Monument
Depeche Mode Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the site was found
We laid the foundations down
It didn't take long
Before they came back tumbling down
Don't build at night
You need a little light
How else are you going to see
What it's gonna be like?

So we picked up our tools
And we worked in the morning light
With the last stone placed
Wasn't it a wonderful sight?
But it fell back down
And scattered all around
Anything passes when you need glasses

My monument, it fell down
My monument, it fell down
My monument, it fell down
My monument, it fell down

Work all of my days for this kind of praise
Work all of my days for this kind of praise
It fell down
Work all of my days
It fell down
Work all of my days
It fell down




Work all of my days
It fell down

Overall Meaning

The song Monument by Depeche Mode narrates the story of a failed project. The lyrics talk about laying down the foundation of a site, only to have it collapse and fall back down. The singer expresses frustration as they put in all their time and effort, working day and night to build something great, only for it to come crashing down. The lyrics "anything passes when you need glasses" can be interpreted as a metaphor for not seeing things clearly, implying that perhaps the project was not carefully planned, or that the people who worked on it did not have a clear vision of what they were building.


In the second half of the song, the singer repeats the phrase "Work all of my days for this kind of praise." This repetition hints at the theme of disappointment as the singer has not received any recognition or praise for their work, despite putting all their effort into it. The phrase is also ironic, as the monument was not successfully built, implying that the hard work put into it was all for nothing.


Overall, the song Monument tells a poignant story of failure, disappointment, and the human condition. It speaks to the desire for recognition and achievement, but also the inevitability of setbacks and failures. The lyrics are delivered in a hauntingly beautiful way, adding to the song's emotional depth and resonance.


Line by Line Meaning

When the site was found
At the beginning of this project


We laid the foundations down
We established the groundwork and core elements


It didn't take long
The project quickly progressed


Before they came back tumbling down
Before everything collapsed and fell apart


Don't build at night
It's important to work with visibility and clarity


You need a little light
You need illumination to help you understand and guide you


How else are you going to see
Without proper light, you can't perceive what you're working on


What it's gonna be like?
The final result won't be clear without proper light


So we picked up our tools
We continued to work diligently


And we worked in the morning light
We worked during daytime hours


With the last stone placed
After the final element was placed


Wasn't it a wonderful sight?
The accomplishment was impressive and joyous


But it fell back down
Despite the effort put in, everything crumbled


And scattered all around
The pieces and debris were spread out in every direction


Anything passes when you need glasses
Your perception is distorted when you don't have the right tools


My monument, it fell down
The project and accomplishment came crashing down


Work all of my days for this kind of praise
The hard work put in for this level of recognition


It fell down
The project failed


Work all of my days
Continuing to work tirelessly


It fell down
The project failed


Work all of my days
Continuing to work tirelessly


It fell down
The project failed




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Gore

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions