Isolation (Joy Division song)

"Isolation" is a song which contains elements of synth pop and electronic music that lasts for a duration of two minutes and fifty-two seconds.[2][3] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing Group, it is written in the time signature of common time, with a tempo of 148 beats per minute.[2] "Isolation" is played in the key of C major, while Ian Curtis's vocal range spans one octave, from the low-note of B₃ to the high-note of B₄.[2] The song has a basic sequence of G–F–G in the verses, changes to B–A–G–F–G at the chorus and follows G–F–G–G–G during the outro as its chord progression.[2] 

The song harbors atypical song structure and vocal delivery. Its musical arrangement employs a false ending where the band abruptly ceases, only for the recording to suddenly return with noisy feedback of a snippet before coming to a blunt end.[3] "Isolation" is built on harsh electronic drums and a rolling, stabbing bassline. In place of a guitar melody, a cascading high-pitched synth line runs throughout the entire composition as its driving instrument.[3] Curtis sings poetic lyrics that illustrate an abstract portrait of the titular subject. According to critic Ned Raggett, the "chilling" vocal lines express a sense of a connection and yearning after the impossible: "But if you could just see the beauty, these things I could never describe."[3]

AllMusic's Ned Raggett complimented "Isolation," writing, "the song structure and delivery is all Joy Division and as such makes the song an intriguing twist on a style and a highlight of the excellent Closer album."[3]

Joy Division Bassist Peter Hook said the ending came as the serendipitous result of Martin Hannett's efforts to rescue the original master tape from a botched edit by a junior sound engineer.

• Ian Curtis - Lead vocals
• Bernard Sumner - Synthesizer
• Peter Hook - Bass guitar
• Stephen Morris - Electronic drums

The song has been covered many times including by:

• New Order played an electronic-based cover in a Peel Session in 1998, released in the In Session compilation (2004).
• Northern Irish alternative metal band Therapy? covered the song on their 1994 album Troublegum. This version also incorporates elements from Atrocity Exhibition.
• In 1995, a cover by The Smashing Pumpkins spin-off band Starchildren appeared on the tribute album A Means to an End: The Music of Joy Division.
• Industrial band Dessau released the Al Jourgensen produced 12" single in late 1988.
• April 26, 2020, Canadian rock band The Tea Party released a newly recorded cover to coincide with the COVID-19 pandemic and the isolation orders that much of the world is under to stop the spread of the virus.