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)
Sometimes
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes, only sometimes
I question everything
And I'm the first to admit
If you catch me in a mood like this
I can be tiring, even embarrassing
But you must feel the same
You can't tell me honestly
You're happy with what you see
Oh sometimes, only sometimes
You must be
You must be
As embarrassing as me
Ooh, sometimes
Depeche Mode's "Sometimes" is a contemplative song about questioning everything and feeling unsure about oneself. The opening lines "Sometimes, only sometimes / I question everything" set the tone for the rest of the song as the singer reflects on their thoughts and behavior. They acknowledge that they can be difficult to be around when they're in a mood like this, but they also suggest that others must feel the same way at times. The chorus repeats the word "sometimes" as a way of emphasizing the fleeting nature of these thoughts and feelings.
The song's lyrics express a sense of dissatisfaction with the status quo, both personally and on a larger societal level. When the singer sings "You can't tell me honestly / You're happy with what you see," they are recognizing that there is something fundamentally wrong with the world around them. However, the song doesn't offer any specific solutions or ways to address these feelings - instead, it's more about acknowledging them and finding comfort in the fact that others may be feeling the same way. Overall, "Sometimes" is a introspective and melancholy song that encourages listeners to reflect on their own sense of dissatisfaction and uncertainty from time to time.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes, only sometimes
Occasionally, and not all the time, there are moments when I reflect on everything.
I question everything
I challenge and scrutinize every aspect of my life and surroundings.
And I'm the first to admit
I acknowledge and accept the fact that my behavior can be overwhelming and distressing to others.
If you catch me in a mood like this
If you notice that I am feeling like this at the moment.
I can be tiring, even embarrassing
My attitude and demeanor may be exhausting and uncomfortable for others to witness.
But you must feel the same
I believe that you also experience similar emotions and reactions at some point.
When you look around
As you observe your environment.
You can't tell me honestly
You cannot truthfully tell me that you are content with the current state of things.
You're happy with what you see
You are satisfied and fulfilled with your perspective and experiences.
Oh sometimes, only sometimes
Occasionally, and not all the time, there are moments when I realize that others feel the same way I do.
You must be
It is likely that you also have times when you are anxious or uncertain.
You must be
It is probable that you have comparable reactions to certain situations.
As embarrassing as me
Just like I can be awkward or mortifying, you may experience similar emotions or behaviors.
Ooh, sometimes
Occasionally, and not all the time, these feelings arise.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Gore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind