LogFAQs > #954814982

185. Depeche Mode Enjoy the Silence (1990)
from the album Violator

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6QLkCZp2n4

Key lyrics:
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm

Few love songs are as ominous as Enjoy the Silence, both lyrically and in the music itself. Supporting the theme, the words can be taken in several conflicting ways is this a testament to quiet intimacy, or is there something bubbling under the narrator is giving every excuse not to say? It must be better not to say anything at all.

The music matches this conflict. Gloomy instrumentation is pushed with a propulsive force, resulting in something between a synth-pop club track and a gothic lament. The line between sad and serene is expertly blurred, much like lying in the arms of a lover who has been rather quiet lately.

Though dealing with emotionally heightened subject matter and carrying a depressing tune, Enjoy the Silence is surprisingly easy to digest. This is perfectly crafted synth-pop at its most mature, showing a song can convince you to dance while also contemplating your personal connections. Theres no sense of irony here like many synth-pop classics Depeche Mode found a way to make the mood match the sound. There are tiny details that add to the complexity as the song continues, but the mix chooses not to draw our attention to their presence. Instead, Gahans powerful yet anxious vocals remain centered.

---

My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/