Metta Ray
21November2006
Somebody
21November2006
Somebody
An Analysis of the Lyrics of the song “Somebody” By Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode was formed in Basildon, England in 1980. They were considered to be an underground phenomenon due to their use of synthesizing rather than using typical instruments. Their fourth studio album Some Great Reward was released in 1984 and was considered to be a pivotal achievement for the band. The song Somebody was on that album of which Martin Gore is the songwriter and he sings lead vocals for the first time in the bands then four year career.
This song is about the emotional struggle of a forlorn man desperately seeking the love of his special someone. It deals with personal emotion at the deepest level and invokes feelings of despondency, veracity and passion.
The song begins with the sound of a thumping heart beat while you also hear car traffic and a train pass by in the background. “I want somebody to share, share the rest of my life” is the first line. From the atmosphere set by the opening tone you can feel the solitude that will be the scene for this gloomy song. By the sound you imagine it must be placed somewhere in an urban jungle. With the cold of concrete all around he yearns for anything alive, real, for the compassion of another human being. You can really feel the desperation of his lost and lonely soul.
Martin Gore has the voice of a pristine English angel. “Share my innermost thoughts, know my intimate details” His soft tenor voice is captivating as he says these words of inner desire. It is as if to say the body of another human being is not enough, he wants somebody to know everything about him. To understand what thoughts go through his head at the sight of a sunset, someone who knows every detail about him even his personal hygiene habits, or his housekeeping skills.
Slowly you begin to hear raindrops fall in the background while distant imagery of voices and the clanking of dishes mix into the hypnotic melody. It suggests that he is in a public place while having these desperate emotions. “Someone who’ll stand by my side and give me support, and in return she’ll get my support, she will listen to me when I want to speak about the world we live in and life in general” The lyrics push on in a steady stream of thoughts spilling as if they cannot, will not be stopped. “Though my views may be wrong, they may even be perverted, she’ll hear me out and won’t easily be converted to my way of thinking, in fact she’ll often disagree, but at the end of it all she will understand me” This line acknowledges the healthy imperfections that exist in any loving relationship. Knowing that your significant other is not perfect and that you disagree sometimes, but you love them enough to overlook and even embrace those differences.
The song breaks in to a powerfully moving piano interlude while the sound of the beating heart is strong and steady; the rain still falling with the occasional sound of thunder, the voices of passers by and children at play continue in the background. During the piano interlude there are deep breaths synthesized into the beat of the song, with the heartbeat as the center of it all. The way this piece can move you is an incredible sensation. I believe that the focus on the heartbeat implies singularity and the vivid life that searches for that connection of love. Even though he is alone he is still very much alive.
“I want somebody who cares for me passionately, with every thought and with every breath. Someone who’ll help me see things in a different light, all the things I detest I will almost like” I think this is something we all innately want. By using the natural needs of the human soul to define the desire being felt by the artist, I believe he is showing that he too is human and not immune to such emotions.
The next line is one that I find to be significant. “I don’t want to be tied to anyone’s strings; I’m carefully trying to steer clear of those things.” I find it to be significant for this reason: during the entire song he is focusing on the positive, and then suddenly, there is this line. Why is he mentioning this, why is he thinking this? I believe that it has to do with a sudden, though possibly subconscious, window into reality. He acknowledges that there are people who would control him; maybe he has even been controlled. He does not want to be someone’s puppet.
Gore returns to his romantic thinking, “And when I’m asleep, I want somebody who will put their arms around and kiss me tenderly” He wants to be thought of often, even while he sleeping; he needs someone that will hold and caress him. He desires affection.
The final lyrics are somewhat surprising, “And things like this make me sick, in a case like this I’ll get away with it” I think that what Gore is trying to say here is ‘I don’t go for all of this cheesy love song stuff, but in the medium of a song, I can get away with showing more private emotions’.
The song ends with his voice resonating ooohhhh, aaahhhh. There are still sounds of the infinite heartbeat and trains, cars, people fading and then there is the sound of a woman’s awwww. I think this is a lovely ending, it suggests that he found somebody.
A single rose, a perfect match,
My only someone,
My soul longs for you.
--Metta Ray
Somebody Lyrics:
I want somebody to shareShare the rest of my lifeShare my innermost thoughtsKnow my intimate detailsSomeone who'll stand by my sideAnd give me supportAnd in returnShe'll get my supportShe will listen to meWhen I want to speakAbout the world we live inAnd life in generalThough my views may be wrongThey may even be pervertedShe will hear me outAnd won't easily be convertedTo my way of thinkingIn fact she'll often disagreeBut at the end of it allShe will understand me I want somebody who caresFor me passionatelyWith every thought and with every breathSomeone who'll help me see thingsIn a different lightAll the things I detestI will almost likeI don't want to be tiedTo anyone's stingsI'm carefully trying to steer clearOf those thingsBut when I'm asleepI want somebodyWho will put their arms aroundAnd kiss me tenderlyAnd things like thisMake me sickIn a case like thisI'll get away with it.
Works Cited
Depeche Mode. Somebody. October 29,1984. Mute Records.
Depeche Mode. Somebody. October 29, 1984. Vinyl, 1984. CD, 1991.
Lamb, Bill. “Depeche Mode.” The New York Times Company.
Gore, Martin. 6 Nov, 2006. Wikipedia. 8 Nov, 2006.
Depeche Mode was formed in Basildon, England in 1980. They were considered to be an underground phenomenon due to their use of synthesizing rather than using typical instruments. Their fourth studio album Some Great Reward was released in 1984 and was considered to be a pivotal achievement for the band. The song Somebody was on that album of which Martin Gore is the songwriter and he sings lead vocals for the first time in the bands then four year career.
This song is about the emotional struggle of a forlorn man desperately seeking the love of his special someone. It deals with personal emotion at the deepest level and invokes feelings of despondency, veracity and passion.
The song begins with the sound of a thumping heart beat while you also hear car traffic and a train pass by in the background. “I want somebody to share, share the rest of my life” is the first line. From the atmosphere set by the opening tone you can feel the solitude that will be the scene for this gloomy song. By the sound you imagine it must be placed somewhere in an urban jungle. With the cold of concrete all around he yearns for anything alive, real, for the compassion of another human being. You can really feel the desperation of his lost and lonely soul.
Martin Gore has the voice of a pristine English angel. “Share my innermost thoughts, know my intimate details” His soft tenor voice is captivating as he says these words of inner desire. It is as if to say the body of another human being is not enough, he wants somebody to know everything about him. To understand what thoughts go through his head at the sight of a sunset, someone who knows every detail about him even his personal hygiene habits, or his housekeeping skills.
Slowly you begin to hear raindrops fall in the background while distant imagery of voices and the clanking of dishes mix into the hypnotic melody. It suggests that he is in a public place while having these desperate emotions. “Someone who’ll stand by my side and give me support, and in return she’ll get my support, she will listen to me when I want to speak about the world we live in and life in general” The lyrics push on in a steady stream of thoughts spilling as if they cannot, will not be stopped. “Though my views may be wrong, they may even be perverted, she’ll hear me out and won’t easily be converted to my way of thinking, in fact she’ll often disagree, but at the end of it all she will understand me” This line acknowledges the healthy imperfections that exist in any loving relationship. Knowing that your significant other is not perfect and that you disagree sometimes, but you love them enough to overlook and even embrace those differences.
The song breaks in to a powerfully moving piano interlude while the sound of the beating heart is strong and steady; the rain still falling with the occasional sound of thunder, the voices of passers by and children at play continue in the background. During the piano interlude there are deep breaths synthesized into the beat of the song, with the heartbeat as the center of it all. The way this piece can move you is an incredible sensation. I believe that the focus on the heartbeat implies singularity and the vivid life that searches for that connection of love. Even though he is alone he is still very much alive.
“I want somebody who cares for me passionately, with every thought and with every breath. Someone who’ll help me see things in a different light, all the things I detest I will almost like” I think this is something we all innately want. By using the natural needs of the human soul to define the desire being felt by the artist, I believe he is showing that he too is human and not immune to such emotions.
The next line is one that I find to be significant. “I don’t want to be tied to anyone’s strings; I’m carefully trying to steer clear of those things.” I find it to be significant for this reason: during the entire song he is focusing on the positive, and then suddenly, there is this line. Why is he mentioning this, why is he thinking this? I believe that it has to do with a sudden, though possibly subconscious, window into reality. He acknowledges that there are people who would control him; maybe he has even been controlled. He does not want to be someone’s puppet.
Gore returns to his romantic thinking, “And when I’m asleep, I want somebody who will put their arms around and kiss me tenderly” He wants to be thought of often, even while he sleeping; he needs someone that will hold and caress him. He desires affection.
The final lyrics are somewhat surprising, “And things like this make me sick, in a case like this I’ll get away with it” I think that what Gore is trying to say here is ‘I don’t go for all of this cheesy love song stuff, but in the medium of a song, I can get away with showing more private emotions’.
The song ends with his voice resonating ooohhhh, aaahhhh. There are still sounds of the infinite heartbeat and trains, cars, people fading and then there is the sound of a woman’s awwww. I think this is a lovely ending, it suggests that he found somebody.
A single rose, a perfect match,
My only someone,
My soul longs for you.
--Metta Ray
Somebody Lyrics:
I want somebody to shareShare the rest of my lifeShare my innermost thoughtsKnow my intimate detailsSomeone who'll stand by my sideAnd give me supportAnd in returnShe'll get my supportShe will listen to meWhen I want to speakAbout the world we live inAnd life in generalThough my views may be wrongThey may even be pervertedShe will hear me outAnd won't easily be convertedTo my way of thinkingIn fact she'll often disagreeBut at the end of it allShe will understand me I want somebody who caresFor me passionatelyWith every thought and with every breathSomeone who'll help me see thingsIn a different lightAll the things I detestI will almost likeI don't want to be tiedTo anyone's stingsI'm carefully trying to steer clearOf those thingsBut when I'm asleepI want somebodyWho will put their arms aroundAnd kiss me tenderlyAnd things like thisMake me sickIn a case like thisI'll get away with it.
Works Cited
Depeche Mode. Somebody. October 29,1984. Mute Records.
Depeche Mode. Somebody. October 29, 1984. Vinyl, 1984. CD, 1991.
Lamb, Bill. “Depeche Mode.” The New York Times Company.
Gore, Martin. 6 Nov, 2006. Wikipedia. 8 Nov, 2006.
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