Talking about perfection: Halo In Reverse: This would be my favorite song from Violator if that's possible to have from this album, since the whole album is excellent....
Halo In Reverse
This would be my favorite song from Violator if that's possible to have from this album, since the whole album is excellent. I thought the halo in reverse was the irony of an "innocent" person who is really putting on a front and they aren't so innocent. To me it is that a person is ready to suffer for their lover regardless of what he/she does to them...cheating, not being their for them, mental torture etc .. in the end the result is self gratification of the end. Both sides will get something out of the "not so good" relationship.
I've always been puzzled by the concept of "Halo in Reverse", so it was very interesting to read interpretations on this. I like the idea of a halo at the other end of the body, as a chain to ones ankles. The lyric was obviously dear to Martin as he decided to name the whole song after it. That in itself is interesting.
The word 'shackles' (on meaning "anything that serves to prevent freedom of procedure, thought") in the beginning of this terrific song already show what it's all about.
You wear guilt like shackles on your feet - Because of the mistake you made, you know you're wrong and it's notable
Like a halo in reverse - Angels wear halo's a devil would be wearing one in reverse in spite of God, which is the relation of a crime to attractiveness
I can feel, The discomfort in your seat", And in your head it's worse - The discomfort is obvious to the viewer, and it presumes that it only can be worse on the inside.
There's a pain, A famine in your heart, An aching to be free - A starving in the person's heart for love I suppose from someone else or a desire to be free of their lies withheld
And "when our worlds they fall apart" When the walls come tumbling in Though we may deserve it It will be worth it - When the relationship falls apart or the truth comes out it all will fit to place and eventually it will be for the best
Can't you see, All love's luxuries, Are here for you and me - Luxuries is used as sarcasm of the problem's failed relationships of love
Bring your chains, Your lips of tragedy, And fall into my arms - The desire for "I'm sorry story" with all the guilt to be told
The song is about infidelity, a couple where a person who is most likely cheating on their partner and their partner knows it. This eventually destroys the relationship (world falls apart),. This person really wants out of the relationship they feel guilty and confess about the infidelity or they come clean and are very sorry about it, but the end of it brings so much pleasure that it's justified (it will be worth it).
The other way to look at it can be that he's trying to convince her about the 'truth' of his conviction that they can do whatever they want for having pleasure ("All love's luxuries / Are here for you and me"), however she's quite hesitant for believing in his words and I think it's basically because she's a very devoted religious person. Therefore her mind is living a permanent & terrible conflict ("The discomfort in your seat / And in your head it's worse") since every time she has tried to correspond to his expectations she feels terribly guilty , despite she doesn't take herself as a 'blessed' person at all, on the contrary she probably sees herself as a unforgivable sinner all the time("You wear guilt / Like shackles on your feet / Like a halo in reverse"). Nevertheless, on its chorus he tells her that no matter how apocalyptic their fate can be, they deserve to live their love intensely.
"Bring your chains
Your lips of tragedy
And fall into my arms"
Well, he seems to give up to erase her 'brainwash' on this last verse, but he'll never give up her anyway...
This interpretation is more compatible to the story in the video for this song, where she's happier with Martin, even thou Dave is more obvious choice for her...
This interpretation is more compatible to the story in the video for this song, where she's happier with Martin, even thou Dave is more obvious choice for her...
This album comes to be one of the top albums ever for me. I'm still sure it's the most upbeat album you'll ever hear, but you only have to look at groups like Linkin Park, Hurts, Portishead, Rammstein, and Moby to realize the impact of Violator to this day.
References:
Also have to mention that this song has a lot to do with the term halo effect in psychology where the term "halo in reverse" is a part of it.
The halo effect or halo error is a cognitive bias in which one's judgments of a person’s character can be influenced by one's overall impression of him or her. It can be found in a range of situations from the courtroom to the classroom and in everyday interactions. The halo effect was given its name by psychologist Edward Thorndike; subsequent researchers have studied it in relation to attractiveness and its bearing on the judicial and educational systems.
