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 Landscape Is Changing
Depeche Mode Lyrics
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The landscape is crying
Thousands of acres of forest are dying
Carbon copies from the hills above the forest line
Acid streams are flowing ill across the countryside
'Cause I don't care if you're going nowhere
Just take good care of the world
Just take good care of the world
Now we're re-arranging
There's no use denying
Mountains and valleys, can't you hear them sighing
Evolution, the solution or the certainty
Can you imagine this intrusion of their privacy
'Cause I don't care if you're going nowhere
Just take good care of the world
I don't case if you're going nowhere
Just take good care of the world
Token gestures, some semblance of intelligence
Can we be blamed for the security of ignorance
'Cause I don't care if you're going nowhere
Just take good care of the world
I don't case if you're going nowhere
Just take good care of the world
I don't care if you're going nowhere
Just take good care of the world
In "The Landscape Is Changing," Depeche Mode addresses the pressing environmental crisis and the need to conserve our natural world. The song begins by describing the consequences of deforestation and pollution- dying forests, acid streams, and the adverse effects of human activity on the countryside.
The chorus insists on the importance of taking care of the world, regardless of personal ambitions or agendas. The idea is that the destruction of nature hurts everyone in the long run, regardless of wealth or celebrity status, and we all share a responsibility to be mindful of our impact on the planet. The second verse emphasizes the changes taking place in nature due to human behavior, and the responsibility we have to preserve the privacy and sanctity of the earth's natural places.
The third verse of the song criticizes the concept of token gestures; the notion that society can merely pretend to care about environmental conservation without actually committing to change. The line "Can we be blamed for the security of ignorance?" suggests that society at large may be choosing to ignore the severity of this issue because it feels easier to do so. The song's message is that we must overcome this complacency towards climate change to preserve the planet for future generations.
Line by Line Meaning
The landscape is changing
The natural environment is being altered
The landscape is crying
The natural environment is in distress
Thousands of acres of forest are dying
Trees and habitats are being destroyed on a massive scale
Carbon copies from the hills above the forest line
Man-made structures are replacing natural ones
Acid streams are flowing ill across the countryside
The water supply is being contaminated by pollution
'Cause I don't care if you're going nowhere
Regardless of your destination in life
Just take good care of the world
It is important to protect the planet
Now we're re-arranging
We are reorganizing our surroundings
There's no use denying
There is no point in pretending everything is fine
Mountains and valleys, can't you hear them sighing
The natural landscape is upset by human activity
Evolution, the solution or the certainty
We must adapt to our changing environment or face the consequences
Can you imagine this intrusion of their privacy
The natural world is being disturbed by human interference
Token gestures, some semblance of intelligence
Small efforts, no matter how intelligent, are not enough to fix the problem
Can we be blamed for the security of ignorance
Are we responsible for our own ignorance and its consequences?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Alan Wilder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind