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)
Corrupt
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You think you're so special
Think you're so sweet
What are you trying?
Oh don't even tempt me
Soon you'd be crying
I wish you'd trapped me
You'd be calling out my name
When you need someone to blame
I could corrupt you
It will be easy
Watching you suffer
Girl, it will please me
I wanna touch you
With my little finger
I know it will crush you
My memory would linger
You'd be crying out in pain
Begging me to play my games
I could corrupt you
It would be ugly
They could sedate you
But what good would drugs be?
But I wouldn't touch you
Put my hands on your hips
It would be too much to
Place my lips on your lips
You'd be calling out my name
Begging me to play my games
The lyrics of Depeche Mode's song "Corrupt" seem to be a glimpse into the mind of someone who is obsessed with power and control. The person singing seems to relish the idea of corrupting someone, of breaking them down and watching them suffer. They view themselves as superior to the person they are addressing, and see them as something to be manipulated and used.
The lyrics suggest that despite their initial reluctance, the person being addressed is eventually drawn in by the singer's charisma and charm. They become dependent, calling out the singer's name in moments of pain and need. The song seems to be a chilling warning to anyone who might find themselves in the grip of a manipulative and controlling individual.
Overall, "Corrupt" is a haunting and unsettling song that explores themes of power, manipulation, and control. It's a reminder that not everyone who seems charming and charismatic can be trusted, and that sometimes the people who seem most alluring can be the most dangerous.
Line by Line Meaning
I could corrupt you in a heartbeat
I have the power to change you and make you do things that you wouldn't normally do quickly and easily.
You think you're so special
You have a high opinion of yourself and believe you are superior to others.
Think you're so sweet
You believe you are innocent and kind-hearted, but I know you have a darker side.
What are you trying?
What is your intention or goal? What do you hope to achieve by interacting with me?
Oh don't even tempt me
Don't dare try to lure me into your world or get me to do something I shouldn't.
Soon you'd be crying
If you continue down this path you will end up in pain or distress.
I wish you'd trapped me
I regret ever getting involved with you, and I wish I had avoided you.
You'd be calling out my name
You would be seeking my attention or help if you found yourself in trouble.
When you need someone to blame
When you are facing consequences or trouble, you look for someone else to fault or hold responsible.
I could corrupt you
I have the power to manipulate or change you in a harmful way.
It will be easy
It won't take much effort for me to corrupt or harm you.
Watching you suffer
The thought of seeing you in pain or distress brings me pleasure or satisfaction.
Girl, it will please me
As a female, your pain or suffering will give me a sense of satisfaction or happiness.
I wanna touch you
I want to have some kind of physical interaction or control over you.
With my little finger
I want to exert my control or power over you in a subtle or small way.
I know it will crush you
I am aware that my actions will negatively impact you emotionally or psychologically.
My memory would linger
Even after I leave or stop interacting with you, the memory of me and what I did to you will remain in your mind.
You'd be crying out in pain
You would be in physical or emotional distress, and unable to contain your pain.
Begging me to play my games
Despite the pain and harm I have caused, you would still be drawn to me and want to interact with me, hoping for a different outcome.
It would be ugly
The outcome or result of my actions would be negative and unpleasant.
They could sedate you
Medical professionals may need to use medication to calm you down or help you deal with the trauma or effects of my actions.
But what good would drugs be?
Even with medication, the harm I have caused you cannot be erased or undone.
But I wouldn't touch you
I will not physically harm or injure you, but my mental or emotional manipulation can be just as damaging.
Put my hands on your hips
To touch or hold you in a possessive or controlling way.
It would be too much to
The level of control or power I would have over you would be too extreme or overwhelming for both of us.
Place my lips on your lips
To kiss you in a romantic or intimate way, and to take control of that aspect of your life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Gore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind