a lack of real communication between hess and english intelligence. I think that Ian(through Hess) is complaining how they kept Hess in jail beyond reason, but as a part of their anti nazi politics. As some kind of a souvenir really to remind them that they did right. "Just to live in the past tense to make believe you were right" I think that Ian is showing his sympathies towards Hess and Nazism in this song, and i think that's pretty childish. I must say i'm pretty disappointed by that, i see it as a sign of weekness.
    Flagged Maksimovicon August 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:idk how the brittish mind works but i think its about religion. "i concede all the faith tests" is in first person like the whole song is. he might be talking from Gods point of view. i dont feel like analizing this song line-by-line but think about what i write and plug it in. it makes sense to me at least.
    Flag sexyboy01on November 25, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It was in Tony Hawk's Underground 2.
    Flag The Honest Liaron August 25, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:was this song in a video game or movie or something? 'cause i downloaded An Ideal for Living today for the first time and i swear i've heard this song before
    Flag cydon June 01, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Its definantly about Rudolf Hess, and for the most part i believe thebodiesobtained has it right. However Hess schooled Hitler in etiquette, he introduced him into the culture, and the middle/upper-class circles they would need to win over if they were to achieve power. Ian was impressed with the all the power and influence Hitler had over the Germans. This makes the first two stanzas have a different interpretation, but i still think the you were right about the last stanza. Also, Hess killed himself at age 93 while still imprisoned.
    Flag 2c-easyon March 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Well, I'm assuming the song is about Rudolph Hess. I don't know very much about him, but the few things I've heard seem to fit with this song. The lines, "I was there in the backstage when first light came around" and "Hung around in your soundtrack to mirror all that you've done" could be directed at Hitler from Hess's point of view because Hess was probably in the in crowd from the beginning of the whole Nazi thing and maybe he wanted to be like Hitler. "All this talk made no contact no matter how hard I tried" could mean that he couldn't get close to Hitler or something. I heard that Hitler wasn't really into personal relationships even with his top people. The last stanza seems like it could be Hess's thoughts on being locked up in prison ("I can see only walls," "I slid into your man-traps"). I just see contradiction/Had to give up the fight/Just to live in the past tense/To make believe you were right" sounds like Hess is sitting around in prison maybe having doubts about Nazi philosophy and at some level realizing that it is contradictory but being in denial about it and telling himself that Hitler was right. I think a lot of people retreat to the past tense, to their memories, when they're in prison, because there isn't much going on in the present or the present is too unpleasant for them to deal with.
    Flag thebodiesobtainedon January 21, 2008   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Comment:Wilf x, that's deep man, I think if you managed to pull that info out of your hat you're probably right.
    Flag i_am_the_lawon October 28, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I have a feeling that 31-G actually means 31 grand which was the average cost of a one bedroom flat in manchester, england in the 80s.
    Flag Wilf_xon September 29, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"Warsaw begins with 350125 Go! and 31G appears in the chorus. These numbers appear to refer to Rudolf Hess's prisoner of war number 31G 350125. Around the time this song was written there was quite a lot of interest in the newspapers the prisoner who had been kept more or less in solitary confinement in Spandau prison for several decades. Some people thought he'd been punihed enough and should be released, others thought he should be left to rot."
    Flag hahacharadeon August 14, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I heard the song title came from David Bowie's song warszawa off low.As for ''3-1-G''

    3 5 0 1 2 5 go
    - - -
    ?
    Flag JohnnyBeBadon June 27, 2005   Link

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