New Order is an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1980 by the remaining members of Joy Division after the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. Their early albums, such as Movement and Power, Corruption & Lies, were critically acclaimed and helped to establish the band as one of the pioneers of the emerging genre of electronic dance music. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, New Order continued to release albums and tour the world, earning a dedicated fanbase and influencing countless other musicians.
Apparently, The National vocalist Matt Berninger is one of these fans, as his "New Order T-shirt" serves as a plot device in this song.
The chorus finds Berninger reminiscing on a past romantic interest who used to wear his branded New Order garment.
I keep what I can of you
Split-second glimpses and snapshots and sounds
You in my New Order T-shirt
Holding a cat and a glass of beer
Berninger sings that he "keeps what he can of" his ex, thus indicating she is no longer part of his life.
In the first verse, Berninger recalls a romantic memory during a tragic time.
How you tapped on a box of blue American Spirits
At Anyway Cafe a little under a month
Before the ashes and management capital files filled the streets
How we wove through the cones walking home
Berninger is alluding to the catastrophic events of 9/11. The National vocalist and his bandmates lived in New York City during that year, and the vision of ash engulfing the streets became inseparably linked to the incident in their minds.
In the second verse, Berninger recounts an event that happened in 2010.
When you rescued me from the customs cops in Hawaii
When I shut down the place with my Japanese novelty bomb
And your dad came alongIn 2010, Berninger caused the evacuation of Honolulu Airport for approximately 45 minutes. The authorities apprehended him on suspicion of terrorism, as an alarm clock in his possession closely resembled an explosive device. After surrendering the clock to the TSA (Transportation Security Administration), Berninger was swiftly released from custody.
According to a
2019 New York Times interview, Berninger met his wife, the writer Carin Besser, in a bar in 2003 and they married four years later. As the incident took place in 2010, the second verse is likely about her.
This being a National song, the lyrics don't follow a straight linear path. So when Berninger details more remembrances in the third verse, we're not sure who he's singing about.
You stayed out of reach of me for almost a year
How you looked like a poster of a '70s movie
Standing outside at the base of your magazine skyscraper
Whether these memories pertain to Carin Besser, the girlfriend in his New Order T-shirt, or another ex, is anyone's guess.
Berninger's bandmate and co-writer of this song, Aaron Dessner, interprets the singer's "I keep what I can of you" line in the chorus as referencing "everyone (he's) ever known or loved."
The National dropped "New Order T-Shirt" as the second single from First Two Pages of Frankenstein on February 23, 2023. Coinciding with the song's release, the band sold an actual T-shirt paying tribute to New Order, with proceeds going to charity.
The National drummer Bryan Devendorf recalled playing "New Order T-Shirt" to his and bassist Scott Devendorf's mother for their first time. "Our mom is going through some cognitive decline right now," he told Uncut magazine. "She's still there enough. She heard this song and she loved it. She said, 'You're really good!' This is such a sad song, but it's beautiful!"
