I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead
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2. I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead List of Speak & Spell songs |
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I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead
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| Song | I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead |
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| By | Depeche Mode |
| Songwriter | Vince Clarke |
| Produced by | Depeche Mode Daniel Miller |
| Recorded at | Blackwing Studios (London) |
| Length (mm:ss) | 2:16 |
| Tempo | 129 BPM |
| Time signature | 4 4 |
| Key | D Major |
| Engineered by | Eric Radcliffe John Fryer |
| Originally released | 6 November 1981 |
| Live performances as Depeche Mode | 56 times * |
| Total live performances | 56 times * |
"I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead" is a song from the 1981 album Speak & Spell by Depeche Mode.
Notes
This song has three known distinct versions other than the album version. Each one is detailed below.
Early live version
There is an early live version of this song believed to be within the date range of November 1980 and February 1981, with the only available recording being from an unknown date and venue. The song's arrangement and lyrics are completely different from future versions. You can listen to the unfortunately poor-quality audio and read transcribed lyrics below:
I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead There's a new sound and it's all around and I think that you can hear it too The sound won't stop and I like it a lot cause it makes me feel so new
The sound won't stop and I like it a lot cause it makes me fondly think of you It's getting stronger all the time and I like to hear it in my mind
And I know we're together in love forever And I'll love that til we die The lovely feeling in my head and I might be happy forever dead
I cried and I cried cause I wanted to die I wanted just to be with you Things are spinning in my head and I sometimes wish that I was dead Songwriter: Vince Clarke |
This original set of lyrics is likely where the song's title came from since it makes sense in context.
Spring 1981
There is also the Spring 1981 live version which has an overall different sound to the album version but with the final lyrics. The best sounding version is from 1981-04-06 Bridge House, London, England, UK and can be listened to below:
Sometimes I Wish I Was Dead (Flexi-Pop Mix)
This song was issued on a Flexidisc for the 1981-09-11 issue of Flexipop magazine and titled "Sometimes I Wish I Was Dead". This version was recently reissued in 2018 as part of the 12" singles vinyl boxsets, sourced from the master tape for significantly improved sound quality. The Flexipop version's intro, middle 8, and pre-outro differ from the album version, which was released later in 1981 as part of "Speak & Spell".
The audio can be listened to from the official Depeche Mode YouTube account below:
Live versions of the song from Autumn 1981 and later closely resemble the final album version.
Lyrics
I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead (album version)
New sound all around
You can hear it too
Getting hot, never stop
Just for me and you
Playing on my radio and saying that you had to go
New day turn away
Wipe away the tear
New night, feel right
Knowing that you're here
Dancing with you all the time, and don't you think that it's a crime
Back street never meet
Never say goodbye
I know where you go
But I don't know why
You say that it's from above, and I say this is modern love
Songwriter: Vince Clarke
Publishing Information: ©1981 Musical Moments Ltd./Sony Music Publishing Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Live performances
- Main article: Available recordings of "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead"
- Main article: List of dates where "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead" was played
