DEPECHE MODE - GHOSTS AGAIN

Released : February 9, 2023

Charted:  UK: #20 

"Ghosts Again" is a song released as the lead single from the band’s fifteenth studio album, “Memento Mori”. It reached Top 20 in the UK Singles Sales charts, something that they had not accomplished since their 2006 single "Martyr". it marks the band's first new music following the death of co-founder and keyboardist Andy Fletcher in May 2022.

The lyrics of "Ghosts Again" explore the theme of life's transience, as things can suddenly disappear, break, or vanish. They reflect on our mortality, reminding us that one day we too will become "ghosts again," fading into the ether and losing our physical form. According to vocalist David Gahan, the song strikes a perfect balance between melancholy and joy.

Dave Gahan told: "When I first heard that song, I was like, 'Okay. I'm in.' The demo made me feel instant joy. I remember dancing around my living room, and my daughter came in and she was looking at me weird, like, 'What's going on?' I was like, 'Don't you love this?' She kind of started bopping along with me and she was like, 'I get it. It's a really good song.'"

The “Memento Mori” album title is a Latin expression that translates to "remember you must die." It was originally used to remind proud Roman generals of the inevitability of death and, in the Middle Ages, to exhort people to make the most of their earthly lives. With lyrics that describe "Heaven's dreaming, thoughtless thoughts, my friends," and a "place to hide the tears we cry," "Ghosts Again" serves as a fitting introduction to the themes of life after death that drive “Memento Mori”.

Depeche Mode started work on “Memento Mori” before Andy Fletcher's death, but he didn't record any material for it. "He never got to hear any of it, which is really sad to me because there are songs on this record where I know he'd be like, 'This is the best thing we've had in years,'" Gahan reflected to NME. "I can hear his voice. I can also hear him saying, 'Does every song have to be about death?!'"

Martin Gore co-wrote "Ghosts Again" with Psychedelic Furs lead singer Richard Butler. Four Memento Mori tracks feature songwriting credits from Butler. "I've never written with anyone outside the band in our history," Gore told NME. "Richard reached out to me around April 2020, just texting to say 'We should write some songs together.' I asked for ideas and he sent me a few lines, so I put those to music and we started sending them back and forth.” We ended up writing seven songs. We didn't like the first one, but the other six were so great that I thought it would be a bit of a waste to put them out as a side-project. They just wouldn't get the same sort of exposure as they would if they were put out by Depeche."

 

DEPECHE MODE - DREAM ON

Released :  April 17, 2001

Charted:  UK: #6   US: #85 

This bluesy electronic track is the lead single from Depeche Mode's 10th studio album “Exciter”. The video features several classic American cars, including a 1973 Lincoln Continental Mark IV and a 1974-1976 Cadillac Coupe DeVille.

The song is a reflection on the idea of karma and how our choices have consequences that can haunt us. The lyrics emphasize the idea of suffering due to our mistakes, and the power of resilience in spite of this. The singer encourages us to look to the future and not be held back by our past. The chorus of the song encourages us to hold onto hope, embrace love, and dream on despite our current circumstances. The song ultimately serves as a reminder that our actions can bring us down, but we still have the power to choose our own fate, to find peace and happiness, if we just keep dreaming.

Dave Gahan told Entertainment Weekly in 2017: "Mark Bell who produced “Exciter”, he's not with us anymore, unfortunately, but he taught me some interesting things about using my voice because he had been working with Björk before that, and he brought in a lot of the things she was doing with her voice into the studio. I learned how to whispering, sing very quietly and very close to the microphone, to use all the noises in my voice to be able to create this creature, this thing, and “Dream On” was one of those songs lyrically where it was a character that I was becoming, that I could be without all the misery. I could step into it, and step out.”

"'Dream On' consists mainly of two guitar lines. We used nylon strings for the first and steel strings for the second line. Both lines were recorded very close to the microphone to receive a lot of noise and this special "pump effect". When you play acoustic guitars very softly, you get a lot of strange tones and noises, which make it sound almost electronic. We had one guitar line with the right groove. And we worked with it as if it was a loop. We adjusted the other line with the PlugIn Vocalign. It was like a live performance, but with a very tight timing. We treated the electronic sounds in 'Dream On' with the same respect as the acoustic ones. I find it really boring when electronic things are treated as if they're from the future, with all that phasing and bouncing silly shit all over the place. This one was really honest with the complete live performances intact, with decorative electronics adding to the pace and the narrative of the song."(Mark Bell)

While Martin Gore generally doesn't like to discuss the meaning of his songs, he told the Associated Press: "It's about a lot of people that I know and me. The songs are never about one thing in particular. It's a song about loathing other people and self-loathing for me."

 

DEPECHE MODE - POLICY OF TRUTH 

Released :  May 7, 1990.

Charted:  UK: #16   US: #15 

"Policy Of Truth" is a song released as the third single of the 1990 “Violator”. It is the only Depeche Mode single to chart higher on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart than on the UK Singles Chart. 

The meaning of the song is that people should not lie and hide things, but rather stand up and be honest and open about their mistakes and learn from them, thus being true to themselves. The song emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for one's own actions and accepting the consequences that come with them, instead of living a life of lies and deception. The chorus, "Never again is what you swore, the time before", serves as a reminder to not repeat the same mistakes and to live a life of integrity.

Martin Gore in 1998: "It has been one of my all time favourite songs that we've ever recorded. I really like the words to it and the whole concept of having to lie to keep up appearances — maybe it's better to do that. I just really like the whole subject matter of the song. I like the Terry Hoax version or the one by Dishwalla from the tribute album [For The Masses], which is another rock version. I just like the fact that, sometimes the potential of the songs is seen when they are performed in a more conventional format. I think a lot of the time, the songs are overlooked, disregarded or not taken seriously because of the instrumentation we've used."

Recorded initially during the Puk sessions, 'Policy' went through many changes before being almost completely re-recorded at The Church studios in London. Alan Wilder talks about this: "Usually this would signify problems with a song although in this case we knew it was a strong track, not least a potential single. The main riff of the song proved such a problem to get a sound for and we must have tried 100 different variations before settling on what had become perhaps the sound of the album — slide guitar."

 

DEPECHE MODE - I FEEL YOU

Released: February 15, 1993

Charted:  UK: #8   US: #37 

"I Feel You" is a song released as the 27th UK single of the band, and the first single from their 1993 eighth studio album, “Songs of Faith and Devotion”. “I Feel You” has been a staple in Depeche Mode’s live performances since its release, captivating audiences with its powerful energy and emotional resonance.

"I Feel You" is a song about the power and beauty of unconditional love. It speaks to the strength of a bond between two people, bringing them closer and deeper together with each passing moment. The lyrics describe the feeling of being embraced and taken away when the other person is around, and the joy that it brings to the relationship. It is a celebration of the love between two people and the promise of what lies ahead. This track can be interpreted as an exploration of the human condition. It delves into the innate need for connection, the way we are affected by others, and how these experiences shape our understanding of ourselves

"The whole 'Songs Of Faith And Devotion' project started off with the basic principle that we wanted to become more live, spontaneous and have a lot more performances involved. So that whole album turned out to be the rockiest that we've ever wanted to achieve. 'I Feel You' is probably the pinnacle of that and it's about the closest we're going to come to sounding like a real authentic rock band." (Martin Gore)

Dave Gahan in Rolling Stone: And then 'I Feel You' came on, while listening to Martin's demo tape: That was the moment when I looked into the mirror with the broomstick and started miming air guitar. I was ready to do something with some purpose, and suddenly things started to fall into place."

 

DEPECHE MODE - PRECIOUS 

Released: October 3, 2005

Charted:  UK: #4   US: #71 

"Precious" is a song from their 2005 studio album, “Playing the Angel”. It was released by Mute, Sire, and Reprise Records as the album's lead single. Martin Gore was going through a difficult time in his life. He had recently gone through a divorce, and he was going through a custody battle for his children. During this time, Gore was feeling very vulnerable and was exploring his emotions through his music. The result was the song “Precious”. The song was a way for him to express his regret and longing for the love he had lost.

The song speaks to the universal human experience of love and loss. We all have regrets about things we could have done differently in our relationships. Precious reminds us of the value of the love we have in our lives and how important it is to cherish it.

Although this is a very personal song for Martin Gore, it was sung by their main vocalist, Dave Gahan, which was standard procedure for the band. The “Playing The Angel” album was a turning point though, because Gahan wanted to write half the songs on the set; he settled for three after their producer, Ben Hillier, talked him down.

Martin Gore explained the meaning behind this song: "Well, my private life is pretty crappy. I'm about to divorce my wife, the situation has been going on for sixteen months. My life is certainly not a walk in the park. I also have three children. And 'Precious', the single, is a song that describes exactly this situation. But there are other divorce songs on 'Playing The Angel'. 'Precious' is about how my children cope with the divorce - which isn't very well. But the song ends with the verse "I know you learned to trust / keep faith in both of us". All of our songs, even the most depressive ones, contain hope."

Producer Ben Hillier said about this song: "The two songs on 'Playing The Angel' that are closest to the demos are 'Precious' and 'Macro'. Apart from that, everything else kinda changed quite a lot really. I mean, both of those demos were absolutely excellent, especially 'Precious', I thought that was really good but it just needed to have a bit more dynamic and sort of drive to it." Martin Gore added: "The main piano motif that goes throughout 'Precious' was on the demo, and remained intact for the version on the record."