Strangelove

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Strangelove
Song	Strangelove
By	Depeche Mode
Songwriter	Martin L. Gore
Produced by	Depeche Mode Dave Bascombe Daniel Miller
Recorded at	Guillaume Tell (Paris), Konk (London), Puk (Denmark)
Length (mm:ss)	4:56 (album version) 3:45 (single version)
Tempo	118 BPM
Time signature	4 4
Key	E Minor
Recorded	February–July 1987
Originally released	13 April 1987
Live performances as Depeche Mode	301 times *
Total live performances	301 times *

"Strangelove" is a song from the 1987 album Music For The Masses by Depeche Mode. It was first released as a lead single on 13 April 1987.

Notes

Dave Gahan told Gear Magazine in 1998:

"This was perceived as being sadomasochistic, but I think it's just honest. It asks a question - are you prepared to go the distance with this relationship or whatever it is your having? Because it's going to be painful."

Martin Gore said in Bong issue no. 37, 1998:

"I really like this track and think it’s one of the poppiest singles on this collection. Somehow I don’t know if it still works for me... occasionally in our career we've stepped on the wrong side of commerciality, not very often, and 'Strangelove' is just on the right side. It’s like "Enjoy The Silence", it's just on the right side of commerciality. There’s a line and if you step over it too far it becomes bland pop music."

Dave Bascombe told Super Deluxe Edition in July 2019:

"That was actually one song where I know Martin, quite early on, was unhappy with the way it was going and we ended up... I think on his original demo, it had a fast bass line and then Alan had made it half time and I remember Martin not being happy with that. And again, my contribution as a co-producer was just to say "Well, why don't you have both?" [laughs] and if you listen to the single version there are two bass lines going on there. Martin's [original] was much faster and more urgent and then for the album version it became even more slow and lazy."

When Depeche Mode was interviewed about the songs on the '101' CD for the April 1989 issue of French magazine 'Best', Alan Wilder said (translated from French):

"The only thing that comes to mind about 'Strangelove' is the amount of time we spent on recording it and the discussions it caused. I can't even say how many times we had to redo it. We had to change the bass line at least a hundred times. We also had a lot of percussion that we ended up removing. In fact, the problem was that we decided it would become a single before even recording it and that complicated things. We wanted to do it well, and all that for a result which, in my opinion, is not excellent. The live version is much more satisfying."

Alan Wilder also wrote in his 86-98 editorial in 1998:

"'Strangelove' was the exact opposite to a song like "Stripped". Difficult to piece together, consisting as it did of many little parts, it was hard to find one thing to pin the track down. The single was released before the final mixing of Music For The Masses and it was during this late stage that Daniel visited the studio to assist with it - an act that demonstrated the still close production relationship he had with the band. He contributed a 12" version (Blind mix) and by the time the band was ready to mix 'Strangelove' for the LP, it was decided that the album version should incorporate elements of this. Thus, the result was an amalgamation of the original and Dan's remix."

Lyrics

Strangelove

There'll be times

When my crimes

Will seem almost unforgivable

I give in to sin

Because you have to make this life livable

But when you think I've had enough

From your sea of love

I'll take more than another riverful

Yes, and I'll make it all worthwhile

I'll make your heart smile

Strangelove

Strange highs and strange lows

Strangelove

That's how my love goes

Strangelove

Will you give it to me

Will you take the pain

I will give to you

Again and again

And will you return it

There'll be days

When I stray

I may appear to be

Constantly out of reach

I give in to sin

Because I like to practice what I preach

I'm not trying to say

I'll have it all my way

I'm always willing to learn

When you've got something to teach

Oh, and I'll make it all worthwhile

I'll make your heart smile

Pain, will you return it

I'll say it again - pain

Pain, will you return it

I'll say it again - pain

Pain, will you return it

I'll say it again - pain

Pain, will you return it

I won't say it again

I give in

Again and again

I give in

Will you give it to me

I give in

I'll say it again

I give in

I give in

Again and again

I give in

That's how my love goes

I give in

I'll say it again

I give in

Songwriter: Martin L. Gore
Publishing Information: ©1987 Grabbing Hands Music Ltd/EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Live performances

Main article: Available recordings of "Strangelove"

Main article: List of dates where "Strangelove" was played

Live versions

This section provides an example of a live version of Strangelove from each tour that it was played.

• Play 1987-1988 Music For The Masses Tour: 1987-11-06 Sporthalle, Cologne, Germany
• Play 1990 World Violation Tour: 1990-08-04 Dodgers Stadium, Los Angeles, CA, USA
• Play 2009-2010 Tour Of The Universe: 2009-05-06 Rockhal, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
• Play 2017-2018 Global Spirit Tour: 2017-09-11 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA
• Play 2023-2024 Memento Mori Tour: 2023-11-05 Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON, Canada

Depeche Mode songs released as singles 1981-1985: Dreaming Of Me • New Life • Just Can't Get Enough • See You • The Meaning Of Love • Leave In Silence • Get The Balance Right • Everything Counts • Love In Itself • People Are People • Master And Servant • Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody • Shake The Disease • It's Called A Heart 1986-1989: Stripped • But Not Tonight • A Question Of Lust • A Question Of Time • Strangelove • Never Let Me Down Again • Behind The Wheel • Little 15 • Personal Jesus 1990-1998: Enjoy The Silence • Policy Of Truth • World In My Eyes • I Feel You • Walking In My Shoes • Condemnation • In Your Room • Barrel Of A Gun • It's No Good • Home • Useless • Only When I Lose Myself 2001-2009: Dream On • I Feel Loved • Freelove • Goodnight Lovers • Precious • A Pain That I'm Used To • Suffer Well • John The Revelator / Lilian • Martyr • Wrong • Peace • Fragile Tension / Hole To Feed 2013-2017: Heaven • Soothe My Soul • Should Be Higher • Where's The Revolution • Going Backwards • Cover Me 2023: Ghosts Again Recoil songs released as singles 1992-1998: Faith Healer • Drifting • Stalker / Missing Piece 2000-2008: Strange Hours • Jezebel • Prey • Allelujah Dave Gahan songs released as singles 2003-2008: Dirty Sticky Floors • I Need You • Bottle Living / Hold On • A Little Piece • Kingdom • Saw Something / Deeper And Deeper 2012-2015: Longest Day • Take Me Back Home • All Of This And Nothing • Shine Martin Gore solo songs released as singles 1989-2003: Compulsion • Stardust • Loverman 2012-2015: Spock • Single Blip • Aftermaths • Europa Hymn • "Pinking" (Christoffer Berg Remix) Official releases Studio albums • Live albums • Compilation albums • Video albums • Singles