The band has been highly influential in the electronic dance music scene, especially synthpop, techno, and trance, partly due to their innovative work, recording techniques, and use of sampling. Their most successful album is arguably 1990's Violator, which reached the #2 position in the UK, #7 in the US, and sold over 8 million copies worldwide. The band has released a long series of high-charting singles over their three-decades long career. Enjoy the Silence is their most recognized song and one of history's most covered songs.
The original line-up was Dave Gahan, Martin L. Gore, Andy Fletcher, and Vince Clarke. In December 1981, Clarke left the band and later formed Yazoo, The Assembly, and Erasure. Alan Wilder joined the group initially in January 1982 as a live keyboardist but became an official member in December 1982. He left in mid-1995 to fully concentrate on his Recoil project, and the band continued as a trio. In 2010 Wilder re-joined Depeche Mode on stage after 16 years for a performance of Somebody during a show at London's Royal Albert Hall in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Depeche Mode's origins date back to 1977, when Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher formed a band called No Romance in China, with Clarke on vocals and guitar and Fletcher on bass. In March 1980, Clarke, Gore, and Fletcher formed a band called Composition of Sound, with Clarke on vocals/guitar, Gore on keyboards, and Fletcher on bass. Soon after the formation of Composition of Sound, Clarke, and Fletcher switched to synthesizers. Dave Gahan joined the band in 1980 after Clarke heard him perform at a local scout hut jam session, singing to a rendition of David Bowie's "Heroes" and Depeche Mode was born.
While playing a live gig at the Bridge House in Canning Town, Daniel Miller, the founder of Mute Records, approached the band, who proposed a verbal contract. The result was their first single, Dreaming of Me, recorded in December 1980 and released in February 1981, reaching number 57 in the UK charts and followed soon by a real contract with Mute.
To date, Depeche Mode have released:
15 studio albums: Speak & Spell (1981), A Broken Frame (1982), Construction Time Again (1983), Some Great Reward (1984), Black Celebration (1986), Music For the Masses (1987), Violator (1990), Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993), Ultra (1997), Exciter (2001), Playing the Angel (2005), Sounds of the Universe (2009), Delta Machine (2013), Spirit (2017), and Memento Mori (2023);
8 compilations: People Are People (1984), The Singles 81-85 (1985), Catching Up with Depeche Mode (1985), Greatest Hits (1987), The Singles 86>98 (1998), Remixes 81-04 (2004), The Best Of Depeche Mode Volume 1 (2006), The Complete Depeche Mode (2006);
5 live albums: 101 (1989), Songs of Faith and Devotion Live (1993), Recording the Angel (a series of live recordings; 2006), Tour Of The Universe: Barcelona 20/21:11:09 (2009) and Live In Berlin (Soundtrack) (2014) ;
Over 50 singles: including Just Can't Get Enough, Everything Counts, People Are People, Master and Servant, Shake the Disease, Stripped, A Question of Time, Strangelove, Never Let Me Down Again, Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, World in My Eyes, Policy of Truth, I Feel You, Walking in My Shoes, In Your Room, Barrel of a Gun, It's No Good, Home, Dream On, Freelove, Precious, Wrong and Heaven ;
14 live / video collections (VHS/DVD/Blu-ray): The World We Live In and Live in Hamburg (1985), Some Great Videos (1985), Strange (1988), 101 (1989), Strange Too (1990), Devotional (1993), The Videos 86>98 (1998), One Night in Paris (2002), The Videos 86>98 (2002), Touring the Angel: Live in Milan (2006), The Best of - Volume 1 (2006), Tour of the Universe : Barcelona 20/21.11.09 (2009), Live in Berlin (2014) and Video Singles Collection (2016)
Barrel of a Gun
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Set upon weary feet
Who looks in need of sleep
That doesn't come
This twisted, tortured mess
This bed of sinfulness
Who's longing for some rest
And feeling numb
What do you expect of me
What is it you want?
Whatever you've planned for me
I'm not the one
A vicious appetite
Visits me each night
And won't be satisfied
Won't be denied
An unbearable pain
A beating in my brain
That leaves the mark of Cain
Right here inside
What am I supposed to do?
When everything that I've done
Is leading me to conclude
I'm not the one
Whatever I've done
I've been staring down the barrel of a gun
Whatever I've done
I've been staring down the barrel of a gun
Whatever I've done
Whatever, whatever
Is there something you need from me?
Are you having your fun?
I never agreed to be
Your holy one
Whatever I've done
I've been staring down the barrel of a gun
Whatever I've done
Whatever, whatever
I've been staring down the barrel of a gun
Whatever I've done
Whatever, whatever
I've been staring down the barrel of a gun
In the song "Barrel of a Gun", Depeche Mode sings about a person who is struggling with their own twisted thoughts and impulses. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of this person's inner demons, describing them as a "horny creep" who cannot find rest and feels numb. The person is tormented by an unbearable pain and an insatiable appetite that visits them each night. These feelings are so intense that they leave a lasting mark on the person's psyche, like the mark of Cain.
The phrase "staring down the barrel of a gun" is used as a metaphor for the person's internal struggle. It suggests that they are constantly on the verge of succumbing to their darker impulses, but are trying to hold on and not give in. The repetition of the phrase "Whatever I've done" throughout the song reinforces this idea, as it implies that the person feels like they are being judged or punished for something they have done or thought.
Ultimately, the song is a haunting reflection on the human psyche and the struggle between good and evil that exists within us all. It urges us to confront our own demons and find a way to live with them, rather than being consumed by them.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you mean this horny creep
Do you refer to me, an individual in a desperate state of mind?
Set upon weary feet
Dragging my feet in a state of exhaustion
Who looks in need of sleep
Appearing sleep-deprived
That doesn't come
Unable to get any sleep
This twisted, tortured mess
A troubled, disturbed soul
This bed of sinfulness
Involved in sinful activities
Who's longing for some rest
In want of some peace and quiet
And feeling numb
Emotionally detached and unfeeling
What do you expect of me
What task do you have for me?
What is it you want?
What are your expectations?
Whatever you've planned for me
Whatever your intentions for me are
I'm not the one
I'm not the right person
A vicious appetite
A strong, insatiable desire
Visits me each night
Haunts me every night
And won't be satisfied
Refuses to be fulfilled
Won't be denied
Cannot be resisted
An unbearable pain
An excruciating agony
A beating in my brain
A pounding inside my head
That leaves the mark of Cain
Leaves an indelible stain of wrongdoing
Right here inside
Deep within my soul
What am I supposed to do?
What is my course of action?
When everything that I've done
Despite all my efforts
Is leading me to conclude
Compelling me to come to the realization
I'm not the one
I'm just not suitable
Whatever I've done
No matter my actions
I've been staring down the barrel of a gun
I've been looking danger in the face
Is there something you need from me?
What do you require from me?
Are you having your fun?
Are you enjoying this?
I never agreed to be
I never consented to become
Your holy one
Your chosen prophet or messiah
Whatever, whatever
No matter what
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Gore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind