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)
Fly on the Windscreen
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There are flies on the windscreen
For a start
Reminding us
We could be torn apart
Tonight
Death is everywhere
Waiting to die
And I can sense
The hours slipping by
Tonight
Come here
Kiss me
Now
Come here
Kiss me
Now
Death is everywhere
The more I look
The more I see
The more I feel
A sense of urgency
Tonight
Come here (touch me)
Kiss me (touch me)
Now (touch me)
(Touch me)
Come here (touch me)
Kiss me (touch me)
Now (touch me)
(Touch me)
There are flies on the windscreen
There are lambs for the slaughter
There are flies on the windscreen
Come here (touch me)
Kiss me (touch me)
Now (touch me)
(Touch me)
Come here (touch me)
Kiss me (touch me)
Now (touch me)
(Touch me)
(Touch me)
(Touch me)
(Touch me)
(Touch me)
(Touch me)
(Touch me)
(Touch me)
(Touch me)
Come here (touch me)
Kiss me (touch me)
Now (touch me)
(Touch me)
Come here (touch me)
Kiss me (touch me)
Now (touch me)
(Touch me)
The lyrics to Depeche Mode's song "Fly On The Windscreen" convey a sense of mortality and urgency. Death is a lurking presence, illustrated by the flies on the windscreen and lambs waiting to be slaughtered. The repetition of "tonight" emphasizes the impermanence and fragility of life. The singer calls out for someone to come to them and touch them, perhaps seeking comfort and a reminder of their own humanity amidst the reminder of their mortality. The lyrics suggest a yearning for closeness and intimacy in the face of death.
The use of imagery in the song is powerful, with the flies on the windscreen representing death's omnipresence and the lambs evoking the idea of sacrifice. The repetition of the phrase "touch me" emphasizes the human desire for connection and physical contact in the face of fear.
Overall, "Fly On The Windscreen" is a haunting meditation on mortality and the human experience. The lyrics convey a sense of dread and urgency, urging the listener to cherish each moment of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Death is everywhere
The idea of death is pervasive in our society and surroundings
There are flies on the windscreen
Death is present in all forms and we cannot escape it
For a start
This is just the beginning of an exploration of death
Reminding us
Drawing our attention to the fact that we need to be conscious of our own mortality
We could be torn apart
Death is always a possibility for everyone and can strike unexpectedly
Tonight
Here and now, we must confront the reality of death
There are lambs for the slaughter
People and animals are vulnerable to death and harm
Waiting to die
Some people are resigned to their fate and accept death
And I can sense
The artist is aware of and sensitive to the presence of death
The hours slipping by
Time is passing and we must make the most of it while we can
Come here
This is a beckoning to a loved one for comfort or companionship in the face of death
Kiss me
This is a request for intimacy and a connection in the face of death
Now
The sense of urgency and immediacy in the face of death
The more I look
The deeper the artist delves into the subject of death
The more I see
The more the artist discovers about the nature of death and its impact
The more I feel
The deeper emotional response to the subject of death
A sense of urgency
The feeling that we must act quickly and decisively in the face of death and mortality
Come here (touch me)
The request for physical comfort and connection in the face of death
Kiss me (touch me)
The request for intimate connection and closeness in the face of death
Now (touch me)
The sense of immediacy and urgency in seeking comfort and connection in the face of death
(Touch me)
The repeated refrain emphasizes the need for human contact and intimacy to help overcome fear of death
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Gore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind