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)
Damaged People
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drawn together
By subtleties that we are not aware of
Disturbed souls
Playing out forever
These games that we once thought we would be scared of
When you're in my arms
There is no pretense
And you're crying
When you're by my side
There is no defense
I forget to sense I'm dying
We're damaged people
Praying for something
That doesn't come from somewhere deep inside us
Depraved souls
Trusting in the one thing
The one thing that this life has not denied us
When I feel the warmth of your very soul
I forget I'm cold
And crying
When your lips touch mine
And I lose control
I forget I'm old
And dying
The lyrics to Depeche Mode's song Damaged People convey a sense of vulnerability and a longing for connection. The use of the term "damaged people" suggests that the singer and their partner share a history of emotional pain and trauma that has brought them together. However, the link between them is not consciously understood, and the "subtleties" that unite them remain beneath the surface. The reference to "disturbed souls" suggests that they both struggle with inner turmoil, and are caught in a cycle of playing out the same patterns and behaviors indefinitely.
Despite this, the relationship between the singer and their partner offers a respite from the chaos of their internal experiences. In each other's presence, they find a sense of peace and understanding that is lacking in their individual lives. The lines "When you're in my arms/The world makes sense" suggest that physical closeness offers a kind of refuge from the confusion of the outside world. However, the relationship is not without its difficulties, as the lines "When you're by my side/There is no defense/I forget to sense I'm dying" suggest that the singer feels emotionally exposed and vulnerable in their partner's presence.
The chorus of the song suggests that despite their struggles and pain, the couple is still hopeful and seeking something more from life. They are "praying for something/That doesn't come from somewhere deep inside us," suggesting that they are searching for a kind of transcendence or connection that cannot be found within themselves. The use of the term "depraved souls" suggests that they feel a sense of moral decay or corruption, but are still clinging to the hope that there is something greater than themselves to believe in.
Overall, the lyrics to Depeche Mode's Damaged People present a complex and layered portrayal of the human experience. They capture the sense of longing and pain that are often present in romantic relationships, as well as the struggle to find meaning and purpose in a world that can be chaotic and confusing.
Line by Line Meaning
We're damaged people
We have been hurt and affected by past experiences, which have changed and shaped us irrevocably.
Drawn together
There is a connection between us that brings us together, but we may not know what the connection is.
By subtleties that we are not aware of
The connection between us is not always obvious and we may not fully understand or be conscious of it.
Disturbed souls
Our past experiences and present emotions have left us disturbed and troubled.
Playing out forever
We are caught in a cycle of pain and suffering that seems never-ending.
These games that we once thought we would be scared of
The behaviors we engage in now are things we had previously been scared of, but now they seem like familiar patterns.
When you're in my arms
When we're together and close physically, we feel safe and comforted.
The world makes sense
All the confusion, pain, and issues of the world fade away, and we feel like everything is right.
There is no pretense
We don't have to pretend to be anyone other than ourselves, and we are accepted completely.
And you're crying
But we still cry, because the pain of our past cannot be erased completely.
When you're by my side
Even when we're not physically close, knowing that we have each other brings comfort.
There is no defense
We don't have to be guarded or defensive, because we trust each other completely.
I forget to sense I'm dying
Our relationship is so powerful that it makes us forget our own mortality, and we feel a sense of immortality.
Praying for something
We are searching for something to make us feel whole and accepted, but we don't know what it is.
That doesn't come from somewhere deep inside us
What we are looking for cannot be found within ourselves - we need someone else to complete us.
Depraved souls
Our experiences and emotions have made us corrupt and morally degraded.
Trusting in the one thing
We put all our faith in the belief that one special person can make us feel complete.
The one thing that this life has not denied us
Despite all the pain and suffering we have experienced, we still believe that love is possible.
When I feel the warmth of your very soul
When I feel your pure love and caring, it fills me with warmth and happiness.
I forget I'm cold
The coldness of the world fades away, and I feel surrounded by warmth and love.
And crying
But I still cry, because my past experiences have left me with emotional scars that still hurt.
When your lips touch mine
When we kiss, it's a moment of intense emotional connection that nothing else can match.
And I lose control
In that moment, I forget everything else and give myself over completely to the intensity of our emotions.
I forget I'm old
Even though I know I'm aging and time is limited, I feel youthful and alive in our love for each other.
And dying
But the knowledge that everything is impermanent and will eventually fade away still haunts us.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Martin Gore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@candlelight1492
Full lyrics:
We're damaged people, drawn together
By subtleties that we're not aware of
Disturbed souls, playing out forever
These games that we once thought we would be scared of
When you're in my arms, the world makes sense
There is no pretence
And you're crying
When you're by my side, there is no defence
I forget to sense
I'm dying
We're damaged people, praying for something
That doesn't come from somewhere deep inside us
Depraved souls, trusting in the one thing
The one thing that this life has not denied us
When I feel the warmth of your very soul
I forget I'm cold and crying
When your lips touch mine
And I lose control
I forget I'm old
And dying...
@Deltaxray7
This song reaches but a handful of people in the world, But for us. it reaches into our chest and squeezes our heart from the depths of our souls.
@emanuelgermangomez2357
agree with you.. there´s a sense of ... "basics " here... the relation with the world ... and the relation with that human being...
@dadasha
Oh shut up!!
@lazfx
truth
@HrLBolle
I am glad to find its not only me feeling this way when listening to this and a select few other songs of Depeche Mode.
and in influence it is rivalled by pipeline
@jayc2469
You know it ;)
@helenhusted889
I was facing surgery for ovarian cancer and I insisted on getting this C.D. to help me get through it. My all-time favorite band.
@karimamilena
amazing, how martin always again, again and over again finds the words for feelings that we all have sometimes during life. and even more respect, that he sings / let them sing via Dave out to the world...
@lbrtjrr
I know the feeling, living with it for eight years now... sorrow and depeche mode music! Melancolie and memories.
@HrLBolle
You are not the only one
there is the "we" who feel this way