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)
Suffer Well
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A frozen heart, an empty space
Something's changed and it's in your eyes
Please don't speak, you'll only lie
I found treasure not where I thought
Peace of mind can't be bought
I just hang on
Suffer well
Sometimes it's hard
It's hard to tell
An angel led me when I was blind
I said, "Take me back, I've changed my mind"
And now I believe
From the blackest room, I was torn
He called my name, a love was born
So I believe
I just hang on
Suffer well
Sometimes it's hard
It's hard to tell
I just hang on
Suffer well
Sometimes it's hard
So hard to tell
The lyrics to Depeche Mode's song Suffer Well explore the theme of finding strength and perseverance in difficult times. The opening lines, "Where were you when I fell from grace? A frozen heart, an empty space," suggest a feeling of abandonment or betrayal. The singer feels lost and alone, struggling to find his way. However, as the song progresses, he finds a renewed sense of hope through a transformative experience.
The lines "Something's changed and it's in your eyes, Please don't speak, you'll only lie" suggest a moment of realization in which the singer discovers that someone close to him has been deceiving him. This realization leads to the sense of betrayal expressed in the opening lines. However, the singer finds a sense of peace and purpose through a spiritual experience, as expressed in the lines "An angel led me when I was blind, I said 'Take me back, I've changed my mind,' And now I believe."
The chorus, "I just hang on, suffer well, sometimes it's hard, it's hard to tell," expresses the sense of perseverance and resilience that the singer has found. Despite the difficulties he has faced, he remains strong and believes that he can overcome anything. Overall, the lyrics to Suffer Well express the idea that even in the darkest moments, there is always hope for redemption and healing.
Line by Line Meaning
Where were you when I fell from grace?
At my lowest point, in my moment of failure and weakness, where were you? Did you abandon me?
A frozen heart, an empty space
I was left feeling cold, alone, and emotionally empty.
Something's changed and it's in your eyes
I can see that you're different now, something has changed in you, and it's clear to me from the look in your eyes.
Please don't speak, you'll only lie
I can't trust you anymore, and I know that if you speak, it'll just be more deceit and lies.
I found treasure not where I thought
I discovered something valuable and important, but it wasn't in the place where I originally thought it would be.
Peace of mind can't be bought
True inner peace and happiness can't be acquired through material things or external sources.
Still I believe
Despite everything I've been through, I still have faith and hold onto hope.
I just hang on
I keep going and moving forward, even when it's difficult.
Suffer well
I endure the pain and suffering, and learn from these experiences, even if it's not easy.
Sometimes it's hard
Life can be very challenging and trying at times, and it's not always easy to cope.
It's hard to tell
It can be difficult to distinguish between the truth and illusions or deceptions, especially in tough times.
An angel led me when I was blind
I was lost and couldn't see the way ahead, but then someone or something guided me and helped me find my path.
I said, 'Take me back, I've changed my mind'
I realized that I was wrong about something and wanted to go back and make things right.
And now I believe
After going through a difficult or transformative experience, I came to understand something and now have faith.
From the blackest room, I was torn
I was pulled out of a place of great darkness, sadness or despair, and brought into the light of hope and healing.
He called my name, a love was born
In my moment of need, love reached out to me and brought me healing and restoration.
Sometimes it's hard, so hard to tell
Life can be so difficult and confusing that it's hard to distinguish between what's real and what's not.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Andrew Charles Phillpott, Christian Eigner, David Gahan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind