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)
Macro
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heightened awareness
I hear my blood flow
I feel its caress
Whispering cosmos
Talking right to me
Unlimited, endless
God breathing through me
See the microcosm
In macro vision
Our bodies moving
With pure precision
One universal celebration
One evolution
One creation
Thundering rhythm
Pounding within me
Driving me onwards
Forcing me to see
Clear and enlightening
Right there before me
Brilliantly shining
Intricate beauty
See the microcosm
In macro vision
Our bodies moving
With pure precision
One universal celebration
One evolution
One creation
See the microcosm
In macro vision
Our bodies moving
With pure precision
One universal celebration
One evolution
One creation
Depeche Mode's song "Macro" is a reflection on the relationship between the individual and the cosmos. The lyrics express a deep sense of connection to something greater than oneself, and an understanding that the microcosm of the individual is part of a larger whole. The senses are overflowing and awareness is heightened, creating a sense of being at one with the universe. The blood flowing through the body is felt as a caress, and the cosmos itself is heard speaking to the individual. The experience is one of limitless potential and endless possibility, with the divine breathing through the individual.
The song speaks to both the physical and spiritual aspects of existence, as the body moves with pure precision and the thundering rhythm of the universe drives the individual onwards. This connection to something greater is clear and enlightening, with intricate beauty shining through all things. The celebration of this universal connection is seen as an evolution and creation, a recognition that all life is part of the larger whole.
Overall, "Macro" can be seen as a meditation on the beauty and power of the cosmos, and the ways in which individuals can connect to something greater than themselves. The song encourages listeners to see the microcosm in macro vision, to recognize the importance of every individual in the larger picture, and to celebrate the evolution and creation of all life as one.
Line by Line Meaning
Overflowing senses
My senses are in overdrive, taking in more information than normal.
Heightened awareness
With my senses on overload, I'm more tuned in to what's going on around me.
I hear my blood flow
My body is so in tune, I can actually hear the sound of my own blood flowing through me.
I feel its caress
The sound of my blood flowing is soothing, and I can feel it comforting me.
Whispering cosmos
The universe is talking to me in a soft, gentle way.
Talking right to me
The universe's whispers are directed specifically to me, and I can understand them.
Unlimited, endless
The universe is vast and boundless, with no end in sight.
God breathing through me
The universe is the breath of God, and I am a part of it, breathing it in and out.
See the microcosm
Look at the small things.
In macro vision
But see them in the larger context of the bigger picture.
Our bodies moving
Watching our physical bodies as they move in precise ways.
With pure precision
The movements of our bodies are exact and perfect.
One universal celebration
Everything is a part of the same great cosmic celebration.
One evolution
Everything is changing and growing, evolving into something new.
One creation
Everything is a part of one unified creation.
Thundering rhythm
The beat of life is booming in my ears.
Pounding within me
The rhythm of life is felt deep inside me.
Driving me onwards
The rhythm is pushing me forward, driving me forward towards my goals in life.
Forcing me to see
This rhythm is making me see things I might have missed before.
Clear and enlightening
What I'm seeing is easy to understand and is opening my eyes in new ways.
Right there before me
Everything I need to see is right in front of me.
Brilliantly shining
The things around me are bright and luminous.
Intricate beauty
The things around me are filled with complexity and beauty.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Gore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eli Gasai
Overflowing senses
Heightened awareness
I hear my blood flow
I feel its caress
Whispering cosmos
Talking right to me
Unlimited, endless
God breathing through me
See the microcosm
In macro vision
Our bodies moving
With pure precision
One universal celebration
One evolution
One creation
Thundering rhythm
Pounding within me
Driving me onwards
Forcing me to see
Clear and enlightening
Right there before me
Brilliantly shining
Intricate beauty
See the microcosm
In macro vision
Our bodies moving
With pure precision
One universal celebration
One evolution
One creation
Eli Gasai
Overflowing senses
Heightened awareness
I hear my blood flow
I feel its caress
Whispering cosmos
Talking right to me
Unlimited, endless
God breathing through me
See the microcosm
In macro vision
Our bodies moving
With pure precision
One universal celebration
One evolution
One creation
Thundering rhythm
Pounding within me
Driving me onwards
Forcing me to see
Clear and enlightening
Right there before me
Brilliantly shining
Intricate beauty
See the microcosm
In macro vision
Our bodies moving
With pure precision
One universal celebration
One evolution
One creation
Fpol Traumer
Such a great song! Love Dave's backing vocals too on this
francesca trane
Vero
Detailer77
One of the best tracks imo.
Percevalex
Martin's voice is so beautiful❤❤❤
DM for ever🌹🌹🌹🌹
Natalia Boico
One of the most breathtaking and sophisticated songs ever done by DM. Love Gore's voice
Andrea Moore
OMG your voice on this is so amazing!
Cristian Ilie
I LOVE how LOUD it is !!!!!!!
Yuri
The beginning is the literal embodiment of what the voices in my head sound like
Hanging Garden
First time I heard that song I was asleep and woke up from that creepy ass intro in the middle of the night. Scared me at the time, but still I'm glad I discovered it.