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)
Miles Away/The Truth Is
Depeche Mode Lyrics
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We've, we've had them before
The ones that leave you empty and wanting for more
Your eyes they tell me something that I understand
Your eyes they hold the truth and the truth is
You're miles away
You're miles away
Excuse me for my hesitation
I've, I met you before
Your face seems so familiar and longing for more
Your eyes they tell me something that I understand
Your eyes they hold the truth and the truth is
You're miles away
You're miles away
You're miles away
With all your superstitions and empty lines
I could be just like you
Withdrawn but alive
Life it has its limitations
We all have our needs
Love could be the only answer
It lies underneath
Your eyes they tell me something that I understand
Your eyes they hold the truth and a truth is
You're miles away
You're miles away
You're miles away
You're miles away
You're miles away
You're miles away
You're miles away
You're miles away
You're miles away
The lyrics to Depeche Mode's song "Miles Away / The Truth Is" are centered around a conversation between two people. The first stanza states that this is a recurring conversation that leaves the singer feeling empty and wanting more. The second stanza reveals that the singer has met the person before and feels a sense of familiarity and longing. However, they realize that this person is "miles away" because of their superstitions and empty lines. The bridge offers a solution in the form of love, which the singer believes is the only answer to life's limitations and needs.
The theme of disconnection and longing for more is a common theme in Depeche Mode's music. In "Miles Away" specifically, the lyrics suggest that the conversation between the two individuals is unfulfilling, with the singer feeling as though there is something missing in their interaction. They recognize that there is a distance between them - hence the repetition of the phrase "You're miles away" - and this distance is caused by the other person's superstitions and lack of substance.
On a deeper level, the lyrics may also speak to the universal experience of feeling disconnected from others and the world around us. The focus on the eyes as a vehicle for truth speaks to the idea that we can understand each other on a deeper level if we truly look at one another. However, the reality of life's limitations often make it difficult for us to achieve that level of connection, leaving us feeling "miles away" from those around us.
Line by Line Meaning
It's one of those conversations
It's a familiar kind of conversation that we've had before.
We've, we've had them before
We've had this conversation before, multiple times.
The ones that leave you empty and wanting for more
These conversations always leave us feeling unsatisfied and wanting more.
Your eyes they tell me something that I understand
I see a message in your eyes that I comprehend.
Your eyes they hold the truth and the truth is
Your eyes contain the truth of the matter, and that truth is
You're miles away
You're emotionally distant.
Excuse me for my hesitation
I'm sorry for being hesitant.
I've, I met you before
I feel like we've met before.
Your face seems so familiar and longing for more
There's something about your face that seems familiar and that seems to be searching for more.
With all your superstitions and empty lines
Despite your irrational beliefs and shallow phrases.
I could be just like you
I could adopt your viewpoint and become just like you.
Withdrawn but alive
I could be introspective and reclusive, yet still experience life.
Life it has its limitations
Life is restricted in what it can offer.
We all have our needs
Every one of us has needs that must be met.
Love could be the only answer
Love may be the sole solution.
It lies underneath
It is hidden beneath the surface.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Christian Eigner, David Gahan, Andrew Phillpott
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind