Icon Joy Division Shadowplay
Songs and Lyrics
 
They Walked in Line

This page contains the following information about this Joy Division song:
  • details of every known studio recording and every official release;
  • my transcription of the song lyrics, noting any significant variations;
  • known cover versions by other artists, and any other interesting facts.
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Track history
Recorded on May 3rd/4th 1978 at Arrow Studios, Manchester; released on Warsaw
Recorded in April 1979 at Strawberry Studios, Stockport
Released on Still and on Heart and Soul
Lyrics
All dressed in uniforms so fine
They drank and killed to pass the time
Wearing the shame of all their crimes
With measured steps they walked in line
They walked in line --

This is the second verse in the original version:
They carried pictures of their wives
And numbered tags to prove their lies
And made it through the whole machine
With dirty hearts and hands washed clean
They walked in line --

This is shortened in the later version to:
They carried pictures of their wives
And numbered tags to prove their lies
They walked in line --

Full of a glory never seen
They made it through the whole machine
To never question any more
Hypnotic trance - they never saw
They walked in line --
They walked in line --
Walked in line - walked in line
Other information
The title of this song sometimes appears as Walked in Line
Cover versions by:Released on:
Aislers SetRecorded for a BBC radio John Peel session in 2001
AudraLove's Shattered Pride (Failure To Communicate 2005)
Baron ZenAt The Mall (Stones Throw 2128 2006)
Blood AxisWalked In Line (Storm STRM-001 1994)
Im Blutfeuer (Cthulhu CR17 1995)
DDTTransmitiendo Desde América Del Sur (Licor de Mono 2007)
Drunk InjunsFrontside Grind (Beware DX1206 1987)
Genocide SSWe Are Born Of Hate (Distortion DISTCD49 1999)
godheadSiloA Means To An End (Virgin 40660-2 1995)
Jack Killed JillWell (New Red Archives NRA51 1995)
Peace War (New Red Archives NRA68 1997)
Transparent CurseDuplicate of Alien Reflections (own release 1996)
The Trash
  and Jack Oak		2-tje (own release 1998)
Von ThronstahlBellum, Sacrum Bellum (Fasci-Nation 005 2003)
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