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)
No More
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't explain
Our hesitation
We stop and start again
Repeat the process
We repeat the lie
Time and time again
By and by
This is the last time
I'll say goodbye
The last time
Then we won't have to lie
The last time
Call it what you want
You don't mean a thing to me no more
You go your way
I'll go mine
We've walked this line together
For the longest time
We've climbed the mountain
In so many ways
Reach the top
Then slowly fade away
This is the last time
I'll say goodbye
The last time
Then we won't have to lie
The last time
Call it what you want
You don't mean a thing to me no more
Our crimes
Will pass us by
Crimes
They all fade and die
All those memories
All our pain
Will slowly disappear
Like the falling rain
This is the last time
I'll say goodbye
The last time
Then we won't have to lie
The last time
(All those memories, all our pain)
This is the last time
(All those memories, all our pain)
The last time
The song No More by Depeche Mode is a reflection on a past relationship that has come to its inevitable end. The opening verses suggest that the couple has been through this process before, hesitant to fully let go of each other and repeatedly starting and stopping the separation process. The repetition of the lie may refer to the fact that despite knowing the relationship is over, they may be trying to convince themselves otherwise.
The chorus is a stark declaration that this is the last time the singer will say goodbye and the last time they will have to lie. The finality of this statement is reinforced by the line "call it what you want," suggesting that whatever one might label the situation, it won't change the fact that the relationship is over. The second verse highlights the fact that the couple has been together for a long time and has undergone many challenges. However, despite their efforts, they can't seem to sustain their relationship and are now going their separate ways.
The song concludes by acknowledging that while the challenges and pain from the relationship won't disappear overnight, with time, they will eventually fade away. The song ends on a note of finality, emphasizing that this is the last time, and that the memories and pain associated with the relationship will slowly, but surely, disappear with the passing of time.
Line by Line Meaning
One more ride
Going through the same cycle of pain and heartbreak for one last time.
I can't explain
There is no way to fully describe the agony and frustration felt during this cycle.
Our hesitation
The reluctance to move on from the past and start a new beginning.
We stop and start again
The constant repetition of old patterns and behaviors despite knowing the outcome.
Repeat the process
Over and over, the same thing happens, and the same result follows.
We repeat the lie
We tell ourselves that things will be different this time around, but deep down, we know the truth.
Time and time again
Each time, it feels like deja vu, like we've been here before.
By and by
Gradually, slowly, eventually it's time to move on.
This is the last time
The final occasion of repeating this vicious cycle.
I'll say goodbye
The final farewell to what once was and could never be again.
Then we won't have to lie
After this event, there will be no need to lie to oneself anymore.
Call it what you want
You can name it whatever you like, but the pain and heartbreak associated with it are real.
You don't mean a thing to me no more
All the affection that once existed is now long gone and has no meaning anymore.
You go your way
Following this cycle, everyone goes their separate ways and moves on.
I'll go mine
Each person's path is different as they continue their journey of life.
We've walked this line together
They have been through the same cycle time and time again, together.
For the longest time
The duration of this period has been extended and, over time, has become unbearable.
We've climbed the mountain
Together, they have faced many obstacles and overcome difficulties, similar to climbing a mountain.
In so many ways
There are many different ways in which the obstacles and hurdles have been faced and overcome.
Reach the top
They finally achieved the objective, the goal that they had been striving for all this time.
Then slowly fade away
The joy and satisfaction of attaining the goal gradually diminishes and fades away.
Our crimes
The mistakes, failures, and painful memories that have plagued them for so long.
Will pass us by
With time, these painful events and memories will become nothing but a distant memory and a mere afterthought.
Crimes
The mistakes and wrong decisions that have been made.
They all fade and die
With the passage of time, these mistakes and errors slowly lose their significance and importance as they die away.
All those memories
The painful and difficult experiences that have occurred over time.
All our pain
The hurt, anguish, and emotional trauma that has come along with these memories.
Will slowly disappear
Over time, the emotional scars and pain will slowly fade away and disappear.
Like the falling rain
Just as rain comes and goes, so does the pain and suffering eventually recede.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: David Gahan, Kurt Uenala
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Максим Куликов
я узнал депешей только в 2017 году, но если они оказывают такое влияние сейчас, то меньше чем назвать их группой мира я не могу, страшно представить что было в сердцах людей когда они выпустили свои платиновые альбомы
Tom Fennell
one of the best voices in the world.
Matteo 76
He and Peter Steele...
Katarzyna Wyględa
That's right but in tacy there's no better one . Dave's voice is The best in the world . I'm sure even God hasn't as good voice as Gahan😍
Mel Ania
If the God exists he has Dave's voice
Jose Adolfo
For me the best
interceptor
The more i listen to it the more i love this song.
Perry Mason
@Георгий Курганов Nonsense. I listen to Delta Machine and Exciter more than SOFAD and some other earlier albums. Been a fan since forever.
interceptor
I did but i like this one too. Where's the problem? We're talking about DM, old and new. Do you like the old stuff? Ok, keep on listen to the old tracks.
Георгий Курганов
@interceptor nah,thats bullshit. You didnt have to listen BC/MFTM/Violator/Sofad/Ultra couple of times to recognize the greatness of those albums.