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)
I'am you
Depeche Mode Lyrics
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So much pleasure that it feels like pain
So entwined now that we can't shake free
I am you, and you are me
No escaping from the mess we're in
So much pleasure that it must be sin
I must live with this reality
There's no turning back
We're in this trap
No denying the facts
No, no, no
No excuses to give
I'm the one you're with
We've no alternative
No, no, no
Dark obsession in the name of love
This addiction that we're both part of
Leads us deeper into mystery
Keeps us craving endlessly
Strange compulsions that I can't control
Pure possession of my heart and soul
I must live with this reality
I am you, and you are me
I am you, and you are me
I am you, and you are me
I am you, and you are me
There's no turning back
We're in this trap
No denying the facts
No, no, no
No excuses to give
I'm the one you're with
We've no alternative
No, no, no
The lyrics of "I am You" by Depeche Mode depict a complex and intense relationship that is built on passion and addiction. The singer acknowledges that they are bound to their partner with "subtle chains," which brings them immense pleasure that is almost indistinguishable from pain. The two are so deeply intertwined that they cannot escape from the mess they're in, despite the fact that it may be sinful. The singer admits that they are eternally bound to their partner, and there is no alternative for them.
The song explores the theme of dark obsession in the name of love, depicting their relationship as an addiction that both partners are helpless to control. The singer admits that their love is built on strange compulsions that they cannot control and pure possession of their heart and soul. They must live with the reality that they are two halves of the same whole; they are each other, and there is no escaping from being so closely linked.
Overall, the song is a poignant commentary on the unconscious forces that drive people into intimate relationships, even when it may not be healthy for them. The lyrics are a perfect example of Depeche Mode's characteristic emotional intensity and brooding introspection.
Line by Line Meaning
You have bound my heart with subtle chains
You have ensnared me with your love and I cannot break free
So much pleasure that it feels like pain
The intensity of the connection we share is so strong that it becomes painful
So entwined now that we can't shake free
Our lives are so intertwined that it is impossible to separate
I am you, and you are me
We are inseparable and our identities are merged
No escaping from the mess we're in
We are stuck in this complex and messy relationship
So much pleasure that it must be sin
The pleasure we experience is so intense that it seems sinful
I must live with this reality
I have accepted that I cannot change our situation and must endure it
I am yours eternally
I belong to you forever
There's no turning back
We cannot undo what has already been done
We're in this trap
We are caught in a difficult situation with no easy way out
No denying the facts
We cannot ignore the reality of our situation
No excuses to give
We cannot justify our actions or relationship
I'm the one you're with
We have each other and no one else
We've no alternative
We have no other options or choices
Dark obsession in the name of love
Our love has become an all-consuming obsession
This addiction that we're both part of
We are both addicted to each other and the connection we share
Leads us deeper into mystery
Our love takes us deeper into the unknown and uncertain
Keeps us craving endlessly
Our desires and cravings for each other are infinite and unending
Strange compulsions that I can't control
My feelings and actions towards you are uncontrollable and unusual
Pure possession of my heart and soul
You have complete possession over my heart and soul
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARTIN GORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind