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)
The Darkest Star
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Playing the Angel
Isn't so easy where you're from
Oh you wild one
Devil's companion
You won't stay satisfied for long
I don't want you to be someone else for me
Oh you dark one
Eternal outsider
Caught in the spider's web you've spun
Oh you blind one
Gentle and kind one
Seeing the world as a loaded gun
I don't want you to change anything you do
I don't want you to be someone else for me
Stay as you are, the Darkest Star
Shining for me majestically
The song The Darkest Star by Depeche Mode is a melancholic composition that explores the complexities of individuality and how it can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. The lyrics are directed at a person who embodies the characteristics of sadness, wildness, darkness and blindness. The singer acknowledges the challenges that the person experiences living in a world that doesn’t understand them.
The first stanza talks about the sad one, who is not finding it easy to adapt to the person's surroundings. Playing the Angel is like being someone who is pure and innocent in a world filled with chaos, hatred and suffering. The second stanza talks about the wild one, who is the devil's companion and never stays satisfied for long. The third stanza addresses the dark one, who is an eternal outsider, and has created a web of isolation around them.
In the final stanza, the singer expresses their desire for the person to ‘stay as they are’, the darkest star, shining majestically for them, and not try to change anything about themselves for anyone else. It is a plea for the person to embrace their uniqueness and hold on to their individuality while acknowledging that it may not always be easy.
Overall, The Darkest Star is a poignant reminder of the beauty that lies in every human being’s unique characteristics, and the importance of embracing them rather than trying to fit into predetermined molds.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh you sad one
Addressing a person who is often filled with sadness.
Playing the Angel
Living life religiously while trying to maintain a good image.
Isn't so easy where you're from
Living a religious life often comes with trials and hardships.
Oh you wild one
Addressing a person who lives their life recklessly.
Devil's companion
A person who surrounds themselves with darkness and evil influences.
You won't stay satisfied for long
Living a life filled with reckless abandon will not bring lasting satisfaction or peace.
I don't want you to change anything you do
The singer does not want the person to pretend to be someone they are not.
I don't want you to be someone else for me
The artist wants the person to be true to themselves and not change for their sake.
Oh you dark one
Addressing a person who is often surrounded by darkness and despair.
Eternal outsider
A person who has always felt like they don't quite belong or fit in anywhere.
Caught in the spider's web you've spun
The person is trapped in a cycle of their own making, struggling to find a way out.
Oh you blind one
Addressing a person who cannot see things for what they truly are.
Gentle and kind one
Despite their blindness, the person has a kind and gentle nature.
Seeing the world as a loaded gun
The person sees the world as a dangerous and scary place.
Stay as you are, the Darkest Star
The singer wants the person to stay true to themselves, even if that means embracing their darkness.
Shining for me majestically
The artist sees the person's uniqueness and individuality as something beautiful and impressive.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Gore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@effzzzzz8871
Oh you sad one
Playing the angel
Isn't so easy where you're from
Oh you wild one
Devil's companion
You won't stay satisfied for long
I don't want you to change anything you do
I don't want you to be someone else for me
Oh you dark one
Eternal outsider
Caught in the spider's web you've spun
Oh you blind one
Gentle and kind one
Seeing the world as a loaded gun
I don't want you to change anything you do
I don't want you to be someone else for me
Stay as you are the darkest star
Shining for me
Majestically
♡ ♡ ♡
@indianiecworld
what a great underrated song. very cinematic
@vibesof303
Remedy has a good taste. It was title song for alan wake.
@garycarr3857
@@vibesof303Depeche Mode Playing ▶️ The Angel 😇 2005
@garycarr3857
Victor Thea
@matthewnugent-marcoux3658
Came here after hearing it at the end of Alan Wake Special Feature Two, The Writer. What a fitting song 👏
@yoah95
I'm so grateful my mom raised mr with these guys. I remember having this album on repeat in fifth grade. I'm 26 now and still loving this.
@crankheart
im a freshman and ive got on repeat
@garycarr3857
@@crankheart2005
@garycarr3857
Victor Thea
@depecheddurand
This is the most synth heavy depeche mode song they ever did.So dark and heavy.