Composition
"Ceremony" is a mid-tempo uplifting rock song in the key of C major. The song contains two implied chords, C major and F major, shown through the driving bassline. The song does not contain any keyboards, which became a common staple in Joy Division's later sound, and New Order's eventual sound. The song, in its original recording, featured a faster tempo than that of the September re-record, as well as clearer production and a more processed guitar tone. "Ceremony" utilises quiet-loud dynamics and artificial reverb to give the song its trademark flowing atmosphere. Interestingly, the song reverts to its quieter stage for the guitar solo, a practise carried over to New Order by Bernard Sumner.
The song was composed when the band were still Joy Division, with Ian Curtis providing the vocal melody and the second chorus. Sumner and Peter Hook rewrote the lyrics for the first verse and chorus when Curtis's original lyrics could not be found.​Bernard tried unsuccessfully to boost Curtis's vocals in a badly recorded home demo. The attempt to uncover the lyrics at this point was used to record the original demo of "Ceremony", featuring Stephen Morris on vocals, as part of the band's Western Works Demo, 7 September 1980.
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