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)
Dressed in Black
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm falling down again
Down to the floor again
I'm begging for more again
But, oh, what can you do when she's dressed in black?
My mind wanders endlessly
On paths where she's leading me
And words that she doesn't say
Not when we're alone and she's dressed in black
As a picture of herself
She's a picture of the world
A reflection of you, a reflection of me
And it's all there to see if you only give in to the fire within
(Oh-oh) dressed in black again
(Oh-oh) dressed in black again
(Oh-oh) dressed in black again
(Oh-oh) dressed in black again
Shadows fall onto me
As she stands there over me
And waits to encompass me
I lay here helplessly
But, oh, what can you do when she's dressed in black?
(Oh-oh) dressed in black again
(Oh-oh) dressed in black again
(Oh-oh) dressed in black again
(Oh-oh) dressed in black again
(Oh-oh) dressed in black again
(Oh-oh) dressed in black again
(Oh-oh) dressed in black again
(Oh-oh) dressed in black again
"Dressed in Black" by Depeche Mode is a haunting tribute to the allure and power of a mysterious woman. The song conveys a sense of falling under the spell of someone who is both beautiful and dangerous. The opening lines, "She's dressed in black again, and I'm falling down again" suggest a recurring cycle of infatuation and surrender. The repetition of "again" underscores the sense of being trapped in a loop of desire. The line "I'm begging for more again" conveys a sense of desperation and resignation - the singer knows he will be drawn back into this person's orbit, no matter how much he tries to resist.
The song's lyrics suggest a deep psychological attraction to a persona that is both intoxicating and elusive. The line "My mind wanders endlessly on paths where she's leading me" suggests a loss of control, a surrender to someone who is in charge. The phrase "games that she likes to play" could imply a seductive power play, a push and pull between two people who are drawn to each other. However, the song also suggests that the object of the singer's affection may not be as available or forthcoming as he would like. The line "words that she doesn't say, not when we're alone and she's dressed in black" suggests that this person is withholding, perhaps keeping secrets or maintaining a certain distance.
The image of the woman dressed in black is a powerful motif throughout the song. It symbolizes not only her physical appearance but also the idea of her being a "picture of the world" - a mirror for the singer's own desires and fears. The line "a reflection of you, a reflection of me" suggests that this person is both a projection and a reflection of the singer's own psyche. The final lines of the song - "shadows fall onto me as she stands there over me and waits to encompass me" - convey a sense of impending doom. The singer is helpless in the face of this person's power, and doesn't know how to resist.
Line by Line Meaning
She's dressed in black again
The subject of the song, a woman, is wearing black clothing once more
And I'm falling down again
The singer is falling victim to the woman's allure once more
Down to the floor again
The singer is completely captivated by the woman and has lost control
I'm begging for more again
The artist is asking for more of the woman's attention and affection
But, oh, what can you do when she's dressed in black?
The woman's power over the artist is strong, and he can't resist her when she's dressed in black
My mind wanders endlessly
The singer's thoughts are consumed by the woman
On paths where she's leading me
The woman is leading the singer's thoughts and actions
With games that she likes to play
The woman enjoys manipulating the artist
And words that she doesn't say
The woman is withholding information from the artist
Not when we're alone and she's dressed in black
The woman is open and honest when they're alone, and she's wearing black clothing
As a picture of herself
The woman is a representation of herself and the world around her
She's a picture of the world
The woman embodies the world and everything in it
A reflection of you, a reflection of me
The woman is a mirror of both the singer and the listener
And it's all there to see if you only give in to the fire within
The woman's true essence is visible when one allows themselves to be consumed by passion
(Oh-oh) dressed in black again
Repetition of the chorus
Shadows fall onto me
The woman's presence looms over the artist
As she stands there over me
The woman is in a position of power over the artist
And waits to encompass me
The woman is waiting for the singer to succumb to her
I lay here helplessly
The singer is powerless in the woman's presence
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Gore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dangiambrone7350
She's dressed in black again
And I'm falling down again
Down to the floor again
I'm begging for more again
But, oh, what can you do
When she's dressed in black?
My mind wanders endlessly
On paths where she's leading me
With games that she likes to play
And words that she doesn't say
Not when we're alone
And she's dressed in black
As a picture of herself
She's a picture of the world
A reflection of you, a reflection of me
And it's all there to see
If you only give in
To the fire within
Dressed in black again
Dressed in black again
Dressed in black again
Dressed in black again
Shadows fall onto me
As she stands there over me
And waits to encompass me
I lay here helplessly
But, oh, what can you do
When she's dressed in black?
Dressed in black again
Dressed in black again
Dressed in black again
Dressed in black again
Dressed in black again
Dressed in black again
Dressed in black again
Dressed in black again
@JamwithJamal
Play the Depeche Mode Quiz
"Dressed In Black"
She's dressed in black again
And I'm falling down again
Down to the floor again
I'm begging for more again
But oh what can you do
When she's dressed in black
My mind wanders endlessly
On paths where she's leading me
With games that she likes to play
And words that she doesn't say
Not when whe're alone
And she's dressed in black
As a picture of herself
She's a picture of the world
A reflection of you
A reflection of me
And it's all there to see
If you only give in
To the fire within
Dressed in black again
Shadows fall onto me
As she stands there over me
And waits to encompass me
I lay here helplessly
But oh what can you do
When she's dressed in black
Dressed in black again
@dennismoran1299
One of Dave's best vocals.
@zapataalonzo9177
Does anyone have the live link where Dave sings this song.
@zapataalonzo9177
@@paulgee2939 it is one of his best
@psychiater123
it s david singing ;-)@@zapataalonzo9177
@mattbelinski7760
I agree almost 100 percent, if not for Little 15 and of course Goodnight Lovers.
@alderaan25
This is the best album of Depeche Mode, and since the year 1986 I still believe it.
@dr.brianjudedelimaphd743
I agree, this to me was their best album
@mickadatwist1620
yes....its the purest sound of DM. Favourite album
@squiremuldoon5462
Everything they made with Alan was their best album.
@Judy-1989
@@squiremuldoon5462 You bet your ass! ('82-'95) Within those years DM has never flown higher. 💖 Black Celebration is a beautiful album!