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)
World Full Of Nothing
Depeche Mode Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Skin on skin, tears are falling
Tears of joy, her first boy
His first girl makes a change
In a world full of nothing
Though it's not love, it means something
She's lonely
That he lusts, she doesn't trust him
Nothing is true but he will do
In a world full of nothing
Though it's not love, it means something
It's easy to slip away and believe it all
It's easy to slip away and believe it all
It's easy to slip away and believe it all
It's easy to slip away and believe it all
Though it's not love, it means something
Though it's not love, it means something
Though it's not love, it means something
Though it's not love, it means something
Though it's not love, it means something
Though it's not love, it means something
Though it's not love, it means something
The lyrics to Depeche Mode's song World Full Of Nothing paint a picture of a couple engaging in a moment of intimacy. The couple is described as being naked, with their skin touching and tears falling – tears of joy, shed by the girl who has just experienced her first romantic encounter. The boy is also described as having had his “first girl,” indicating that the situation is new to both of them. Despite the fact that the encounter is not described as “love,” the lyrics suggest that it still holds meaning for them, especially in a world that feels otherwise empty and devoid of meaning.
The second half of the song tells a slightly different story, as the girl is described as feeling lonely and uncertain about the boy’s true intentions. He acknowledges that he lusts after her, but insists that his feelings are for her alone. The girl doesn’t trust him, but ultimately concludes that “though it’s not love, it means something” – a sentiment that is repeated throughout the song. The final lines of the song describe how easy it is to “slip away” and believe in the meaning of the encounter, despite its ambiguous nature.
Overall, the lyrics to World Full Of Nothing explore the complexities of human connection and the search for meaning in a world that can often feel empty and devoid of purpose. The song’s ambiguous lyrics leave much up to interpretation, but its themes of intimacy, trust, and the search for meaning are universal and relatable.
Line by Line Meaning
Close, naked
Intimacy and vulnerability are present
Skin on skin, tears are falling
Emotions are raw and there is physical contact
Tears of joy, her first boy
The woman is happy because it is her first sexual experience
His first girl makes a change
The man is changed by the experience of being with this woman
In a world full of nothing
The world in general lacks true meaning
Though it's not love, it means something
Even though they are not in love, the experience is still significant
She's lonely
The woman is alone in life
And he says it's for her only
The man is assuring her that the experience is special and for her alone
That he lusts, she doesn't trust him
The man wants her physically but she doubts his sincerity
Nothing is true but he will do
The man may not actually love her, but he is willing to go through with the experience
It's easy to slip away and believe it all
It's easy to fall into the illusion that this experience is true love
Though it's not love, it means something
Again emphasizing the importance of the experience despite not being true love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Gore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nicolas F. Costoglou
Lyrics:
Close
Naked
Skin on skin
Tears are falling
Tears of joy
Her first boy
His first girl
Makes a change
In a world full of nothing
Though it’s not love
It means something
She’s lonely
And he says
It’s for her only
That he lusts
She doesn’t trust him
Nothing is true
But he will do
It’s easy to slip away
And believe it all
IkeArt Films
This song is overall a masterpiece... but I don't know what it is, I can't get enough of that synth line right at the end. It is so warm and gives me shivers everytime.
CherylVanEpps
try Vince Clark's synth with Erasure.
Rachel L. Gore
Martin Gore is one of the most underrated songwriters out there. This song is amazing and one of my favourite Martin tracks. In all honesty though, I love all Martin's ballads :)
Micka Datwist
often you need to listen to these ML "love" songs multiple times to get their moods. Cuz their moods are not obviously happy or almost delusional about "love". Sometimes, world full of...., both doesn't matters, blue dress are all like that.
Cell Recordings
Totally agree. A genius song writer, and his mastery of melancholy in the form of ballads is right up there.
JANXDPDX
yet didn't need to get turned into an Erasure type 4 minute song
Yakob Gulpenheimmer
Not underrated at all , he is one of the greatest songwriters, not everything has to be underrated
Bionic Rusty
This still brings me to tears after all these years.
I’m crying now listening to it.
I love you Martin. ♥️
Nicolas F. Costoglou
Lyrics:
Close
Naked
Skin on skin
Tears are falling
Tears of joy
Her first boy
His first girl
Makes a change
In a world full of nothing
Though it’s not love
It means something
She’s lonely
And he says
It’s for her only
That he lusts
She doesn’t trust him
Nothing is true
But he will do
It’s easy to slip away
And believe it all
Mariana F
I cried myself a river while
listening to this song as a teenage girl .....that was in last century though .... still a very beautiful song, they dont come up with songs like this one anymore.