Some songs take a while to find their perfect form. In the case of “Enjoy the Silence,” one of the major hits from Depeche Mode‘s standout 1990 album Violator, it transformed from a quiet piece into a dense, invigorating track, which was somehow ironically apropos to a song promoting the benefits of quietude.
What is the song about? And what made the band change it up? Let’s take a deep dive into “Enjoy the Silence,” one of Depeche Mode’s most popular and fascinating songs.
Violator Vindication
Depeche Mode were six albums into their career in 1989 when they began recording Violator, a process that would take them to several cities around the world and eventually bleed into 1990. At that time, they were stars in their native UK but more of an underground cult band in the U.S., where every now and again, one of their singles would bubble to the surface, such as “People are People” in 1984.
As was usually the case for Depeche Mode, Martin Gore wrote the songs that would comprise Violator. But the band embarked upon a somewhat novel process for that album, one which required Gore to essentially cede control for the direction of his songs after writing them.
At that point, other band members—most notably Alan Wilder—would take the demo and have a go at it. Producer Flood, who was working with the band for the first time, also had a large say in the direction of the in-process tracks. That process worked wonders on “Enjoy the Silence.”
“Silence” is Golden
In the case of “Enjoy the Silence,” Gore initially struggled with the direction Wilder and Flood imagined for the track. He wrote it on a harmonium, and originally envisioned it played at a stately pace. But it became something much more driving and insistent, which didn’t gibe with his original idea.
Still, once the rest of the band started adding to it, it was hard to deny the allure of the song. Texture came from the synth choir touches that punctuate each line. And once Gore got on board with what was happening, he jumped in with a guitar riff that added to the track’s innate catchiness.
Add in the insinuating vocals of Dave Gahan, and suddenly this was a song that sounded very much like classic Depeche Mode. But it was also much more accessible to the masses. To illustrate that point, the song went to the U.S. Top 10 in 1990, the first and only time the band ever achieved that high-water mark.
What is the Meaning of “Enjoy the Silence”?
Gore’s lyrics take on a different tone when you compare the verses to the refrains. If you just consider the verses, “Enjoy the Silence” sounds like the lament of a man who is getting barraged on all sides by unnecessary distractions and verbal assaults: Words like violence / Break the silence, he begins. They cause him pain, pierce right through him, and are trivial, meaningless, and forgettable.
In addition, they can’t be trusted: Vows are spoken / To be broken. But when you dive into the refrains, “Enjoy the Silence” finds a man very much at peace: All I ever wanted, all I ever needed / Is here in my arms. As long as he keeps those pesky noises away, that is: Words are very unnecessary / They can only do harm.
Although the words in the chorus seem hopeful, the sway of the music and the ache in Gahan’s vocal suggests a guy hanging on to this peaceful oasis for dear life, fearful his quiet bliss will soon be shattered. “Enjoy the Silence” found Depeche Mode cranking up the pace and turning up the volume from the song’s original form, and that counterintuitive approach worked like a charm.
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