Halo error The correlation in the halo effect experiment was concluded to be a halo error. The halo error showed that the persons relied mainly on general perception of certain characteristics that determined the results of their answers.
A person’s attractiveness has also been found to produce a halo effect. Attractiveness provides a valuable aspect of the halo effect to consider because of its multifaceted nature; attractiveness may be influenced by several specific traits. These perceptions of attractiveness may affect judgments tied to personality traits. Physical attributes contribute to perceptions of attractiveness (i.e. weight, hair, eye color). For example, someone that is perceived as attractive, due in part to physical traits, may be more likely to be perceived as kind or intelligent. The role of attractiveness in producing the halo effect has been illustrated through a number of studies. Recent research, for example, has revealed that attractiveness may affect perceptions tied to life success and personality.In this study, attractiveness was correlated with weight, indicating that attractiveness itself may be influenced by various specific traits. Included in the personality variables were trustworthiness and friendliness. People perceived as being more attractive were more likely to be perceived as trustworthy and friendly. What this suggests is that perceptions of attractiveness may influence a variety of other traits, which supports the concept of the halo effect.
Halo in Reverse
The relation of a crime to attractiveness is also subject to the halo effect. A study presented two hypothetical crimes: a burglary and a swindle. The burglary involved a woman illegally obtaining a key and stealing $2,200; the swindle involved a woman manipulating a man to invest $2,200 in a nonexistent corporation. The results showed that when the offense was not related to attractiveness (as in the burglary) the unattractive defendant was punished more severely than the attractive one. However, when the offense was related to attractiveness (the swindle), the attractive defendant was punished more severely than the unattractive one. The study imputes that the usual leniency given to the attractive woman (as a result of the halo effect) was negated or reversed when the nature of the crime involved her looks.
Depeche Mode the Soundtrack of my life
Song are not favored by the necessary order :)
1. Black Celebration
This is the title track off the groundbreaking album of the same name that put Depeche Mode on the map artistically. It has one of the best starts to any electronic based album I have ever heard. It is really the theme song for the band because it embodies the angst and deep sensibilities that are at Depeche Mode's core as a group. From its whispered beginning, to its chanted ending it holds you spellbound.
2. Blasphemous Rumors
Off the album Some Great Reward; this introspective track about suicide, the tragedies of a doomed fate, and losing faith in religion, is arguably Depeche Mode's most somber masterpiece. The eerie synthesized effects Fletcher and Wilder utilize make the quintessential moody backdrop to the lyrics without being melodramatic. An insistent, tongue-in-cheek chorus frames the melody with wry sarcasm, and by the end of the song you really don't mind being blasphemous.
3. Waiting for the Night to Fall
Another "little treasure" from Violator that is both breathtaking in its choral simplicity, and complex for the same reason. Here Depeche Mode gives homage to the splendor of the night with all the ardor of hunting vampires anxious for moonlight to descend. Fletcher and Wilder command the electronic effects with a perfect balance of soft intrigue. Gahan's throaty exclamations break through the softness of the melody with alarm and honesty that brings the song from its suspenseful beginning to its mystical ending. In a word-Brilliant!
4. Walking in My Shoes
Depeche mode brings a declaration of defiance from the album Songs of Faith and Devotion. With a blend of gospel-heeled inspiration and a taunting in your face retort, Gahan's vocals guide you through a musical journey that both seeks and despises redemption on two sides of the same coin. He's been everywhere and done everything. He's a sinner, but if he can't get redemption then he invites to you try to redeem yourself on the same path. But he doesn't have very much faith in you. This has to be one of my favorites Depeche Mode songs; both for its matter-of-fact honesty and pleading search for personal approval.
