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)
Nothing's Impossible
Depeche Mode Lyrics
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I'll need a miracle to help me this time
I heard what you said and I feel the same
I know in my heart that I'll have to change
Even the stars look brighter tonight
Nothing's impossible
I still believe in love at first sight
How did we get to be this far apart?
How did we get to be this far apart?
I want to be with you, have something to share
I want to be here but I'm not there
Even the stars look brighter tonight
Nothing's impossible
I still believe in love at first sight
Nothing's impossible
Even the stars look brighter tonight
Nothing's impossible
And if you believe in love at first sight
Nothing's impossible
I still believe in love at first sight
Nothing's impossible
The lyrics to Depeche Mode's song "Nothing" seem to tell of someone who is desperately searching for a sign or reason to hold on to hope as they navigate through a difficult time in their life. The singer is willing to embrace even the most impossible of ideas if it means finding a way forward. The lyrics also suggest a sense of deep longing for connection and love, as the singer wonders how they became so far apart from someone they care about deeply.
When the singer proclaims that "even the stars look brighter tonight," it's as if they're urging themselves to hold on to hope and keep moving forward, despite the obstacles they may face. There's also a sense of determination in the song - the singer knows that something has to change in order to bridge the distance between them and their loved one. At the same time, there's an acknowledgement that change may not come easily, and that the singer will need a miracle - something beyond their understanding - to help them through.
Overall, "Nothing" is a song that speaks to the human condition - the need for hope and the desire for love and connection. The lyrics are powerful in their simplicity, evoking a sense of raw emotion that many listeners can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Just give me a reason, some kind of sign
I need a sign to understand you, and find a meaning to these feelings.
I'll need a miracle to help me this time
It's going to take something extraordinary to overcome this difficult situation.
I heard what you said and I feel the same
I am aware of what you have been saying, and I share your feelings.
I know in my heart that I'll have to change
I am aware that I need to change something within myself to make things better.
Even the stars look brighter tonight
The world seems brighter, more hopeful and promising.
Nothing's impossible
Anything is achievable and can happen, it just takes dedication.
I still believe in love at first sight
I still hold on to the hope and possibility of love at first sight.
How did we get to be this far apart?
How did we drift so far, and become so emotionally detached?
I want to be with you, have something to share
I deeply desire to be close to you and share something meaningful.
I want to be here but I'm not there
I'm struggling with being present in the moment, and being emotionally available.
And if you believe in love at first sight
If you hold on to this belief, anything is possible.
I still believe in love at first sight
No matter what, I will always hold on to the possibility and hope of love at first sight.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Andrew Charles Phillpott, Christian Eigner, David Gahan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind