Produced by Depeche Mode, Daniel Miller & Gare… Read Full Bio ↴Written by Martin L. Gore
Produced by Depeche Mode, Daniel Miller & Gareth Jones
Released September 1984 on Some Great Reward
Notes This song was released as a double A-side single, a month after the album's release, with fellow album cut, Somebody. Due to the song's religious lyrics, it was banned from BBC Radio 1's playlist.
Blasphemous Rumours
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whole life ahead of her
Slashed her wrists
Bored with life
Didn't succeed
Thank the Lord
For small mercies
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
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
@alexroselle
If you're watching in 2024, I see that you too are a person of culture 😊
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If you're watching this in 2023, you're a perfect human being ❤
@BASILDON367
Спасибо. Я- самый идеальный человек. Я слушаю их днём, и ночью. 😊❤
@april7568
Me
@henrilegravel1560
I love how the song goes from emotional To a song you dance to
@kirstenmanzke8524
❤
@ianwoodham3676
Me I'm in a very dark place but I've been brought up with thiis amazing band
@TihetrisWeathersby
You can't have the 80s without Depeche mode
@onetrueslave
Krazy-Glued together those two, ya think? 🤔Yep, I agree.
@cb142
2023 and can't wait to see them live in concert. 63yrs old and always been a fan.