5. One Caress
Also on Songs of Faith and Devotion is the song One Caress, which definitely deserves a mention here even though it never got much critical credit. For fans it's one of the more underrated songs in Depeche Mode's discography. With a soul-shaking string section that soars to the high heavens it urges your mind to go beyond the mundane. The cherubic voice and bitter-sweet romantic lyrics of the talented Martin Gore make this song absolutely beautiful. Just one listen and you can easily envision a pair of star-crossed lovers - Romeo and Juliet, Helen and Paris, and in more modern pop culture Edward and Bella of Twilight fame may tickle the edges of your imagination as the music plays.
6. Precious:
Coming back with a bang was personified when the radio airwaves were hit with this ambitious single from Depeche mode's 12th studio album Playing the Angel. Precious has the sort of grandiose, longing drama that only Depeche Mode can deliver. The subtle but pronounced electronic styling leads the listener into a modern version of analog rhythms. Once again it is the strong lyrical message from Gore since it's written for his children that were hurt from the divorce that Martin and his wife were going trough, and Gahan's bass-laden vocals that make this song so memorable.
7. Enjoy the Silence
The song that started my Depeche Mode fervor, a famous song off of the album Violator; Enjoy the Silence has become something of a rock staple; it has a melody that is both cheery and morose. If you do not know this song then you are simply not a Depeche Mode fan! This has to be one of Depeche Mode's most covered songs. The most recent popular covers come from metal rock darlings Lacuna Coil, and alternative rockers Keane. Depeche Mode in all their glorious ingenuity explores the space between the explosive anger of a lover's quarrel and its aftermath, telling the story of the damage that words can inflict on the psyche. And yet when you look at the video you have a king who crossing all this landscapes like he owns the world. So it makes you think how king can have it all so he truly Enjoys the Silence. Nobody does it better .
8.People are People
Off of the album Some Great Reward; one of the groups' more dance-able tracks. It explores issues of equality in race, social status, religion, and gender. For its upbeat demeanor this song handles some pretty heavy issues that still continue to plague the world. The single has a raw sound that suggests harsh echoes of metal grating against concrete to emphasize the insulated areas of the urban condition.
9. Only when I lose myself
A beautifully crafted melody is what lifts this song into the top five list. The song is different from the typical Depeche Mode model. As close to a love ballad as you will find in their catalog the lyrics are not the strong point of this song. In fact, in straying from the usually dark and moody formula the lyrics at time feel a little corny. The songwriting however is truly inspired and conveys the tender beauty that the lyrics can't quite deliver.
10. Never Let Me Down Again
Another haunting entry that shows the core of the bands appeal, the uncanny ability of Gore's song writing and Gahan's lyrics to merge together as a perfect unit. The lyrics tell the desperate story of some sort of addiction in the form of a road trip with 'my best friend'. The lyrics are powerful on their own but the simple melody carries the message across perfectly. The love/hate relationship with the addiction can be felt in the sad and desperate music.
11. It's No Good
Depeche Mode despite their well earned reputation for dark and sinister themes can actually be a very funny band. Everybody might not catch on to the humorous side of this tale of unanswered love, but the hopeless detachment from reality is put across with a good dose of humor. The hilarious music video for the song by Anton Corbijn underscores these points very well. The song itself is brilliant and again the superior melody crafting of Martin Gore is complemented perfectly by Gahan's voice.
12. Personal Jesus
Again the band offers their take on religion. This song is an attack on the commercialized and non committal surface religion that is common in the West. The song is also a mainstay and crowd favorite when the band plays live. The signature chant "Reach Out and Touch Faith!" lends itself perfectly for the crowd to sing along. This song can easily keep going for more than 10 minutes if the crowd really gets into it.
13. Halo
The song about two people who are engaged in a bad relationship driven by some strange attractiveness and emotion. They ultimately realise that it's better to end it than to continue the agony. The video shows the girl choosing happiness over a guy that seems like an obvious choice for her .
14. I Just Can't get enough
The bands first successful single is typically catchy, but not nearly as dark and moody as the signature sounds of the band. It is a clean cut electro pop single that shows the contrast in the early songwriting of Clark and the sinister melodies later crafted by Martin Gore. Released all the way back in 1981 this single still gets regular airtime and is an essential part of the Depeche Mode experience.
15.When the Body Speaks
This top song by Depeche Mode is an intimate ode to giving in to physical desires at the paradoxical urging of and detriment to the soul.
"To the soul's desires the body listens what the flesh requires keeps the heart imprisoned..."
16.World in My Eyes
Depeche Mode sings about living in the moment of sexual exploration.
Funny, i always thought this was a song about a guy who's all talk. He promises the girl this highly spiritual out-of-body experience, and in the end he doesn't deliver. Hence the lines "that's all there is, nothing more that you can feel now, that's all there is". Doesn't sound like a great time was had. More like, "you kidding me? That's it?" The guy doesn't seem to mind though. He got what he wanted, and will most likely move on to the next conquest, seducing his target with the same smooth lines. I think the song's got a sarcastic undertone to it.
17. Everything Counts
This song is a prime example of the industrial sound Depeche Mode evolved from the mid 80's. The mechanical beats and highly synthesized sound would not feel out of place in a Front 242 single. The songs still retains Gore's fantastic ability to write beautiful melodies and the chorus has a stadium "sing along" appeal that is so typical for Depeche Mode's best songs.
18. In your room
Because of this song I claim that Martin Gore is the Mozart of our time.
A lot of Depeche Mode songs have a religious undertone to them, and this song could be interpreted in such a way as well. He is talking about being at the discretion of some greater power, being trapped in the world created by it, not knowing what's going to happen to him and how long he'll be here.
"I'm hanging on your words
living on your breath
feeling with your skin
Will I always be here..."
This verse is referring to the fact that this greater power gives him wisdom and direction,that he breathes because spirit was breathed into him, his skin is part of the skin of the creator, and he is asking this creator if his life is eternal. Though it seems as if he's not very excited about this prospect until he finds out or knows for sure what he needs to do and what's the meaning of it.
Gore has often written in terms of God existing but that God is not necessarily good & benevolent (Blasphemous rumors as an example). In this song he explores the idea of a cruel God which allows us existence only to take it away. "In your room, where souls disappear, only you exist here". It's all quite obvious. He sees God as creating us to simply play with our souls.
I must say this song has a special place in my heart and is a favourite one!
19. Policy of Truth
One of the biggest lessons I leaned was that a lie, whether an omission of an uncomfortable fact or an outright prevarication, was a bad thing. My grandmother used to always say, “There are two types of people I can’t stand—a liar and a thief.” I’ve come to understand that her equal distaste for those social pariahs proceeds from the fact that one simply can’t trust either of them. And without trust, well, you have no way of establishing a relationship that any well-adjusted human would call healthy. I went through life letting that precept shape my discourse with others…usually. That I employed the word “usually” above should be a big hint that my perspective on truth-telling did became more sophisticated over time. For example, I grasped fairly early on that there were occasions when avoiding the truth was actually one’s moral duty. Case in point: if you’re living in Amsterdam in 1944 and a man with a funny cross on his arm asks you if you’re hiding Jews in the attic, and you are, you should politely reply in the negative. That’s extreme, I know. “Do I look fat in this dress” is a more common, yet equally life-threatening example. The point is, sometimes you have to lie for the sake of the greater good or to spare a person from unnecessary hurt.
Perhaps that’s just the way the world turns, and I should just get with the Depeche Mode program. (God knows they were on point with “Personal Jesus”.) All I know is, I’m tired of playing by the rules, only to find out that hardly anyone else does. What’s worse, some even consider me the social deviant for doing it! It seems that yet again, my idealism is costing me…I just hope that I don’t end up morally bankrupt.
20. Broken
Song from a new album released. Personally one of my favorites, it tells us of how we all suffer to be what we're not suppose to be and play different rolls so that we fulfill others desires not our own. So, that finally we end up broken not realizing that we were broken from the start, but there's positive side of it. Like the chorus says If you have someone who will love you for who you are and be there no matter what then you're good and there's nothing to fear. The lyrics that hit my core are "When you were a child, you dreamed all day long, dream of the future, got lost in your songs" For such a long time I forgot to dream those childhood dreams, and to try to make them happen for me now. But not any more, this year everything changes, If I succeed it will result with a book. The lyrics that Dave wrote could fit to one of Martin's. NO need to re-listen the song to like it, it's a love at first listening. Also this album is so well thought out, their music evolved, lyrics are comprehensive as always and that made them ahead of others again. It's a mixture of classical DM sound and something new acoustic and raw. The studio version of this song works better for me.
Many will undoubtedly feel that this list does not represent the best of Depeche Mode. With a body of songs so strong it's very difficult to pick only 10, that's why I while compiling this list I realized that a top 20 list would probably do the band more justice. However, every single song on this list is an excellent song and would serve as a great entry point to explore this excellent group. Share yours top 10 or 20 :)
1. Black Celebration
This is the title track off the groundbreaking album of the same name that put Depeche Mode on the map artistically. It has one of the best starts to any electronic based album I have ever heard. It is really the theme song for the band because it embodies the angst and deep sensibilities that are at Depeche Mode's core as a group. From its whispered beginning, to its chanted ending it holds you spellbound.
2. Blasphemous Rumors
Off the album Some Great Reward; this introspective track about suicide, the tragedies of a doomed fate, and losing faith in religion, is arguably Depeche Mode's most somber masterpiece. The eerie synthesized effects Fletcher and Wilder utilize make the quintessential moody backdrop to the lyrics without being melodramatic. An insistent, tongue-in-cheek chorus frames the melody with wry sarcasm, and by the end of the song you really don't mind being blasphemous.
3. Waiting for the Night to Fall
Another "little treasure" from Violator that is both breathtaking in its choral simplicity, and complex for the same reason. Here Depeche Mode gives homage to the splendor of the night with all the ardor of hunting vampires anxious for moonlight to descend. Fletcher and Wilder command the electronic effects with a perfect balance of soft intrigue. Gahan's throaty exclamations break through the softness of the melody with alarm and honesty that brings the song from its suspenseful beginning to its mystical ending. In a word-Brilliant!
4. Walking in My Shoes
Depeche mode brings a declaration of defiance from the album Songs of Faith and Devotion. With a blend of gospel-heeled inspiration and a taunting in your face retort, Gahan's vocals guide you through a musical journey that both seeks and despises redemption on two sides of the same coin. He's been everywhere and done everything. He's a sinner, but if he can't get redemption then he invites to you try to redeem yourself on the same path. But he doesn't have very much faith in you. This has to be one of my favorites Depeche Mode songs; both for its matter-of-fact honesty and pleading search for personal approval.
5. One Caress
Also on Songs of Faith and Devotion is the song One Caress, which definitely deserves a mention here even though it never got much critical credit. For fans it's one of the more underrated songs in Depeche Mode's discography. With a soul-shaking string section that soars to the high heavens it urges your mind to go beyond the mundane. The cherubic voice and bitter-sweet romantic lyrics of the talented Martin Gore make this song absolutely beautiful. Just one listen and you can easily envision a pair of star-crossed lovers - Romeo and Juliet, Helen and Paris, and in more modern pop culture Edward and Bella of Twilight fame may tickle the edges of your imagination as the music plays.
6. Precious:
Coming back with a bang was personified when the radio airwaves were hit with this ambitious single from Depeche mode's 12th studio album Playing the Angel. Precious has the sort of grandiose, longing drama that only Depeche Mode can deliver. The subtle but pronounced electronic styling leads the listener into a modern version of analog rhythms. Once again it is the strong lyrical message from Gore since it's written for his children that were hurt from the divorce that Martin and his wife were going trough, and Gahan's bass-laden vocals that make this song so memorable.
