I listen to a lot of New Order, and I’ve noticed certain phrases that pop up in multiple songs: “in a lonely place”, “this time of night”, “you just can’t believe”. So, naturally, I decided to analyze New Order song lyrics to see what else I could find. I included the song title as part of the lyrics (since New Order often doesn’t) and didn’t consider phrases that spanned multiple lines. I found all the phrases of at least four words that appear in at least two songs. I eliminated near-duplicates and the less interesting. Here they are, along with their songs and the lines they appear in. My favorites are at the top.

“THIS TIME OF NIGHT”
– As It Is When It Was: The streets are so empty at this time of night
– This Time Of Night: This Time Of Night

“IN A LONELY PLACE”
– Face Up: It’s dieing in a lonely place
– In A Lonely Place: In A Lonely Place

“YOU JUST CAN’T BELIEVE”
– Confusion: You just can’t believe me
– Love Vigilantes: You just can’t believe

“HOW DOES IT FEEL”
– Blue Monday: Tell me how does it feel
– Someone Like You: How does it feel

“YOU WERE HERE WITH ME”
– In A Lonely Place: How I wish you were here with me now
– I’ve Got A Feeling: I’d say it to your face if you were here with me,

“WHERE WE HAVE BEEN”
– State Of The Nation: I think about where we have been
– Weirdo: I don’t care where we have been

“DOWN ON MY KNEES AND”
– Bizarre Love Triangle: I get down on my knees and pray
– Denial: To fall down on my knees and resume this charade

“I CAME TO YOU”
– Angel Dust: With open arms I came to you
– Shellshock: I came to you, I called in vain

“IN THE END YOU”
– Face Up: But in the end you lost your friend
– Sub-Culture: In the end you will submit

“A HOLD ON ME”
– Fine Time: To get a hold on me
– True Faith: Something’s got a hold on me

“AND I DON’T KNOW WHY”
– Broken Promises: And I don’t know why people die
– Love Less: And I don’t know why I even try

“AT THE END OF THE”
– Everybody Everywhere: At the end of the show
– We All Stand: At the end of the road

“AT THE HANDS OF”
– All Day Long: Who died at the hands of a desperate man
– Vanishing Point: At the hands of one another

“CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF”
– Jetstream: I just can’t get enough of you
– Slow Jam: I can’t get enough of this

“CHANGE THE WAY THAT”
– Dream Attack: But I can’t change the way that I am
– Recoil: You know I can’t change the way that you want me to be.

“DO WHAT I CAN”
– Dream Attack: And for you I would do what I can
– Recoil: But I tried to do what I can, gone is the life we built in a sec.

“DON’T GIVE UP THE”
– Shellshock: Don’t give up the game until your heart stops beating
– World In Motion: You know you can win, don’t give up the chase

“DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD”
– I’ve Got A Feeling: Driving down the road,
– Krafty: Sitting in a car and driving down the road

“EVERY TIME I SEE YOU”
– Bizarre Love Triangle: Every time I see you falling
– Broken Promises: Every time I see you, you shout at me

“FROM MY HEAD TO MY TOES”
– Leave Me Alone: But from my head to my toes
– Sugarcane: From my head to my toes

“HOW CAN I EVER”
– Close Range: How can I ever make you understand
– Mr Disco: How can I ever forget you

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY”
– Crystal: I don’t know what to say, you don’t care anyway
– Waiting For The Sirens’ Call: I don’t know what to say

“I THINK OF YOU”
– Bizarre Love Triangle: Every time I think of you
– Run Wild: I think of you

“I TRIED SO HARD”
– Denial: I tried to understand him, I tried so hard
– Sunrise: I tried so hard last night you would not talk to me

“I USED TO THINK”
– 1963: I used to think of him, he used think of me
– Mr Disco: I used to think about you night and day
– True Faith: I used to think that the day would never come

“I WANT TO BE”
– Dream Attack: But I want to be with you
– I’ve Got A Feeling: I want to be free, to do what I do best,
– Recoil: It’s not the way that I want to be
– Spooky: I want to be up in the air

“I WILL MAKE YOU”
– As It Is When It Was: You listen hard and I will make you see
– Young Offender: (Whatever it takes, I will make you mine)

“I’M NOT THE KIND”
– Age Of Consent: I’m not the kind that needs to tell you
– Special: I’m not the kind of person that you need

“IT DOESN’T TAKE A”
– All The Way: It doesn’t take a genius
– Primitive Notion: It doesn’t take a lot to confuse me

“IT USED TO BE”
– 1963: And he often remembered how it used to be
– Special: It isn’t what it used to be

“IT’S BEEN A LONG”
– Hellbent: Its been a long time, since the last time
– Primitive Notion: It’s been a long and lonely ride

“JUST GIVE ME ONE MORE”
– Krafty: Just give me one more chance (one more chance)
– Slow Jam: Just give me one more wish

“MAKE ME FEEL LIKE”
– Angel Dust: You make me feel like a masked delusion
– Someone Like You: Someone like you can make me feel like I used to do

“MY LOVE FOR YOU”
– Guilt Is A Useless Emotion: (I need you now) My love for you I wanna show
– Run Wild: And my love for you will never die,

“NOW I’LL TELL YOU SOMETHING”
– Confusion: And now I’ll tell you something I think you should know
– Run Wild: But now I’ll tell you something

“THAT I WAS A”
– Guilty Partner: That I was a cruel man
– Love Vigilantes: That said that I was a brave, brave man

“THE DAY THAT I”
– Run: I can’t recall the day that I last heard from you
– Truth: On the day that I fear?

“THE KIND OF PERSON”
– Run Wild: You’re the kind of person
– Special: I’m not the kind of person that you need

“THE THINGS THAT YOU NEED”
– Love Less: To give you all the things that you need
– Sugarcane: I can hardly believe the things that you need at home

“THE WAY THAT I”
– Dream Attack: But I can’t change the way that I am
– Recoil: It’s not the way that I want to be
– Shellshock: But that’s the way that I can win

“THE WAY THAT YOU”
– Everything’s Gone Green: Is this the way that you wanted to pay
– Recoil: You know I can’t change the way that you want me to be.

“THIS WORLD OF OURS”
– Face Up: This world of ours it felt brand new
– Rock The Shack: I believe this world of ours is giving me adrenaline

“TO MAKE YOU SEE”
– Procession: I try to make you see the world without a view
– Waiting For The Sirens’ Call: What can I do just to make you see

“TOP OF THE WORLD”
– Guilt Is A Useless Emotion: Standing on top of the world
– Run: You work your way to the top of the world

“WE COULD FIND A”
– Paradise: If we could find a home, we could go through time together
– Spooky: Maybe we could find a time

“WHAT CAN I DO”
– I’ve Got A Feeling: What can I do, something it’s changed
– Round & Round: You think I am crazy, but what can I do
– Waiting For The Sirens’ Call: What can I do just to make you see

“WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO”
– Run: What do you want me to believe
– Turn: What do you want me to do

“WHATEVER YOU MAY THINK OF ME”
– Sunrise: (Whatever you may think of me whatever you may say
– This Time Of Night: Whatever you may think of me

“WHEN YOU WANT ME”
– 5.8.6.: When you want me in your heart
– 60 Miles An Hour: ‘Cos I’ll be there for you when you want me to

“WHERE WE USED TO”
– Close Range: Remember in the park where we used to play
– Mesh: Some day, I know, we even get where we used to go

“YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN”
– Hellbent: Do you know what I mean? I’m trying to say I’m sorry
– Sooner Than You Think: Oh, you know what I mean, yes you do

“YOU MAKE ME FEEL”
– Angel Dust: You make me feel like a masked delusion
– Every Little Counts: You make me feel so good