If The Song Is Good Enough For U2 and Arcade Fire To Cover, It Must Be Half Good

What can we learn from a song covered by such respected artists?
I love this song too, it's Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart Again".
What a gloriously sad song.

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division (from the album "Substance")
======================================================================

transcribed by Gilles Velay (gvelay@free.fr)

Updates :
* 16 jan 2005, fixed low notes on main riff thanks to
Armando Ciccarelli
* 24 mar 2004, added low notes on main riff, fix provided by
Armando Ciccarelli


Notations :
e : 8th q : quarter


Intro
-----
Some may think it's the guitar but I'm pretty sure it's the bass that
plays those chords on the intro (8 times) :

e e e e e e e e
G-|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|
D-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|
A-|-----------------|
E-|-----------------|


Main Riff
---------
q e q e e e q e q e q q e e e e e e
G-|-9---9-9---9-9-9-|-11----12-11----9--7-----|---------------7-|
D-|-0---0-0---0-0-0-|--0-----0--0----0--0-----|-9---9-9-9-9-9---|
A-|-----------------|-------------------------|-----------------|
E-|-----------------|-------------------------|-----------------|

e e e e e e e e
G-|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|
D-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|
A-|-----------------|
E-|-----------------|


Break Riff (8 times)
--------------------
q e e e e e e
G-|-9---9-9-9-9-9-9-|
D-|-7---7-7-7-7-7-7-|
A-|-----------------|
E-|-----------------|

The song structure is very simple, which is perhaps why so many people like it. Now that I think about it, which really, really complicated songs (structurally) have become big hits? Just wondering...not that writing songs is about having a big hit. Ultimately as a musician/artist, our goal is to connect with others via the song. Obviously this particular song connected with a lot of people.

Here's a video of the song on youtube.
Click here.

And U2 and Arcade Fire's version is here.
Love Will Tear Us Apart Again
When routine bites hard, and ambitions are low
And resentment rides high, but emotions won't grow
And we're changing our ways, taking different roads
Then love, love will tear us apart again --

Why is the bedroom so cold? You've turned away on your side
Is my timing that flawed - our respect run so dry?
[or in the Peel and Bains Douches versions:
Is my timing that flawed - have our feelings run dry?]
Yet there's still this appeal that we've kept through our lives
Love, love will tear us apart again --

You cry out in your sleep - all my failings expose
There's a taste in my mouth, as desperation takes hold
Just that something so good just can't function no more
When love, love will tear us apart again --