7. Enjoy the Silence
The song that started my Depeche Mode fervor, a famous song off of the album Violator; Enjoy the Silence has become something of a rock staple; it has a melody that is both cheery and morose. If you do not know this song then you are simply not a Depeche Mode fan! This has to be one of Depeche Mode's most covered songs. The most recent popular covers come from metal rock darlings Lacuna Coil, and alternative rockers Keane. Depeche Mode in all their glorious ingenuity explores the space between the explosive anger of a lover's quarrel and its aftermath, telling the story of the damage that words can inflict on the psyche. And yet when you look at the video you have a king who crossing all this landscapes like he owns the world. So it makes you think how king can have it all so he truly Enjoys the Silence. Nobody does it better .
8.People are People
Off of the album Some Great Reward; one of the groups' more dance-able tracks. It explores issues of equality in race, social status, religion, and gender. For its upbeat demeanor this song handles some pretty heavy issues that still continue to plague the world. The single has a raw sound that suggests harsh echoes of metal grating against concrete to emphasize the insulated areas of the urban condition.
9. Only when I lose myself
A beautifully crafted melody is what lifts this song into the top five list. The song is different from the typical Depeche Mode model. As close to a love ballad as you will find in their catalog the lyrics are not the strong point of this song. In fact, in straying from the usually dark and moody formula the lyrics at time feel a little corny. The songwriting however is truly inspired and conveys the tender beauty that the lyrics can't quite deliver.
10. Never Let Me Down Again
Another haunting entry that shows the core of the bands appeal, the uncanny ability of Gore's song writing and Gahan's lyrics to merge together as a perfect unit. The lyrics tell the desperate story of some sort of addiction in the form of a road trip with 'my best friend'. The lyrics are powerful on their own but the simple melody carries the message across perfectly. The love/hate relationship with the addiction can be felt in the sad and desperate music.
11. It's No Good
Depeche Mode despite their well earned reputation for dark and sinister themes can actually be a very funny band. Everybody might not catch on to the humorous side of this tale of unanswered love, but the hopeless detachment from reality is put across with a good dose of humor. The hilarious music video for the song by Anton Corbijn underscores these points very well. The song itself is brilliant and again the superior melody crafting of Martin Gore is complemented perfectly by Gahan's voice.
12. Personal Jesus
Again the band offers their take on religion. This song is an attack on the commercialized and non committal surface religion that is common in the West. The song is also a mainstay and crowd favorite when the band plays live. The signature chant "Reach Out and Touch Faith!" lends itself perfectly for the crowd to sing along. This song can easily keep going for more than 10 minutes if the crowd really gets into it.
13. Halo
The song about two people who are engaged in a bad relationship driven by some strange attractiveness and emotion. They ultimately realise that it's better to end it than to continue the agony. The video shows the girl choosing happiness over a guy that seems like an obvious choice for her .
14. I Just Can't get enough
The bands first successful single is typically catchy, but not nearly as dark and moody as the signature sounds of the band. It is a clean cut electro pop single that shows the contrast in the early songwriting of Clark and the sinister melodies later crafted by Martin Gore. Released all the way back in 1981 this single still gets regular airtime and is an essential part of the Depeche Mode experience.
15.When the Body Speaks
This top song by Depeche Mode is an intimate ode to giving in to physical desires at the paradoxical urging of and detriment to the soul.
"To the soul's desires the body listens what the flesh requires keeps the heart imprisoned..."
16.World in My Eyes
Depeche Mode sings about living in the moment of sexual exploration.
Funny, i always thought this was a song about a guy who's all talk. He promises the girl this highly spiritual out-of-body experience, and in the end he doesn't deliver. Hence the lines "that's all there is, nothing more that you can feel now, that's all there is". Doesn't sound like a great time was had. More like, "you kidding me? That's it?" The guy doesn't seem to mind though. He got what he wanted, and will most likely move on to the next conquest, seducing his target with the same smooth lines. I think the song's got a sarcastic undertone to it.
17. Everything Counts
This song is a prime example of the industrial sound Depeche Mode evolved from the mid 80's. The mechanical beats and highly synthesized sound would not feel out of place in a Front 242 single. The songs still retains Gore's fantastic ability to write beautiful melodies and the chorus has a stadium "sing along" appeal that is so typical for Depeche Mode's best songs.
18. In your room
Because of this song I claim that Martin Gore is the Mozart of our time.
A lot of Depeche Mode songs have a religious undertone to them, and this song could be interpreted in such a way as well. He is talking about being at the discretion of some greater power, being trapped in the world created by it, not knowing what's going to happen to him and how long he'll be here.
"I'm hanging on your words
living on your breath
feeling with your skin
Will I always be here..."
This verse is referring to the fact that this greater power gives him wisdom and direction,that he breathes because spirit was breathed into him, his skin is part of the skin of the creator, and he is asking this creator if his life is eternal. Though it seems as if he's not very excited about this prospect until he finds out or knows for sure what he needs to do and what's the meaning of it.
Gore has often written in terms of God existing but that God is not necessarily good & benevolent (Blasphemous rumors as an example). In this song he explores the idea of a cruel God which allows us existence only to take it away. "In your room, where souls disappear, only you exist here". It's all quite obvious. He sees God as creating us to simply play with our souls.
I must say this song has a special place in my heart and is a favourite one!
19. Policy of Truth
One of the biggest lessons I leaned was that a lie, whether an omission of an uncomfortable fact or an outright prevarication, was a bad thing. My grandmother used to always say, “There are two types of people I can’t stand—a liar and a thief.” I’ve come to understand that her equal distaste for those social pariahs proceeds from the fact that one simply can’t trust either of them. And without trust, well, you have no way of establishing a relationship that any well-adjusted human would call healthy. I went through life letting that precept shape my discourse with others…usually. That I employed the word “usually” above should be a big hint that my perspective on truth-telling did became more sophisticated over time. For example, I grasped fairly early on that there were occasions when avoiding the truth was actually one’s moral duty. Case in point: if you’re living in Amsterdam in 1944 and a man with a funny cross on his arm asks you if you’re hiding Jews in the attic, and you are, you should politely reply in the negative. That’s extreme, I know. “Do I look fat in this dress” is a more common, yet equally life-threatening example. The point is, sometimes you have to lie for the sake of the greater good or to spare a person from unnecessary hurt.
Perhaps that’s just the way the world turns, and I should just get with the Depeche Mode program. (God knows they were on point with “Personal Jesus”.) All I know is, I’m tired of playing by the rules, only to find out that hardly anyone else does. What’s worse, some even consider me the social deviant for doing it! It seems that yet again, my idealism is costing me…I just hope that I don’t end up morally bankrupt.
20. Broken
Song from a new album released. Personally one of my favorites, it tells us of how we all suffer to be what we're not suppose to be and play different rolls so that we fulfill others desires not our own. So, that finally we end up broken not realizing that we were broken from the start, but there's positive side of it. Like the chorus says If you have someone who will love you for who you are and be there no matter what then you're good and there's nothing to fear. The lyrics that hit my core are "When you were a child, you dreamed all day long, dream of the future, got lost in your songs" For such a long time I forgot to dream those childhood dreams, and to try to make them happen for me now. But not any more, this year everything changes, If I succeed it will result with a book. The lyrics that Dave wrote could fit to one of Martin's. NO need to re-listen the song to like it, it's a love at first listening. Also this album is so well thought out, their music evolved, lyrics are comprehensive as always and that made them ahead of others again. It's a mixture of classical DM sound and something new acoustic and raw. The studio version of this song works better for me.
Many will undoubtedly feel that this list does not represent the best of Depeche Mode. With a body of songs so strong it's very difficult to pick only 10, that's why I while compiling this list I realized that a top 20 list would probably do the band more justice. However, every single song on this list is an excellent song and would serve as a great entry point to explore this excellent group. Share yours top 10 or 20 :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)