The Meaning Of Love

The Meaning Of Love
Song Artist Depeche Mode Album A Broken Frame Songwriter Martin L. Gore Produced by Daniel Miller Depeche Mode Recorded at Blackwing Studios (London) Label Mute Records Length (mm:ss) 3:05 (7"/single/album version) 4:59 (12" version) Tempo 150 BPM Time signature 4/4 Key C Major Engineering John Fryer Eric Radcliffe Photography Brian Griffin Calligraphy Ching Ching Lee Recorded December 1981 - April 1982 Originally released April 26, 1982 Played live 135 times * Total live plays 135 times *

Notes

Daniel Miller said in the May 1982 issue of magazine Electronics & Music Maker:

"There's a new song called 'The Meaning of Love' which, when Martin presented it, was very basic so we worked out a bass line on the [Roland] MC4 but while they were playing along with it Martin did this little riff, so we just edited a space in the MC4's memory and inserted it. This means that you can work out the structure of a song and get it exactly right without having to put it down on to tape and then you don't have to mess around with tape editing at a later date."

An excerpt in the November 1982 issue of One Two Testing magazine:

One of the challenges they recently faced was making a 12" version of 'Meaning Of Love' - a trickier business than it sounds. Some tracks are easy to extend - riffs and runs can be lifted, echoed, patched together into middle sections while the rhythm track keeps going. Straight songs are harder to work with. You can extend the end or the beginning, Dave reckons, but after that you're on your own. They decided to augment 'Meaning Of Love' with a 'Stars On 45' chord change that spins out of nowhere, and plenty of weird percussive noises. "It was a good laugh, but some of our fans wrote in saying what was wrong with our new records. They were going a bit strange."

Lyrics

The Meaning Of Love

I've read more than a hundred books

Seeing love mentioned many thousand times

But despite all the places I've looked

It's still no clearer

It's just not enough

I'm still no nearer

The meaning of love

Noted down all my observations

Spent an evening watching television

Still I couldn't say with precision

Know it's a feeling and it comes from above

But what's the meaning

The meaning of love

Tell me (the meaning of love)

From the notes that I've made so far

Love seems something like wanting a scar

Well I could be wrong

I'm just not sure you see

I've never been in love before

Next I asked several friends of mine

If they could spare a few minutes of their time

Their looks suggested that I've lost my mind

Tell me the answer

My Lord high above

Tell me the meaning

The meaning of love

From the notes that I've made so far

Love seems something like wanting a scar

Well I could be wrong

I'm just not sure you see

I've never been in love before

The meaning of love

(Tell me)

Tell me the meaning of love

(Tell me)

Songwriter: Martin L. Gore
Publishing Information: ©1982 Grabbing Hands Music Ltd/EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dates with available recordings of The Meaning Of Love

There are currently 68 recordings of The Meaning Of Love available.

• 1982-02-10 BBC Paris Studio, London, England, UK/Source 1
• 1982-02-10 BBC Paris Studio, London, England, UK/Source 2
• 1982-02-10 BBC Paris Studio, London, England, UK/Source 3
• 1982-02-16 University, Exeter, England, UK/Source 1
• 1982-02-21 Tiffany's, Glasgow, Scotland, UK/Source 1
• 1982-02-27 Bridge House, London, England, UK/Source 1
• 1982-03-05 Rockola, Madrid, Spain/Source 1
• 1982-03-06 Rockola, Madrid, Spain/Source 1
• 1982-03-24 Trinity Hall, Hamburg, Germany/Source 1
• 1982-03-24 Trinity Hall, Hamburg, Germany/Source 2
• 1982-03-25 Ballroom Blitz, Hannover, Germany/Source 1
• 1982-03-26 Metropol, Berlin, Germany/Source 1
• 1982-03-28 De Lantaren, Rotterdam, The Netherlands/Source 1
• 1982-03-28 De Lantaren, Rotterdam, The Netherlands/Source 2
• 1982-03-28 De Lantaren, Rotterdam, The Netherlands/Source 3
• 1982-03-28 De Lantaren, Rotterdam, The Netherlands/Source 4
• 1982-04-02 Théâtre Le Palace, Paris, France/Source 1
• 1982-05-07 The Ritz, New York City, NY, USA/Source 1
• 1982-10-12 The Dome, Brighton, England, UK/Source 1
• 1982-10-22 Empire Theatre, Liverpool, England, UK/Source 1
• 1982-10-25 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK/Source 1
• 1982-10-25 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK/Source 2
• 1982-10-27 Apollo, Manchester, England, UK/Source 1
• 1982-10-27 Apollo, Manchester, England, UK/Source 2
• 1982-11-26 Saltlageret, Copenhagen, Denmark/Source 1
• 1982-11-28 Zeche, Bochum, Germany/Source 1
• 1982-12-04 Odeon, Goslar, Germany/Source 1
• 1982-12-09 University Aula, Saarbrücken, Germany/Source 1
• 1982-12-14 Muziekcentrum Vredenburg, Utrecht, The Netherlands/Source 1
• 1982-12-14 Muziekcentrum Vredenburg, Utrecht, The Netherlands/Source 2
• 1982-12-14 Muziekcentrum Vredenburg, Utrecht, The Netherlands/Source 3
• 1982-12-23 Whatever You Want, The Ace, Brixton, England, UK/Source 1
• 1982-12-23 Whatever You Want, The Ace, Brixton, England, UK/Source 2
• 1982-12-24 The Tube, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, UK/Source 1
• 1983-02-07 Messehalle, Frankfurt, Germany/Source 1
• 1983-04-03 New Latin Quarter, Tokyo, Japan/Source 1
• 1983-04-06 A.C. Hall, Hong Kong, British Hong Kong/Source 1
• 1983-05-28 Euro Festival, Vechtewiese, Schüttorf, Germany/Source 1
• 1983-09-12 Colston Hall, Bristol, England, UK/Source 1
• 1983-09-13 The Dome, Brighton, England, UK/Source 1
• 1983-09-16 City Hall, Sheffield, England, UK/Source 1
• 1983-09-19 Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK/Source 1
• 1983-09-20 Tiffany's, Glasgow, Scotland, UK/Source 1
• 1983-09-20 Tiffany's, Glasgow, Scotland, UK/Source 2
• 1983-09-21 City Hall, Newcastle, England, UK/Source 1
• 1983-09-23 Empire, Liverpool, England, UK/Source 1
• 1983-09-24 Apollo, Manchester, England, UK/Source 1
• 1983-10-01 Apollo, Oxford, England, UK/Source 1
• 1983-10-03 Guildhall, Portsmouth, England, UK/Source 1
• 1983-10-08 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK/Source 1
• 1983-12-01 Draken, Stockholm, Sweden/Source 1
• 1983-12-02 Saga, Copenhagen, Denmark/Source 1
• 1983-12-06 Paradiso, Amsterdam, The Netherlands/Source 1
• 1983-12-08 Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany/Source 1
• 1983-12-10 Musensaal, Mannheim, Germany/Source 1
• 1983-12-12 Ausstellungshalle, Sindelfingen, Germany/Source 1
• 1983-12-13 Hugenottenhalle, Neu-Isenburg, Germany/Source 1
• 1983-12-15 Sartory Saal, Cologne, Germany/Source 1
• 1983-12-16 Philipshalle, Dusseldorf, Germany/Source 1
• 1983-12-20 Stadthalle, Bremen, Germany/Source 1
• 1983-12-23 Musikhalle, Hamburg, Germany/Source 1
• 1983-12-23 Musikhalle, Hamburg, Germany/Source 2
• 1984-03-05 Teatro Tenda, Bologna, Italy/Source 1
• 1984-03-06 Orfeo Music Hall, Milan, Italy/Source 1
• 1984-03-08 Pacha Club, Valencia, Spain/Source 1
• 1984-03-09 Studio 54, Barcelona, Spain/Source 1
• 1984-03-10 University, Madrid, Spain/Source 1
• Something Went Wrong (compilation)

Dates where The Meaning Of Love was played

1982 See You Tour

The Meaning Of Love was played 39 times during this tour.

