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)
Little 15
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You help her forget
The world outside
You're not part of it yet
And if you could drive
You could drive her away
To a happier place
To a happier day
And in your smile
She could escape there
Just for a while
Little 15
Little 15
Why take the smooth with the rough
When things run smooth?
It's already more than enough
She knows your mind
Is not yet in league
With the rest of the world
And its little intrigues
Do you understand?
Do you know what she means?
As time goes by
And when you've seen what she's seen
You will
Little 15
Little 15
Why does she have to defend
Her feelings inside?
Why pretend?
She's not had a life
A life of near misses
Now all that she wants
Is three little wishes
She wants to see with your eyes
She wants to smile with your smile
She wants a nice surprise
Every once in a while
She wants to see with your eyes
She wants to smile with your smile
She wants a nice surprise
Every once in a while
Little 15
Depeche Mode's song "Little 15" is a poignant commentary on the innocence, naivete, and yearning for escape of teenage years. The song tells the story of a girl who is only 15 years old and is still trying to find her place in the world. She finds solace in the singer, who helps her forget the realities of life and the harsh world outside. The song talks about how the singer could drive her away from the world to a happier place, and escape there just for a while. The reference to the girl being "little" is not meant to be condescending but rather to highlight her innocence and fragility.
The song highlights the challenges of being young and misunderstood, and the overwhelming desire for acceptance and understanding. The song reflects on a teenager's thoughts on life, and her struggle to be understood by the rest of the world. The song reflects on the character's desire to see with the singer's eyes, smile with their smile, and experience a nice surprise every once in a while. This yearning is reflective of the teenage desire to experience something new, something exciting, and something that helps them escape from the mundane realities of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Little 15
The subject of the song is a young girl, just entering her teenage years.
You help her forget
The singer addresses someone (potentially the listener) who is helping the young girl forget about the world outside.
The world outside
Refers to the harsh realities, problems and complexities of the world that the young girl is becoming aware of.
You're not part of it yet
The young girl has not yet fully entered the 'real world' where problems, complexity, and harshness are a part of everyday life.
And if you could drive
If you had the power to make things better and 'drive' away the girl's troubles and pain, you would do it.
You could drive her away
You could help the young girl escape to a happier world.
To a happier place
The singer would like to take the young girl to a happier and safer place where she can forget her worries.
To a happier day
The singer wants to take the young girl to a happier time in her life when she did not have to worry about her problems.
That exists in your mind
The ideal world that the singer wants to take the young girl to is something that only exists in the imagination and is not real.
And in your smile
The singer tells the listener that their smile can help create a happier world for the young girl and ease her problems.
She could escape there
The young girl could escape to the ideal world the singer is creating for her.
Just for a while
But the young girl can only escape from the harsh reality of the world for a short amount of time.
Why take the smooth with the rough
The singer questions why someone would want to face both the good and the bad when it's easier to just ignore the bad things and pretend everything is great.
When things run smooth?
When things are good, why acknowledge that bad things exist?
It's already more than enough
Things are already good, so why invite trouble by acknowledging the bad things?
She knows your mind
The young girl is aware of the person's thoughts and intentions.
Is not yet in league
But the young girl knows that the person does not fully understand or agree with the complexities of the outside world.
With the rest of the world
The rest of the world is aware of the problems and complexities of life, but the person helping the young girl is not.
And its little intrigues
The young girl knows that the world has many schemes, troubles, and complexities.
Do you understand?
The singer questions if the listener truly understands and acknowledges the complexities and problems of the outside world.
Do you know what she means?
The singer asks the listener if they understand the young girl's feelings and needs.
As time goes by
As time passes and the young girl grows up and faces more problems of the world.
And when you've seen what she's seen
When the listener has experienced what the young girl has experienced and seen the world's complexities for themselves.
You will
The listener will then understand the young girl's struggles and emotions.
Why does she have to defend
The young girl has to protect her feelings and emotions from people who do not understand her.
Her feelings inside?
The young girl has to hide her emotions so as to avoid conflict with those who do not understand them.
Why pretend?
The singer asks why the young girl needs to hide her emotions and pretend everything is fine.
She's not had a life
The young girl has not yet had the opportunity to fully live a life with joy and adventure.
A life of near misses
The young girl has faced many challenges and difficulties throughout her life.
Now all that she wants
Despite the challenges, the young girl desires just three simple things.
Is three little wishes
The young girl's desires are small and simple compared to the world's complexities.
She wants to see with your eyes
The young girl wants to see the world through the eyes of the person who is helping her escape from the harsh reality.
She wants to smile with your smile
The young girl wants to feel genuine happiness and joy by emulating the person who is helping her escape from the outside world.
She wants a nice surprise
The young girl desires a small and sweet moment of surprise and joy.
Every once in a while
However, the young girl knows that these moments of happiness will be rare and fleeting.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Gore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@demiegel
Little fifteen
You help her forget
The world outside
You're not part of it yet
And if you could drive
You could drive her away
To a happier place
To a happier day
That exists in your mind
And in your smile
She could escape there
Just for a while
Little fifteen
Little fifteen
Why take the smooth with the rough
When things run smooth
It's already more than enough
She knows your mind
Is not yet in league
With the rest of the world
And its little intrigues
Do you understand
Do you know what she means
As time goes by
And when you've seen what she's seen
you will
Little fifteen
Little fifteen
Why does she have to defend
Her feelings inside
Why pretend
She's not had a life
A life of near misses
Now all that she wants
Is three little wishes
She wants to see with your eyes
She wants to smile with your smile
She wants a nice surprise
Every once in a while
She wants to see with your eyes
She wants to smile with your smile
She wants a nice surprise
Every once in a while
Little fifteen
@OdesaFilmStudio
LOve!
@giadadiiorio7157
Today is December 26th, 2020. At the beginning I only knew "enjoy the silence" thanks to my father, last month I started to listen to other depeche mode's music and now I am addicted to ! Yesterday I celebrated my 15th birthday and I am glad to have come across their music which has nothing to do with today's music. Thank you depeche mode, I love you !
@vilhjalmrwt
Welcome to heaven and beyond
@giadadiiorio7157
@@vilhjalmrwt thanks :)
@eily_b
Welcome to the Depeche Mode universe. 😉
@vilhjalmrwt
Now you are a part of us
We are now a part of you
@brody5211
Very cool - black celebration is a must to listen to and explore
@christopheblondeau2249
Rip Andrew Fletcher 💔😟😥😢 you are a legend !!!!
@sorinam4341
What a genius Martin to write so many gorgeous pieces of art at such a young age!!
@claudiacef3409
Martin❤