Blasphemous Rumours
Depeche Mode Lyrics


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Girl of sixteen
Whole life ahead of her
Slashed her wrists
Bored with life
Didn't succeed
Thank the Lord
For small mercies
Fighting back the tears
Mother reads the note again
Sixteen candles burn in her mind
She takes the blame
It's always the same
She goes down on her knees and prays

I don't want to start
Any blasphemous rumors
But I think that God's
Got a sick sense of humor
And when I die
I expect to find Him laughing

I don't want to start
Any blasphemous rumors
But I think that God's
Got a sick sense of humor
And when I die
I expect to find Him laughing

Girl of eighteen
Fell in love with everything
Found new life in Jesus Christ
Hit by a car
Ended up
On a life support machine

Summer's day
As she passed away
Birds were singing
In the summer's sky
Then came the rain
And once again
A tear fell
From her mother's eye

I don't want to start
Any blasphemous rumors
But I think that God's
Got a sick sense of humor
And when I die
I expect to find Him laughing

I don't want to start
Any blasphemous rumors
But I think that God's
Got a sick sense of humor
And when I die
I expect to find Him laughing

I don't want to start
Any blasphemous rumors
But I think that God's
Got a sick sense of humor
And when I die
I expect to find Him laughing

I don't want to start
Any blasphemous rumors
But I think that God's
Got a sick sense of humor
And when I die
I expect to find Him laughing

I don't want to start
Any blasphemous rumors
But I think that God's
Got a sick sense of humor




And when I die
I expect to find Him

Overall Meaning

laughing


The lyrics to Depeche Mode's Blasphemous Rumours deal with the themes of death, suicide, religion, and God's role in human tragedy. The song features two contrasting stories about young women who meet tragic ends: one who committed suicide and another who died in a car accident while being a devout Christian. The line "Thank the Lord for small mercies" is ironic, as she didn't succeed in taking her own life, but in a better light, she was given another chance to live.


The chorus repeats the lines "I don't want to start any blasphemous rumors, but I think that God's got a sick sense of humor, and when I die, I expect to find Him laughing." This suggests the idea that God watches human suffering with cynical amusement and finds joy in it. The song questions the idea of a benevolent God and challenges the concept of religion as a source of comfort in death.


The song has caused controversy due to its themes and lyrics, but it is considered a classic in Depeche Mode's discography. It is a powerful commentary on society's tendency to blame God and religion for tragedies, without addressing the human conditions that lead to them. The lyric "I think that God's got a sick sense of humor" needs to be understood as a way of highlighting the futility of praying for help from above.


Line by Line Meaning

Girl of sixteen
A young girl who had her entire life ahead of her


Whole life ahead of her
She had a future to look forward to


Slashed her wrists
She attempted to take her own life


Bored with life
She was discontent with her current existence


Didn't succeed
Her suicide attempt was unsuccessful


Thank the Lord
It was a stroke of luck that she survived


For small mercies
She was grateful for the positive outcome


Fighting back the tears
The mother tries to keep herself from crying


Mother reads the note again
She reads the suicide note left by her daughter


Sixteen candles burn in her mind
The mother can't stop thinking about her daughter's young age


She takes the blame
The mother blames herself for her daughter's actions


It's always the same
This tragedy is a common occurrence


She goes down on her knees and prays
The mother turns to religion for comfort and guidance


I don't want to start
The singer doesn't want to cause controversy


Any blasphemous rumors
The singer wants to avoid saying anything offensive


But I think that God's
The artist has doubts about the nature of higher power


Got a sick sense of humor
The artist believes that God takes pleasure in human suffering


And when I die
When the singer passes away


I expect to find Him laughing
The singer anticipates a cruel reaction from God in the afterlife


Girl of eighteen
Another young girl with her life in front of her


Fell in love with everything
She found joy in life and everything in it


Found new life in Jesus Christ
She turned to religion for spiritual fulfillment


Hit by a car
She was involved in a tragic accident


Ended up
The young girl's life was cut short


On a life support machine
She was kept alive by technology


Summer's day
It was a beautiful day outside


As she passed away
The young girl died from her injuries


Birds were singing
The sounds of nature continued despite the tragedy


In the summer's sky
The sky was a serene backdrop to the sad scene


Then came the rain
The weather shifted suddenly


And once again
The mother felt grief strike her anew


A tear fell
The mother could not suppress her sorrow


From her mother's eye
The mother cried over the loss of her daughter




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Gore

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Me

@henrilegravel1560

I love how the song goes from emotional To a song you dance to

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@ianwoodham3676

Me I'm in a very dark place but I've been brought up with thiis amazing band

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@TihetrisWeathersby

You can't have the 80s without Depeche mode

@onetrueslave

Krazy-Glued together those two, ya think? 🤔Yep, I agree.

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2023 and can't wait to see them live in concert. 63yrs old and always been a fan.

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