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)
Clean
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An end to the tears and the in-between years
And the troubles I've seen
Now that I'm clean, you know what I mean
I've broken my fall, put an end to it all
I've changed my routine now I'm clean
I don't understand what destiny's planned
I don't claim to know where my holiness goes
I just know that I like what is starting to show
(Sometimes)
Clean, the cleanest I've been
An end to the tears and the in-between years
And the troubles I've seen
Now that I'm clean, you know what I mean
I've broken my fall, put an end to it all
I've changed my routine now I'm clean
As years go by all the feelings inside
Twist and they turn as they ride with the tide
I don't advise and I don't criticize
I just know what I like with my own eyes
(Sometimes)
Clean, the cleanest I've been
An end to the tears and the in-between years
And the troubles I've seen
Now that I'm clean
Sometimes
You know what I mean
I've broken my fall, put an end to it all
I've changed my routine now I'm clean
Sometimes
Now I'm clean (the cleanest I've been)
The cleanest I've been
The lyrics to Depeche Mode's Clean describe the singer's journey to sobriety and the new sense of control they have over their own life. The opening line, "Clean, the cleanest I've been" sets the tone for the rest of the song as the singer reflects on the end of their struggles with addiction and the "tears and the in-between years" that characterized that time period.
The chorus repeats this sentiment, hammering home the idea that being clean has put an end to the troubles the singer has seen. They feel in control and able to "put an end to it all" now that they've changed their routine and broken their fall.
The second verse touches on the idea that the singer's destiny is in their own hands now that they're sober. They don't feel like they can predict the future, but they're content with the changes they're seeing in themselves. They're no longer trying to seek external validation for their actions, but instead are relying on their own instincts to guide them.
Overall, Clean is a powerful testament to the transformative power of sobriety, and a strong reminder that it's never too late to take control of your own life.
Line by Line Meaning
Clean, the cleanest I've been
My life is now at its purest, free from any negative influences.
An end to the tears and the in-between years
I have overcome all the difficulties, sadness, and uncertainties of the past.
And the troubles I've seen
I have witnessed a lot of problems and challenges in my life.
Now that I'm clean, you know what I mean
Now that I have reached a state of purity, you can understand how much it means to me.
I've broken my fall, put an end to it all
I have successfully recovered from my failures and put an end to all the negative aspects of my life.
I've changed my routine now I'm clean
I have altered my way of life for the better, which has resulted in my purity.
I don't understand what destiny's planned
I am not sure of the path that is laid out for me by fate.
I'm starting to grasp what is in my own hands
But now I am taking control of my own life and making my own choices.
I don't claim to know where my holiness goes
I am uncertain about where my sanctity will lead me in the future.
I just know that I like what is starting to show (Sometimes)
However, I do know that the changes I have made have had a positive impact on my life, even if it is only sometimes.
As years go by all the feelings inside
As my life continues, my emotions and thoughts undergo changes.
Twist and they turn as they ride with the tide
My feelings and thoughts are affected by the ebbs and flows of life.
I don't advise and I don't criticize
I do not offer advice or judgment to others about their circumstances.
I just know what I like with my own eyes (Sometimes)
I only know what I personally enjoy and find beneficial, even if it is only sometimes.
Now I'm clean (the cleanest I've been)
I have finally achieved purity in my life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Martin Gore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jensrodeheger5228
Violater ist das erfolgreichste und vielleicht auch das beste DM-album.
Clean ist ein wundervolles und starkes
Lied.Ich bin seit84 Fan dieser fantastischen Gruppe aus Basildon.Der Tod von Fletch hat mich ergriffen
und sehr traurig gemacht.
Aber DM sind noch existent.
Ich freue mich auf das neue
Album.Ja,kann es kaum
erwarten.Es wird bestimmt
großartig sein und ein Tribut
an Fletch
Depeche Mode-Ich Liebe euch!!
👍👍❤❤
Fletch hat mich
@larrycwik1960
Rest in Peace Andy Fletcher. You co-founded this band whose music has brought joy to 100s of millions around the world. Thank you for your music.
@liantrosretrospectiva4134
luckiest guy ever...and it´s not his music, he did nothing musically speaking, just clap and make numbers
@petergreen2552
@liantros retrospectiva very harsh.
@liantrosretrospectiva4134
@@petergreen2552 and very true
@agnieszkabudnik
p118
@d3athr0ck3r
@@petergreen2552not really harsh he admitted this himself
@berlyngrey9242
I was an addict for over 20 years and I have over 2 years clean and I'm grateful everyday. Love DM
@lindahandley5267
That's awesome!😁
@johannabattista537
7 months from xanax. What q relief but it was hard
@johannabattista537
But I understand i think what they mean with the voice saying sometimes