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)
Love In Itself · 2
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That lay before me
All of the firsts and the definite lasts
That lay in store for me
There was a time
When all on my mind was love
Now I find that most of the time
Love's not enough in itself
You see the thoughts in my head
All the words that were said
All the blues and the reds get to me
There was a time
When all on my mind was love
Now I find that most of the time
Love's not enough in itself
All of these absurdities
That lay before us
All of the doubts and the certainties
That lay in store for us
There was a time
When all on my mind was love (love love love)
Now I find that most of the time
Love's not enough in itself
The lyrics of Depeche Mode's song "Love In Itself · 2" explores the theme of disillusionment with love. The first verse begins with the singer explaining the overwhelming tasks and inevitabilities that lie ahead for them. However, they admit that in the past, all that was on their mind was love. As time went on, they realized that love alone is not always enough to overcome the challenges of life. The singer reveals that they have a tendency to be unhappy despite their desire for love. The second verse speaks more generally about the absurdities and uncertainties of life. Once again, the singer reflects on the time when love was all they thought about, only to realize that love alone cannot solve all of life's problems.
The song's chorus expresses this sentiment clearly: "All of these things that I have done / All of these things that I will never do / All the sights seen and those unseen / Put your head on my shoulders / We are one strange bewildered family / And nothing matters to me / But the way you touch me when / Love's in it itself / Not in anything else." The song seems to suggest that despite the challenges and doubts that life presents, love is still valuable and meaningful, as long as it is not relied on as a cure-all solution.
Line by Line Meaning
All of these insurmountable tasks
Refers to the overwhelming challenges that the singer faces in life
That lay before me
Emphasizes the inevitability and difficulty of these challenges
All of the firsts and the definite lasts
Refers to the significant and unforgettable moments in life
That lay in store for me
Highlights the anticipation and uncertainty of what the future holds
There was a time
Implies a past moment of innocence and optimism
When all on my mind was love
Indicates a time when love was the primary concern in life
Now I find that most of the time
Shows a shift in perspective and priorities from the past
Love's not enough in itself
Suggests that love alone cannot solve all life's problems
Consequently, I've a tendency to be unhappy
Links the inability of love to bring happiness with the singer's personal emotions
You see the thoughts in my head
Refers to the emotional turmoil and confusion the singer is experiencing
All the words that were said
Recollections of past conversations and unresolved issues
All the blues and the reds get to me
Referring to the emotional impact of pain and passion
All of these absurdities
Referring to the irrational and nonsensical aspects of life
That lay before us
Referring to the impending challenges and uncertainties faced by everyone
All of the doubts and the certainties
Referring to the paradoxical aspects of life
That lay in store for us
Referring to the unknown future and what it holds for everyone
When all on my mind was love (love love love)
Recalling a time when love was a constant preoccupation and a source of joy
Now I find that most of the time
Presents a shift in the singer's priorities and values
Love's not enough in itself
Reiterating the fact that love alone cannot sustain lasting happiness
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: MARTIN GORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind