Of course, one can argue which Depeche Mode composition is the group’s most famous song, but Enjoy the Silence from the Violator album will definitely be on the list of contenders for the title of the British band’s calling card. Let’s remember how the famous track was written.
The history of creation and the meaning of Enjoy the Silence
Enjoy the Silence is written by Martin Gore. In an interview with Mojo magazine, he recalled working on the song:
The original demo of Enjoy the Silence was very slow and minimalist, just me and the harmonium, but Alan had an idea to pick up the pace. We added chords, after which Flood and Alan asked, “Why don’t you play guitar as well?” That’s when I came up with the riff. I think that was the only time in our history that we all exchanged looks and said, “I think this could be a hit.”
Mojo, 2012
They say that Martin did not immediately agree to remake the song, but was forced to give the go-ahead under pressure from the rest of the band and the producer. True, he insisted that the original version be recorded in the Harmonium version, in which he himself sang the vocal part (David Gahan sings on the album track Enjoy the Silence).
The lyrics of the song talk about relationships in which feelings and thoughts come to the fore, so there is no need for words that can hurt. Of course, there were music lovers who saw all sorts of hints and references in Enjoy the Silence (as usual, there was a version about drugs), but it is hardly worth talking about someone’s speculation in detail.
Release and achievements
In early 1990, Enjoy the Silence was released as the second single to precede the release of Violator. The song peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. At the 1991 Brit Awards, Enjoy the Silence was voted Best British Single.
The song was re-released in 2004, and on the charts, she almost managed to repeat the success of the original version.
Clip Enjoy the Silence
In the video for Enjoy the Silence – Depeche Mode, directed by Anton Corbijn, there are clear references to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince. He expressed the main idea of the video with the phrase “a man who has everything in the world is just looking for a quiet place to sit down.”
Interesting Facts
- Enjoy the Silence was Depeche Mode’s twenty-fourth single in the UK.
- A promotional video was also filmed for the song, featuring the band’s musicians singing on top of the World Trade Center.
Lyrics Enjoy the Silence – Depeche Mode
Words like violence
Break the silence
Come crashing in
into my little world
Painful to me
Pierce right through me
Can’t you understand
Oh my little girl?
chorus:
All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
Vows are spoken
To be broken
Feelings are intense
Words are trivial
Pleasures remain
So does the pain
Words are meaningless
And forget table
enjoy the silence
Enjoy the Silence Lyrics
Words are cruel
Break the silence
Bursting with a roar
To my little world
They hurt me
Are piercing right through me
Do not you understand,
Oh my little girl?
Chorus:
All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are not needed at all
They can only hurt
Oaths are given
To break them
Feelings are strong
Words are banal
Pleasures remain
Like the pain
Words don’t make sense
And they are forgotten
Enjoy the silence