• 1982-01-20 Crocs, Rayleigh, Essex, England, UK
• 1982-01-22 The Ritz, New York, NY, USA
• 1982-01-23 The Ritz, New York, NY, USA
• 1982-02-10 BBC Paris Studio, London, England, UK
• 1982-02-12 Top Rank, Cardiff, Wales, UK
• 1982-02-13 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK
• 1982-02-14 Guildshall, Portsmouth, England, UK
• 1982-02-15 The Pavilion, Bath, England, UK
• 1982-02-16 University, Exeter, England, UK
• 1982-02-18 Victoria Hall, Hanley, England, UK
• 1982-02-19 University, Leeds, England, UK
• 1982-02-20 City Hall, Newcastle, England, UK
• 1982-02-21 Tiffany's, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
• 1982-02-22 The Tower, Hull, England, UK
• 1982-02-24 U.E.A., Norwich, England, UK
• 1982-02-25 Kent University, Canterbury, England, UK
• 1982-02-26 Polytechnic, Oxford, England, UK
• 1982-02-27 Bridge House, London, England, UK
• 1982-02-28 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK
• 1982-03-05 Rockola, Madrid, Spain
• 1982-03-06 Rockola, Madrid, Spain
• 1982-03-20 The Ritz, Stockholm, Sweden
• 1982-03-24 Trinity Hall, Hamburg, Germany
• 1982-03-25 Ballroom Blitz, Hannover, Germany
• 1982-03-26 Metropol, Berlin, Germany
• 1982-03-28 De Lantaren, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• 1982-03-30 Rainbow Club, Oberkorn, Luxembourg
• 1982-04-02 Théâtre Le Palace, Paris, France
• 1982-04-03 Volksbelang, Brussels, Belgium
• 1982-04-10 Fort Regent, St. Helier, Jersey, UK
• 1982-04-12 Beau Sejour, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, UK
• 1982-05-07 The Ritz, New York City, NY, USA
• 1982-05-08 East Side Club, Philadelphia, PA, USA
• 1982-05-09 Concert Hall, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 1982-05-10 Stages, Chicago, IL, USA
• 1982-05-12 Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC, Canada
• 1982-05-14 Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA, USA
• 1982-05-15 Perkins Palace, Pasadena, CA, USA
• 1982-05-16 The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA, USA

1982-1983 A Broken Frame Tour

The Meaning Of Love was played 49 times during this tour.

• 1982-10-04 Golddiggers, Chippenham, England, UK
• 1982-10-06 National Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
• 1982-10-07 City Hall, Cork, Ireland
• 1982-10-08 Leisure Land, Galway, Ireland
• 1982-10-10 Gaumont, Southampton, England, UK
• 1982-10-11 De Montford Hall, Leicester, England, UK
• 1982-10-12 The Dome, Brighton, England, UK
• 1982-10-13 Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliff, England, UK
• 1982-10-15 Colston Hall, Bristol, England, UK
• 1982-10-16 Odeon Theatre, Birmingham, England, UK
• 1982-10-17 Odeon Theatre, Birmingham, England, UK
• 1982-10-19 Tiffany's, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
• 1982-10-20 Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
• 1982-10-21 City Hall, Newcastle, England, UK
• 1982-10-22 Empire Theatre, Liverpool, England, UK
• 1982-10-24 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK
• 1982-10-25 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK
• 1982-10-27 Apollo, Manchester, England, UK
• 1982-10-28 City Hall, Sheffield, England, UK
• 1982-10-29 Coliseum, St. Austell, England, UK
• 1982-11-25 Draken, Stockholm, Sweden
• 1982-11-26 Saltlageret, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 1982-11-28 Zeche, Bochum, Germany
• 1982-11-29 Mulheim Stadthalle, Cologne, Germany
• 1982-11-30 Musikhalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 1982-12-02 Ballroom Blitz, Hannover, Germany
• 1982-12-03 Metropol, Berlin, Germany
• 1982-12-04 Odeon, Goslar, Germany
• 1982-12-05 Alabama Halle, Munich, Germany
• 1982-12-07 Oz, Stuttgart, Germany
• 1982-12-09 University Aula, Saarbrücken, Germany
• 1982-12-10 Grille Disco, Minden, Germany
• 1982-12-12 Le Mirano, Brussels, Belgium
• 1982-12-14 Muziekcentrum Vredenburg, Utrecht, The Netherlands
• 1982-12-23 Whatever You Want, The Ace, Brixton, England, UK
• 1982-12-24 The Tube, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, UK
• 1983-02-07 Messehalle, Frankfurt, Germany
• 1983-03-24 The Ritz, New York, NY, USA
• 1983-03-25 Concert Hall, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 1983-03-26 Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL, USA
• 1983-03-28 Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC, Canada
• 1983-03-29 Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA, USA
• 1983-03-30 Beverly Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, USA
• 1983-04-02 Pithecantropus, Tokyo, Japan
• 1983-04-03 New Latin Quarter, Tokyo, Japan
• 1983-04-06 A.C. Hall, Hong Kong, British Hong Kong
• 1983-04-09 Napalai Hall, Bangkok, Thailand
• 1983-04-10 Napalai Hall, Bangkok, Thailand
• 1983-05-28 Euro Festival, Vechtewiese, Schüttorf, Germany

