“Now you’re punching and you’re kicking
and you’re shouting at me
I’m relying on your common decency
So far it hasn’t surfaced
But I’m sure it exists
It just takes a while to travel
From your head to your fist.
I can't understand
what makes a man
hate another man.
Help me understand."
- “People are People” by Depeche Mode
I was disheartened when I read the lyrics to this song because I realized how many times violence still occurs against people because of sexual orientation, color, or point of view. This song came out all the way back in 1984.
Here’s the video, if you want to hear all the words:
Their songs varied from tolerance to love to faith.
This is a nice love song (Enjoy the Silence):
Depeche Mode is still going strong. They plan to meet this year to work on their 13th album.
Honorable Mention Dexys Midnight Runners, Dead or Alive, (and from a previous blog post) Duran Duran
Booo to Duran Duran! LOL! Oh I'm kidding!! LOL!!
ReplyDeleteDepeche Mode!! What's not to like!?!? And this song and Personal Jesus are my fave!! Yay! Take care
x
Yup, I listen to Depeche Mode. I think I discovered them recently. I remember not liking them in the 80s, lol.
ReplyDeleteSadly there will always be violence in songs. My most loved song that has a violent ending is Rod Stewart's The Killing of Georgie.
ReplyDeleteA to Z of Nostalgia
Rosalind, thanks for the comment. I have no problem with the song. I have a problem that they said not to hurt people from something you see on the surface way back in 1984, but in 2012 it's still happening.
DeleteDepeche Mode - yep listened to those guys, too (And hey, what about Bauhaus for B??? - though the B-52's were more fun.)
ReplyDeleteI could stay on your site all day listening to these songs.
ReplyDeleteIt is so sad. I don't get it either. This may be the best post ever for the letter D because it's such an important message and sadly we need to hear it like all the time right now.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I've got my t-shirt still somewhere which i bought at the concert. Another great choice .... Duran Duran were (still are?) great as well. I wonder who's gonna be "E" :-)
ReplyDeleteThings change ever so slowly. It's good to be reminded whether in music, word or real life.
ReplyDeleteGreat choice! I still have Depeche Mode on my iPod! My two favorites are Policy of Truth and Just Can't Get Enough. Sorry I missed yesterday - The Cure is another favorite. I'm diggin' your musical choices!
ReplyDeleteAnother great choice! I was very young when I saw the video for Enjoy the Silence and I still remember the feeling of watching it and being fascinated and excited and the mystery of him striding across the mountaintops...
ReplyDeleteI forgot about them, and that song,which I loved! Thanks for the reminder! Great post!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea they were still kicking. Funny how I would just repeat lyrics and not realize until I was older what they actually meant...
ReplyDeleteLove Duran Duran!!! Love them. Their music was very before its time. You know?
ReplyDeleteBut, *cough cough* never heard of Depeche Mode until this very minute. I need to listen more. I appreciate classic stuff, but I will be listening to Depeche Mode from now on. Thanks to you pal! *waving*
I was guessing you might post about Duran Duran, today.
ReplyDeleteSuze, I posted about Duran Duran for a blogfest not too long ago, which I linked at the bottom of the post. I didn't want to be redundant + I couldn't top the story on the previous post. Besides, I love Depeche Mode too.
DeleteYou did well choosing Depeche Mode. I listened to really a lot of them in college and have recently gotten a couple CDs added to my iPod.
ReplyDeleteI have depeche mode on my iPod.
ReplyDeleteI remember listening to them in college. Brings back lots of memories.
ReplyDeleteNice A to Z challenge theme! I have fond memories of listening to them in high school (note: I was in HS in the late 90's :P)-- they and The Cure were my introduction to an entirely new genre of music, previously unexplored by ANYONE as far as I was concerned! ;)
ReplyDelete*switching iPod to 80s playlist*
ReplyDeleteIt has be eons since I've thought of or even listened to Depeche Mode! Time to remedy that one :)
ReplyDeleteCheers, Jenn
http://www.wine-n-chat.com
It's always disheartening to find messages of hate and intolerance where you least expect them.
ReplyDeleteWow, it's been a long time since I've listened to Depeche Mode. Thanks for the memories!
ReplyDeleteDepeche Mode is a favorite of mine. I like most of their stuff. I love to sing along when they come on the radio. (Alas, I don't have any of their music in my collection, but my music collection is very, very small. One of these days I'm going to remedy that.)
ReplyDeleteI never knew that's what he was saying in People are People. WOW! I remember kids breakdancing to that song.
ReplyDeleteWow...blast from the past. I remember it well. Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'll ever grow sick of Depeche Mode. Their songs bring back so many memories for me.
ReplyDeleteWow! 13th album. That's amazing. I do love thier tunes, though.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I didn't remember who Depeche Mode was until I watched the video; then I remembered. I like it when musicians use their songs not just to entertain people or give them something to dance to but also to tell their own stories and express their ideas. (On the other hand, more than half of the songs on my iPod are by "entertainers" rather than artists.)
ReplyDeleteParts of the "Enjoy the Silence" video were filmed in my parents' homeland of Portugal!!! (Sorry; it's, like, a rule that I have to point this out every time "Enjoy the Silence" is referenced in my presence.) ;-)
ReplyDeleteI've got a few Depeche tunes coming up for my A to Z postings ...one I didn't choose, but I find haunting, is "Leave in Silence." Oh, wow...I just realized, DM sorta cheered up a bit, over time (you know, from leaving to enjoying the silence?). (No, huh?) :-D
Some Dark Romantic
I have many Depeche Mode mp3's. I love them. With some 80s bands I've fallen out of love or don't listen to them as much, but I've always listened to DM.
ReplyDeleteThose are some really powerful lyrics. Thanks for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteJ.C. Martin
A to Z Blogger
Depeche are still one of my "prevalent" bands! Blasphemous Rumours was my teenage song, Freestate is my young adult anthem, and But Not Tonight is my all time favorite (and a ringtone of mine)! I can't imagine life without them (although I am a Duranie at heart)!
ReplyDeleteI love Depeche Mode. The one that sums up my teenage years was Just can't get enough, but as I got older I appreciated some of their 'darker' stuff more.
ReplyDeleteOmigosh, we sooo have the same taste in music! I got to see them in concert as a grown-up and feel like I was in college again.
ReplyDeleteI didn't write about Depeche Mode, but was able to work them in to a post last week and ended up posting the "People are People" video, too. Kismet.
ReplyDeleteGreat choices for D. Depeche Mode was one of my top favorite groups from the 80s. When I first heard them the sound seemed so distinctive, but then I started hearing a lot of groups with that similar sound so I don't know who came up with it first. Nevertheless, Depeche Mode probably has the best over all body of work and I have most of their albums either on CD or cassette.
ReplyDeleteLee
Places I Remember
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog