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 Feel No Guilt
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That we will stay together
Who am I to say to you
That we won't last forever
I feel no guilt over indulgent pleasures
I see no call for any drastic measures
Even if you say to me
That we should never wander
Make our love grow stronger
I don't understand all these cut-throat conventions
And I see no point in undue complication
I feel no guilt over indulgent pleasures
I see no call for any drastic measures
I don't understand all these cut-throat conventions
And I see no point in undue complication
I feel no guilt over indulgent pleasures
I see no call for any drastic measures
I don't understand all these cut-throat convention
And I see no point in undue complication
The lyrics to "I Feel No Guilt" by Depeche Mode explore the singer's views on love and relationships. The first two lines suggest that the singer is not confident about the longevity of their relationship, but they are not worried about it either. They feel no guilt over "indulgent pleasures" and see "no call for any drastic measures," indicating that they are not afraid of taking risks and enjoying the moment. The singer is open to the idea of separation and distance, believing that it can make their love stronger.
The following lines express the singer's frustration with societal norms and conventions in love and relationships. They do not understand the need for "cut-throat conventions" and "undue complication," indicating a desire for simplicity and honesty in relationships. The repeated refrain of feeling no guilt and seeing no need for drastic measures serves to reinforce the idea that the singer is confident in their choices and beliefs.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Feel No Guilt" suggest a rebellious and non-traditional approach to love and relationships, with a focus on enjoying the moment rather than worrying about the future. The lines about societal norms hint at a desire for authenticity and honesty, which align with some of Depeche Mode's other themes regarding alienation and societal pressure.
Line by Line Meaning
Who am I to say to you
I do not have the authority or knowledge to determine the future of our relationship.
That we will stay together
I cannot predict or promise a permanent future for us as a couple.
Who am I to say to you
I cannot claim to know what lies ahead for us, so I cannot set any expectations.
That we won't last forever
I cannot guarantee a long-lasting relationship that will withstand the test of time.
I feel no guilt over indulgent pleasures
I do not regret any past or future indulgences that may come with being in a relationship.
I see no call for any drastic measures
I do not feel the need to take extreme actions to maintain or strengthen our relationship.
Even if you say to me
Even if you express concern or opposition towards certain aspects of our relationship,
That we should never wander
that we should never have experiences or interactions outside of our relationship,
Let distance infect me
I am willing to endure physical distance or separation from you,
Make our love grow stronger
as I believe it can strengthen the bond between us.
I don't understand all these cut-throat conventions
I don't comprehend the ruthlessness and competitiveness of societal norms surrounding relationships.
And I see no point in undue complication
I don't see any benefit in making our relationship more complicated than it needs to be.
I feel no guilt over indulgent pleasures
I do not feel guilty about any past or future instances of indulgence in our relationship.
I see no call for any drastic measures
I do not see any reason to take dramatic steps to maintain our relationship.
I don't understand all these cut-throat conventions
I do not comprehend societal pressures to conform to certain standards in relationships.
And I see no point in undue complication
I don't believe that making our relationship more complex than necessary will benefit us in any way.
I feel no guilt over indulgent pleasures
I do not experience any remorse for any previous or future indulgences we will have.
I see no call for any drastic measures
I don't feel the need to make any intense or extreme efforts to maintain our relationship.
I don't understand all these cut-throat convention
I don't comprehend the ruthless or competitive nature of societal expectations around relationships.
And I see no point in undue complication
I don't see any advantage in unnecessarily complicating our relationship further.
Contributed by Avery F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lloydallen7741
Lucky we get to hear Alan’s masterpieces every time you see the mode live.
@aprilixpear
Yeah, that’s true… 👏🏼🎹
@dennishough3709
Damn I miss Alan!!
I only hope Mr, Wilder is healthy and happy wherever he my be!!
@lloydallen7741
Alan is a genius 🕺😎
@aprilixpear
Exactly! He's like a wizard of Synthpop! 🙂
@kitty-alicefrench1199
I love this so much!
@p.hajnalka324
Wow 😳♥😍 Thanks
@Maria-zm5ro
Wow hermosa imagen de sr Alan Wilder ⭐💖y se escucha genial este tema no lo había escuchado gracias por el video canción amiga Abril 🌹🥰🤩🎧🎼🎶❤️❤️❤️🖤👍🏻
@aprilixpear
Muchas gracias, qué bueno que le gustó. 🤗💕 Es un tema inédito todo hecho por Alan durante la era SGR, por cierto. 😉
@diosrelish6924
sometimes one song can be bigger than an whole album.... i feel no guilt to say that " I feel no guilt is bigger than Spirit "
DM ( with Alan ) 💙💙💙💙💙💙
DM ( post Alan ) 💙💙💙