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)
One Caress
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I pray to the only one
Who has the strength to bear the pain
To forgive all the things that I've done
Oh, girl
Lead me into your darkness
When this world is trying its hardest
Just one caress
From you and I'm blessed
When you think you've tried every road
Every avenue
Take one more look, what you found old
And in it, you'll find something new
Oh, girl
Lead me into your darkness
When this world is trying its hardest
To leave me unimpressed
Just one caress
From you and I'm blessed
I'm shying from the light
I always loved the night
And now you offer me
Eternal darkness
I have to believe that sin
Can make a better man
Well, it's the mood that I am in
That's left us back where we began
Oh, girl
Lead me into your darkness
When this world is trying its hardest
To leave me unimpressed
Just one caress
From you and I'm blessed
Oh, girl
Lead me into your darkness
When this world is trying its hardest
To leave me unimpressed
Just one caress
From you and I'm blessed
The song One Caress by Depeche Mode is a melancholic and introspective track about seeking refuge and salvation from a particular person. The singer confesses to being a sinner in need of absolution and finds solace in the company of a female companion, pleading with her to lead him into her darkness. The track is a commentary on the anxieties and isolation that accompany modern life, and how we search for escape and communion with others.
The opening line of the song, "Well, I'm down on my knees again / And I pray to the only one / Who has the strength to bear the pain / To forgive all the things that I've done" sets up the narrative of the song as a confession. The song takes on a confessional tone, acknowledging past sins and searching for redemption. The lyrics throughout describe a desire to escape from the world of chaos, represented by the line "When this world is trying its hardest / To leave me unimpressed", and seeking refuge in a darker space.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the power of physical touch, and how it can be a source of healing and redemption. The lines, "Just one caress / From you and I'm blessed" convey the transformative power of human connection, and how it can provide comfort in times of distress. In the final verse, the singer expresses a belief that sin can make a better person, but the mood is still dark and pessimistic, leaving the singer back where they started.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I'm down on my knees again
I am in a vulnerable state, pleading for help
And I pray to the only one
I am seeking guidance from a higher power
Who has the strength to bear the pain
I need someone strong to help me through my struggles
To forgive all the things that I've done
I am asking for forgiveness for my past mistakes
Oh, girl
Addressing a specific woman who holds the power to help
Lead me into your darkness
Take me into your world, teach me about your struggles
When this world is trying its hardest
Despite the world being difficult and trying, you offer solace
To leave me unimpressed
The world constantly disappoints and fails to impress
Just one caress
A single touch from you would be powerful enough to make everything okay
From you and I'm blessed
You have the ability to make me feel incredibly grateful and lucky
When you think you've tried every road
After exhausting all options
Every avenue
Every possible path
Take one more look, what you found old
Take a second glance at something previously disregarded
And in it, you'll find something new
There is always something new to discover in things overlooked
I'm shying from the light
I am avoiding the things in life that make me feel exposed and vulnerable
I always loved the night
I feel most comfortable in darkness and solitude
And now you offer me
You represent the possibility of an eternal embrace of darkness
Eternal darkness
The idea of being surrounded by someone who understands and accepts the darkness
I have to believe that sin
I am hoping that despite my past mistakes, I can still be a good person
Can make a better man
The possibility of redemption and forgiveness leading to growth
Well, it's the mood that I am in
My current emotions are driving me towards this decision
That's left us back where we began
Despite these strong emotions, we are still stuck in the same place as before
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Gore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@HelenaSurrender
Well I'm down on my knees again
And I pray to the only one
Who has the strength
To bear the pain
To forgive all the things that I've done
Oh girl
Lead me into your darkness
When this world is trying it's hardest
To leave me unimpressed
Just one caress
From you and I'm blessed
When you think you've tried every road
Every avenue
Take one more look
At what you found old
And in it you'll find something new
I'm shying from the light
I always loved the night
And now you offer me eternal darkness
I have to believe that sin
Can make a better man
It's the mood that I am in
That's left us back where we began
@manueladangeli5994
Masterpiece. I love Dave's voice obviously, don't get me wrong, but Martin's is so incredible, emotional and deep. The songs he sings are so special and he is as well. Also this has that gothic vibe that I like a lot. Words can't even express how I feel about it. Thank you Martin for making me feel things no one else can, "when this world is trying its hardest to leave me unimpressed". I love you. A 22 years old devotee 🖤
@kerrymq5996
Agreed, Martin sings with such clarity, it brings such a different feeling to their music.
@TheKitticatti
Absolute
@dagmarmurra2173
Martin singt sensationell, ich finde, dass man das wohl sagen kann .Er ist ein Spitzenkünstler🖤
@rayeblack
Beautifully said 🖤
@Lunatic4Bizcas
Definitely one of the most under appreciated songs of Depeche Mode's entire career. In my opinion this song is the crown jewell of dark ballads.
@veronicaalleyne
" snuff" by Slipknot is mine
@dadasha
The word underrated on social media is so overrated!
@bleclercq
This must be their most underrated song... it's that good
@dadasha
Bertrand Leclercq who the FUCK said this joint is underated!!???