1983-1984 Construction Time Again Tour

The Meaning Of Love was played 47 times during this tour.

• 1983-09-07 Regal, Hitchin, England, UK
• 1983-09-09 SFX, Dublin, Ireland
• 1983-09-10 Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland
• 1983-09-12 Colston Hall, Bristol, England, UK
• 1983-09-13 The Dome, Brighton, England, UK
• 1983-09-14 Gaumont, Southampton, England, UK
• 1983-09-15 Apollo, Coventry, England, UK
• 1983-09-16 City Hall, Sheffield, England, UK
• 1983-09-18 Capitol, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
• 1983-09-19 Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
• 1983-09-20 Tiffany's, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
• 1983-09-21 City Hall, Newcastle, England, UK
• 1983-09-23 Empire, Liverpool, England, UK
• 1983-09-24 Apollo, Manchester, England, UK
• 1983-09-25 Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, England, UK
• 1983-09-26 Victoria Hall, Hanley, England, UK
• 1983-09-28 Odeon, Birmingham, England, UK
• 1983-09-30 St. David's Hall, Cardiff, Wales, UK
• 1983-10-01 Apollo, Oxford, England, UK
• 1983-10-03 Guildhall, Portsmouth, England, UK
• 1983-10-06 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK
• 1983-10-07 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK
• 1983-10-08 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK
• 1983-12-01 Draken, Stockholm, Sweden
• 1983-12-02 Saga, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 1983-12-03 Foreningen Akademy, Lund, Sweden
• 1983-12-05 Hof Ter Lo, Antwerp, Belgium
• 1983-12-06 Paradiso, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 1983-12-08 Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany
• 1983-12-10 Musensaal, Mannheim, Germany
• 1983-12-11 University Haula, Saarbrucken, Germany
• 1983-12-12 Ausstellungshalle, Sindelfingen, Germany
• 1983-12-13 Hugenottenhalle, Neu-Isenburg, Germany
• 1983-12-15 Sartory Saal, Cologne, Germany
• 1983-12-16 Philipshalle, Dusseldorf, Germany
• 1983-12-17 Stadthalle, Borken, Germany
• 1983-12-19 Hallemünsterland, Münster, Germany
• 1983-12-20 Stadthalle, Bremen, Germany
• 1983-12-21 Musikhalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 1983-12-22 Musikhalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 1983-12-23 Musikhalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 1984-02-03 Odeon, Birmingham, England, UK
• 1984-03-05 Teatro Tenda, Bologna, Italy
• 1984-03-06 Orfeo Music Hall, Milan, Italy
• 1984-03-08 Pacha Club, Valencia, Spain
• 1984-03-09 Studio 54, Barcelona, Spain
• 1984-03-10 University, Madrid, Spain

1984-1985 Some Great Reward Tour

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

1986 Black Celebration Tour

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

1987-1988 Music For The Masses Tour

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

1990 World Violation Tour

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

1993 Devotional Tour

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

1994 Exotic Tour

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

1997 Ultra Parties

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

1998 The Singles Tour

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

2001 Exciter Tour

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

2003 Paper Monsters Tour (Dave Gahan solo)

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

2003 "A Night With Martin L. Gore" (Martin L. Gore solo)

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

2005-2006 Touring The Angel

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

2009-2010 Tour Of The Universe

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

2013-2014 Delta Machine Tour

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

2017-2018 Global Spirit Tour

• The Meaning Of Love was not played during this tour.

← 6. Satellite

7. The Meaning Of Love List of A Broken Frame songs

8. A Photograph Of You →

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