Just Can't Get Enough

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11. Just Can't Get Enough List of Speak & Spell songs

Just Can't Get Enough
Song	Just Can't Get Enough
By	Depeche Mode
Songwriter	Vince Clarke
Produced by	Depeche Mode Daniel Miller
Recorded at	Blackwing Studios (London)
Length (mm:ss)	3:41 (7" version) 6:46 (12" version)
Tempo	128 BPM
Time signature	4 4
Key	C Major
Engineered by	Eric Radcliffe John Fryer
Photography	Brian Griffin
Recorded	Summer 1981
Originally released	18 September 1981
Live performances as Depeche Mode	729 times *
Total live performances	796 times *

"Just Can't Get Enough" is a song from the 1981 album Speak & Spell by Depeche Mode. It was released as a single on 18 September 1981.

Notes

Author Jonathan Miller reported: "According to Deb Danahay, the song is about Vince's infatuation from afar with a particularly striking young lady who was often seen around Basildon at the time - not that the reserved songwriter ever made his feelings known to the girl in question."

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

"It's a perpetual subject of discussion in the band. Every time we go on tour, we're wondering if we should play 'Just Can't Get Enough.' Since it's a Vince Clarke song - who is no longer in the band - and it is so different from what we're doing now, we're still hesitant about it. But at the same time, it was our very first hit and the audience would be disappointed if we did not play it. I do not want to appear to be ignoring it, because it's a good pop song, but I do have to admit that it does not really excite me anymore to sing it."

Hand-written lyrics by Vince Clarke

Dave Gahan discussed 'Just Can't Get Enough' and its music video in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2017:

Dave Gahan: I was maybe 18, almost 19. The punk thing had just kind of ended, but there were still a few people who were hanging out in the clubs in London, who were trying to play music that you could dance to a bit more that wasn’t so violent, and “Just Can’t Get Enough” became one of those. We had a group of friends at the time who would go to these different clubs, dressed like we were in the video, sort of leather-y stuff.

EW: Was that your first real music video? It’s hard to tell if those are your real girl friends, or just good casting.

Dave Gahan: I think it was, yeah. The girls, one was Budgie’s girlfriend from Siouxsie and the Banshees, then a couple were models, and they were a little older than us, so it was kind of exciting to have them dance around us. The video leaves a lot to be desired. When I look at it I’m like, [covering his eyes] “Oh my God.” But that’s kind of what videos were then — low budget. And the little performance parts are kind of cool. The acting stuff’s terrible of course. [Laughs]

EW: How did you feel when the Gap used the song for that ad in the late ’90s?

Dave Gahan: The thing is, the song is written by Vince Clarke, who was in the band for like five minutes, and went on to be part of Yaz and Erasure. But that album [Speak & Spell] was very much a Vince Clarke album, and he owns the rights to that song of course, so it’s been in so many commercials and it pops up. I remember we went to his publisher’s at the time and they sat us all down and they said, “You know, Vince, you’re going to be driving a Rolls Royce when these lot are still on a tandem,” pointing to me and [bandmates] Martin [Gore] and Fletch [Andy Fletcher]. And it probably was true! I think that song has kept him in cornflakes for many years. [Laughs]

Lyrics

Just Can't Get Enough

When I'm with you baby

I go out of my head

And I just can't get enough

And I just can't get enough

All the things you do to me

And everything you said

I just can't get enough

I just can't get enough

We slip and slide as we fall in love

And I just can't seem to get enough of

We walk together

We're walking down the street

And I just can't get enough

And I just can't get enough

Every time I think of you

I know we have to meet

And I just can't get enough

I just can't get enough

It's getting hotter

It's a burning love

And I just can't seem to get enough of

And when it rains

You're shining down for me

And I just can't get enough

And I just can't get enough

Just like a rainbow

You know you set me free

And I just can't get enough

And I just can't get enough

You're like an angel

And you give me your love

And I just can't seem to get enough of

Songwriter: Vince Clarke
Publishing Information: ©1981 Musical Moments Ltd./Sony Music Publishing Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Live performances

Main article: Available recordings of "Just Can't Get Enough"

Main article: List of dates where "Just Can't Get Enough" was played

Trivia

• One of the girls featured in the music video is dancer and artist Jeanette Landray, who would later perform lead vocals with The Glove, a 1983 musical collaboration and recording project between The Cure's Robert Smith and Siouxsie and the Banshees co-founder Steven Severin.
  • Musician Perry Bamonte, the older brother of longtime Depeche Mode associate and tour manager Daryl Bamonte, was a member of The Cure from 1990 to 2005.
• 'Just Can't Get Enough' has featured in a variety of films, including 1998 romantic comedy The Wedding Singer (starring Adam Sandler Drew Barrymore, and Billy Idol as himself), 2017 documentary Dare to Be Different, 2007 British comedy film Son of Rambow, 2001 film Me Without You, and 1982 romantic comedy Summer Lovers.
• 'Just Can't Get Enough' has also featured in many television series, including season one episode ten of Netflix comedy Master of None, season three episode fourteen of ITV cooking game show Who's Doing the Dishes?, season one episode four of British comedy/travel series An Idiot Abroad, season five episode five of FX horror series American Horror Story, season one episode two of Channel 4 science fiction series Electric Dreams, season two episode one of HBO comedy drama The Comeback starring Lisa Kudrow of Friends fame, and season two episode twenty-four of The CW teen drama Gossip Girl.
  • Actress Celeste Octavia, who plays the bartender smitten by Martin Gore (much to Dave Gahan's annoyance) in the 2001 Exciter tour black and white screen projection for 'It's No Good', also appears in season one episode four of Gossip Girl.
• In addition to its many appearances in film and television, the song (and its many covers) have also featured in numerous advertisements and commercials, including a 2014 television commercial for Churchill Insurance; an advertisement for 2011 romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love starring Steve Carell (of The Office fame), Marisa Tomei, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, and Kevin Bacon; a 2013 commercial for a Samsung four-door refrigerator; a 2012 commercial for American office retailer Staples; a 2014 commercial for American retail store Target's "RedCard" promotion featuring the song played on children's instruments; a 2018 commercial for American multinational retailer Walmart's "Easy Reorder" promotion; two 2014 commercials for General Mills/Sodiaal franchise yogurt brand Yoplait's "Greek 100" promotion; and a January 2020 Discover advertisement for its 'Cashback' credit card service.
  • The Office was co-created by comedian Ricky Gervais, who also pursued an ill-fated music career with Depeche Mode-esque new wave group Seona Dancing prior to achieving international success in comedy. Gervais would join Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, and Andrew Fletcher in a 30 March 2017 interview for Norwegian-Swedish television talk show Skavlan to discuss their careers and mutual admiration for the late musician David Bowie.
• The music video was lampooned by Jimmy Fallon in a 2019 live performance on NBC's The Tonight Show.

References

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