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)
Everything counts (live
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's no turning back
The turning point of a career in Korea, being insincere
The holiday was fun packed
The contract still intact
The grabbing hands
Grab all they can
The grabbing hands
Grab all they can
All for themselves after all
It's a competitive world
Everything counts in large amounts
The graph on the wall
Tells the story of it all
Picture it now
See just how the lies and deceit
Gained a little more power
Confidence taken in by a sun tan and a grin
The grabbing hands
Grab all they can
All for themselves after all
The grabbing hands
Grab all they can
All for themselves after all
It's a competitive world
Everything counts in large amounts
Everything counts in large amounts
The grabbing hands
Grab all they can
Everything counts in large amounts
The grabbing hands
Grab all they can
Everything counts in large amounts
Everything, everything
Everything, everything
The grabbing hands
Grab all they can
Everything counts in large amounts
The grabbing hands
Grab all they can
Everything counts in large amounts
The lyrics of Depeche Mode’s song “Everything Counts” can be interpreted as a cynical take on the corrupt nature of commerce and the obsession with material possessions in our society. The song seems to be describing the transactional nature of business deals, where the handshake represents the sealing of a deal that is often made insincerely. The lyrics suggest that when money and power are at stake, individuals will do whatever it takes to get ahead, even if it means lying and deceiving others. The grabbing hands in the song represent the greed and selfishness of people who are always looking to take whatever they can get, without regard for the consequences of their actions.
The graph on the wall referenced in the lyrics serves to illustrate the point that everything boils down to numbers and amounts in the business world. The lies and deceit that the lyrics refer to are the underhanded tactics used to manipulate numbers and data to make them look more favorable than they really are. The reference to a “sun tan and a grin” suggests that people may be fooled by surface appearances, rather than getting to the truth of a situation.
Overall, the song “Everything Counts” paints a picture of a world where personal gain is king, and morality takes a backseat to the pursuit of wealth and power. While this interpretation may be bleak, it is a message that still resonates and is relevant today.
Line by Line Meaning
The handshake seals the contract from the contract
When two parties reach an agreement, a handshake formalizes the deal.
There's no turning back
Once the agreement is signed, there is no way to reverse the process.
The turning point of a career in Korea, being insincere
Career advancement in Korea often depends on how convincingly a person can lie.
The holiday was fun packed
Even though there was a lot of work to be done, people deliberately chose to go on vacation and ignore their responsibilities.
The contract still intact
Despite the holiday break, the agreement is still binding and everyone is expected to follow through.
The grabbing hands
Grab all they can
All for themselves after all
People are naturally selfish and try to take as much as they can for their own benefit.
It's a competitive world
Everything counts in large amounts
In a competitive environment, even the smallest advantages can make a big difference.
The graph on the wall
Tells the story of it all
Picture it now
See just how the lies and deceit
Gained a little more power
Confidence taken in by a sun tan and a grin
The visual representation of data can reveal the truth about a situation, and it's often surprising to see how dishonesty and charm can sway people's opinions.
Everything, everything
Everything, everything
Absolutely everything is important.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Gore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bb wild
The handshake seals the contract
From the contract there's no turning back
The turning point of a career
In Korea being insincere
The holiday was fun-packed
The contract, still intact
The grabbing hands grab all they can
All for themselves - after all
The grabbing hands grab all they can
All for themselves - after all
It's a competitive world
Everything counts in large amounts
The graph on the wall
Tells the story of it all
Picture it now see just how
The lies and deceit gained a little more power
Confidence - taken in
By a suntan and a grin
The grabbing hands grab all they can
All for themselves - after all
The grabbing hands grab all they can
All for themselves - after all
It's a competitive world
Everything counts in large amounts
Everything counts in large amounts
The grabbing hands grab all they can
Everything counts in large amounts
The grabbing hands grab all they can
Everything counts in large amounts
Everything, everything
Everything, everything
The grabbing hands grab all they can
Everything counts in large amounts
The grabbing hands grab all they can
Everything counts in large amounts
Kelavmeister
The alternate vocal harmony in the chorus is insane, “grab all they ca-an”. So beautiful
Time 2 Chill
No. It’s called actually having a brain and placing intelligent words in proper places
Sometimes we forget that we’ve been watered and brainwashed down for decades now
David Donohoe
It's in the studio version too, just not as prominent in the mix.
Kelavmeister
@David Donohoe Yea I realized after that it’s there, but also the rhythm is a bit different live. It’s so good
Ginelle Bullinger
Best version of this song...goosebumps and tears when everyone is in sync..you can see it on Dave's face
Heidi Harris
Definitely have chill bumps.....
Flickan i det krökta rummet
another thing: it's a fact that it's impossible for any form of life to look better than Dave in 1988.
José Luis Fernández López
Only Amén
CxC
The song is work of pure genius. I’m blown away by it more now than ever
Octagon9
yup your right I missed that and had to rewatch cool