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New Order — Love Vigilantes
Album: Lowlife
Avg rating:
6.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 346









Released: 2002
Length: 4:18
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Oh I've just come
From the land of the sun
From a war that must be won
In the name of truth
With our soldiers so brave
Your freedom we will save
With our rifles and grenades
And some help from God
I want to see my family
My wife and child waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see

You just can't believe
The joy I did receive
When I finally got my leave
And I was going home
Oh I flew through the sky
My convictions could not lie
For my country I would die
And I will see it soon
I want to see my family
My wife and child waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see

When I walked through the door
My wife she lay upon the floor
And with tears her eyes were sore
I did not know why
Then I looked into her hand
And I saw the telegram
That said that I was a brave, brave man
But that I was dead
I want to see my family
My wife and child waiting for me
I've got to go home
Comments (70)add comment
Iron & Wine has a far superior cover version I'm afraid. Once you hear theirs, this one sounds trite by comparison.
I can't decide if he's like a monotone Jackson Browne or an expressionless Neil Young. Ugh.
 Geecheeboy wrote:

same thought. I scrolled down to see if anyone else said it first before I posited the same notion. Very Owl Creeky.
 

I've always thought the same thing. Has anyone seen the movie for that? Very creepy. I had a History Teacher in Junior High School who would always show it the last day of school to his class. I haven't seen it in years, but I remember it being extremely eerie and spooky...

This is a great song too....
 Ulises wrote:
Insipid!

 

As a NO and JD fan from the beginning I have to agree
Insipid!
WLS_AM890 wrote:
... Substitue a dulcimer, harmonica and violin and it's circa 1917. Sadly, this song and the poem are appropriate for our lads and lassies in Iraq.
Damn shame too. Then AND now. I've always wondered: did he actually die, or was the telegram a screw-up? Love the song, regardless.
I just find this really annoying...
aquadonia wrote:
This song makes me oddly happy.
That's funny, it makes me happily odd.
softjeans wrote:
The harmonica riff is blatantly ripped from the Beatles...isn't it? Correct me if I'm wrong.
sorry about that thing you seem to have...
My earliest memories of New Order. Thanks!
joeheyming wrote:
... lame, lame, lame ...
The harmonica riff is blatantly ripped from the Beatles...isn't it? Correct me if I'm wrong.
thewiseking wrote:
does anyone out here get the literary reference on this one... an ambrose bierce short story "occurence at owl creek bridge" read it. ...
same thought. I scrolled down to see if anyone else said it first before I posited the same notion. Very Owl Creeky.
joeheyming wrote:
... lame, lame, lame ...
It's a generation thing. How old were you when this came on the radio?
moocray wrote:
Is this a "Ballad"? I wrote a report on this song for my English class in my senior year of high school, and Mrs Aumiller thought it really wasn't a ballad.... She did give me an A-, by the way. Any help here?
Me too - Mr. Glaven gave me an A-, but I got the feeling he didn't really read our papers... I argued it was a classic WWI ballad ala Wilfred Owens' "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" - (it is sweet and right to die for your country) just set to mid-80's synth. Substitue a dulcimer, harmonica and violin and it's circa 1917. Sadly, this song and the poem are appropriate for our lads and lassies in Iraq.
I never loved New order... I guess I won't start with this empty one.
This song makes me oddly happy.
whudd i just say?
I think, taken in perspective, It's a great song. Our boys/ girls in battle believe in what they are fighting for and I support them.
... lame, lame, lame ...
Is this a "Ballad"? I wrote a report on this song for my English class in my senior year of high school, and Mrs Aumiller thought it really wasn't a ballad.... She did give me an A-, by the way. Any help here?
Wow... I rode my bike across the country in 1988. This song was on one of 6 cassettes I took with me. Somewhere in Iowa I got really tired of all of them! Have not heard it since. Nice to hear again, though...
tiggers wrote:
Sounds good to me, maybe it's your ears that are out of tune
Dude wrote:
This is awful! Please make it stop!! Everything is out of tune... the vocals, the guitars. Add in the droning constant beat with no interesting changes, and you get pure drivel. Of course, the defeatist moonbat lyrics don't help. Not up to the usual high RP standard at all.
Sounds good to me, maybe it's your ears that are out of tune
Somehow seems appropriate?
Amazing at how relevant this song is. I always have liked it. Regarding the comment a couple posts below, who the fuck said that music had to be perfect to be good? Music can have power in many ways shapes or forms just like art, a Rembrandt, Picasso and Pollock painting will look completely different, but each can raise emotions.
Oysterband has a much better version. (click here)
i agree the lyrics are rather weak on this one (which you could say about most operas), but I think its a great song-full of catchy hooks and riffs. Always perks me up.
eastcoast wrote:
Whatever Dude...what standard are you talking, yours or RP's?
He's an engineer; waddaya expect?
And this week - longer tours for the troops! Holey cripes, my heart goes out to those families. Bush needs to get on some skimpy government protection and fight next to those troops.
Thanks RP for the NO!
Whatever Dude...what standard are you talking, yours or RP's? Dude wrote:
This is awful! Please make it stop!! Everything is out of tune... the vocals, the guitars. Add in the droning constant beat with no interesting changes, and you get pure drivel. Of course, the defeatist moonbat lyrics don't help. Not up to the usual high RP standard at all.
chieromancer wrote:
Did anyone else hear "Love Love Me Do" at the beginning?
typo; Ambrose Bierce
This is awful! Please make it stop!! Everything is out of tune... the vocals, the guitars. Add in the droning constant beat with no interesting changes, and you get pure drivel. Of course, the defeatist moonbat lyrics don't help. Not up to the usual high RP standard at all.
rosedraws wrote:
Love this song. Current US soldiers killed: somewhere around 2420. Other coalition soldiers killed: around 220. Iraqi soldiers: somewhere around 4500. Civilian estimates are somewhere in the 30,000 range. Wounded US soldiers: over 17,000. Ugh, it just goes on. So pointless. I gotta go think about something happy now...
Here's hoping there's a way we can make some real progress toward bringing the soldiers home come January. It's way past time them to be back.
Edgy!
does anyone out here get the literary reference on this one. an amborse bierce short story "occurence at owl creek bridge" read it. by the way; rod serling adapted it as the kick off for the original twilight zone series.
Inevitably I'm hearing: ...We go on, hurting each other... Yes, the Carpenters song...
Poi Dog Pondering covered this song, and I think I like their version better.
Great, great song, great great lyrics
Did anyone else hear "Love Love Me Do" at the beginning?
Great song, Love Vigilantes. Barney's singing and lyrics are great, and I really like the melodica. I've posted my own cover version of Love Vigilantes up at my 12 Covers-12 Months series page at https://www.PureVolume.com/dfactor Have a listen, it's for the greater good! Dfactor NYC
Wore out this cassette as a teenager!
Gregorama wrote:
Timely again. 1800+ dead soldiers now. Thanks, George.
Love this song. Current US soldiers killed: somewhere around 2420. Other coalition soldiers killed: around 220. Iraqi soldiers: somewhere around 4500. Civilian estimates are somewhere in the 30,000 range. Wounded US soldiers: over 17,000. Ugh, it just goes on. So pointless. I gotta go think about something happy now...
This is awful. It's not that he can't carry a tune. He just plain can't sing. Even the Love Love Me Do harp at the beginning is horribly off key. And I don't award these lightly. This 'song?' gets three of them.
catmaven wrote:
Isn't this a cover version? The other is better. This guy cannot carry a tune. Why do nonsingers get recording contracts? Yecch and bleahh!
Many singers can't, Dylan, Tom Petty... art is more than carrying a tune, or coloring between the lines...
Takes me back to 1985. Austin, Tx. Halls and Backstreet...
The lyrics are painful from the perspective of poetic merit . . . but the emotions are nothing if not authentic. That said, Oysterband did it lots better. From Googling, found this: Love Vigilantes ----------------------------------------------------- Oysterband From the album Trawler, © 1994 Lyrics by New Order? ----------------------------------------------------- Oh I've just come From the land of the sun From a war that must be won In the name of truth With our soldiers so brave Your freedom we will save With our rifles and grenades And some help from God I want to see my family My wife and child waiting for me I've got to go home I've been so alone, you see You just can't believe The joy I did receive When I finally got my leave And I was going home Oh I flew through the sky My convictions could not lie For my country I would die And I will see it soon I want to see my family My wife and child waiting for me I've got to go home I've been so alone, you see When I walked through the door My wife she lay upon the floor And with tears her eyes were sore I did not know why Then I looked into her hand And I saw the telegram That said that I was a brave, brave man But that I was dead I want to see my family My wife and child waiting for me I've got to go home I've been so alone, you see
Taking into account all the great songs by New Order, this is my favorite. Thanks for playing it and making my afternoon
This song, this album, made me a fan of "alternative" music forever. At the time I was into the corporate rock machine and New Order saved me. Hallelujah!
Isn't this a cover version? The other is better. This guy cannot carry a tune. Why do nonsingers get recording contracts? Yecch and bleahh!
I love how Bernard Sumner sings this... The childlike quality in his voice and the sad lyrics just go so well together.
I haven't heard this song since high school. 16 years later and having served a year in Iraq, I really find the lyrics personable.
cjg wrote:
I can't say I put this CD on too much anymore. Not that it hasn't aged well (I still think it's one of the best to come out of the 80's)... I think I just played it soo much at an important time of my life (late high school years), that it always feels out of context now. Having said that, bring on anything from Low Life. (or Power Corruption and Lies, or the Temptation EP.)
Well said that songs can fall out of context in our lives... There are several songs that are inseperable from eras in my life - the songs defined my life and vice-versa.
I can't say I put this CD on too much anymore. Not that it hasn't aged well (I still think it's one of the best to come out of the 80's)... I think I just played it soo much at an important time of my life (late high school years), that it always feels out of context now. Having said that, bring on anything from Low Life. (or Power Corruption and Lies, or the Temptation EP.)
Road my bike across the country in 88. Had a walkman. This album was 1 of 6 I had on tape. Needless to say, I listened to it way too much. Loved it at the time. Still like it. But can't listen to it anymore...
Timely again. 1800+ dead soldiers now. Thanks, George.
Darkmatter wrote:
Thanks for adding my upload! This is one of my favourite New Order songs, which makes it one of my favourite songs of all time as well. :D There is something about the lyrics together with the melody which is out of this world that makes it simply irresistible. "I want to be with my family my wife and kids waiting for me" Who has not harboured such feelings, even if you don't have a family, wife and kids? :)
man... i uploaded this first but it got rejected! good job Darkmatter! i'm glad it made it anyway!!!
Sounds like just the sort of cock-up that would happen in Rumsfeld's Defense Dept.
Rock with social conscience. Excellent.
Darkmatter wrote:
Who has not harboured such feelings, even if you don't have a family, wife and kids? :)
Oh, yeah, especially from the perspective of a dead soldier! :O)
12 out of 10. Fantastic.
Thanks for adding my upload! This is one of my favourite New Order songs, which makes it one of my favourite songs of all time as well. :D There is something about the lyrics together with the melody which is out of this world that makes it simply irresistible. "I want to be with my family my wife and kids waiting for me" Who has not harboured such feelings, even if you don't have a family, wife and kids? :)
trekhead wrote:
What those icons said...
My sentiments exactly.
Danny_G wrote:
What those icons said...
Nice to hear this after so long.
One of my favorite New Order songs!