LISTENING IN: Depeche Mode never lets us down

Depeche Mode, Dave Gahan (c).

Who’d’ve thought Depeche Mode would be all the rage in 2023, close to 40 years after the band’s 1980s heyday? But the British electro-pop giants have exploded on streaming services after their 1987 classic “Never Let Me Down Again” was used in an episode of the latest greatest TV show “The Last of Us.”

At the same time, and not coincidentally, Dave Gahan and Co. have a new album coming (March 24) with the band’s first music since the untimely death of founding member Andy Fletcher last May, and corresponding tour (including Canadian dates in Toronto on April 7, Quebec April 9, and Montreal April 12, and again in Toronto Nov. 5).

So, who are we to fight fate? Here’s the aforementioned 1987 song “Never Let Me Down Again,” never a No. 1, but one of the band’s most enduring hits.

The song, it should be noted, has also taken on a life of its own for its amazing, enthusiastic arm waving histrionics near the end – by both band and audience – which accompanies live performances, like this one in Barcelona.

Lyrics

I’m taking a ride with my best friend
I hope he never lets me down again
He knows where he’s taking me
Taking me where I want to be
I’m taking a ride with my best friend

We’re flying high
We’re watching the world pass us by
Never want to come down
Never want to put my feet back down on the ground

I’m taking a ride with my best friend
I hope he never lets me down again
Promises me I’m as safe as houses
As long as I remember who’s wearing the trousers
I hope he never lets me down again

We’re flying high
We’re watching the world pass us by
Never want to come down
Never want to put my feet back down on the ground

We’re flying high
We’re watching the world pass us by
Never want to come down
Never want to put my feet back down on the ground

Never let me down
Never let me down
Never let me down
Never let me down
Never let me down (See the stars, they’re shining bright)
Never let me down (Everything’s alright tonight)
Never let me down (See the stars, they’re shining bright)
Never let me down (Everything’s alright tonight)
Never let me down (See the stars, they’re shining bright)
Never let me down (Everything’s alright tonight)
Never let me down (See the stars, they’re shining bright)
Never let me down (Everything’s alright tonight)