Let's Dance To Joy Division

I'm back in Liverpool,

And everything seems the same,

But I worked something out last night,

That changed this little boy’s brain.

A small piece of advice,

That took twenty-two years in the make,

And I will break it for you now,

Please learn from my mistakes,

Please learn from my mistakes.

One day when I was a senior in high school I was sitting in my bedroom moping about something. I don’t remember what, but the important part is that I was very upset and wanted to take a little time to wallow in my anger and sadness. I was sitting alone being sad when a friend of mine sent me a link to a song. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” by The Wombats has been my anthem ever since.

Let's dance to joy division,

And celebrate the irony,

Everything is going wrong,

But we're so happy!

Let's dance to joy division,

And raise our glass to the ceiling,

'Cause this could all go so wrong,

But we're so happy,

Yeah we're so happy.

Soon I was up off my bed and dancing around like a crazy person. The song is brash and loud and unapologetically upbeat. It’s enthusiastic and unsure and perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being upset and embracing all the positives.

So if you're ever feeling down,

Grab your purse and take a taxi,

To the darker side of town,

That's where we'll be.

And we will wait for you and lead you through the dance floor,

Up to the DJ booth,

You know what to ask for,

You know what to ask for.

I’ve become almost evangelical about the song. I spread the gospel to any friend having a bad day, or any poor roommate who is stuck with me when I’m feeling down and insist on playing it on repeat for literally hours on end. I dance to it in public and scream it out car windows and link it to anyone I can convince to listen.

Go ask for Joy Division,
And celebrate the irony,
Everything is going wrong,
But we're so happy,
Let's dance to Joy Division,
And raise your glass to the ceiling,
'Cause this could all go so wrong,
But we're so happy,
So happy.

I think what I really love about the song is that it acknowledges that you can be sad and have things going wrong and still feel pure unadulterated joy. You can be depressed and giggling like a manic. You can be anxious and dancing like a 6 year old with a sugar high. Those emotions aren’t always opposites, sometimes they feed in to one another, strengthening each other.

So let the love tear us apart,
I've found the cure for a broken heart,
Let it tear us apart,
Let the love tear us apart,
I've found the cure for a broken heart,
Let it tear us apart,
(Let it tear us apart)
So let the love tear us apart,
I've found the cure for a broken heart,
Let it tear us apart,
(Let it tear us apart)
So let the love tear us apart,
I've found the cure for a broken heart,
Let it tear us apart,
Let it tear us apart,
Let it tear us apart.

I’ve reached the point of obsession with this song where people have come to associate it with me, and I’m ok with that. If I’m going to be known in conjunction with a song I’m glad it’s one that 1) means so much to me and 2) makes anyone who hears it want to get up and dance.

Let's dance to joy division,
And celebrate the irony,
Everything is going wrong,
But were so happy,
Let's dance to joy division,
And raise our glass to the ceiling.

I’m gonna keep playing it on repeat. I’m gonna keep dancing, even (especially!) when I feel like I shouldn’t be. I'm gonna embrace to ridiculous and smile in the weird moments. I’m gonna be SO HAP-PY!

'Cause this could all go so wrong,
But we're so happy,
Yeah we're so happy,
So happy,
Yeah we're so happy,
So happy,
Yeah we're so happy.