Depeche Mode

Released: April 29, 1985

Songwriter: Martin L. Gore

Producer: Daniel Miller Depeche Mode Gareth Jones

[Verse 1: Dave Gahan]
I'm not going down on my knees, begging you to adore me
Can't you see it's misery and torture for me?
When I'm misunderstood
Try as hard as you can, I've tried as hard as I could
To make you see
How important it is for me

[Chorus: Dave Gahan & Martin L. Gore]
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these

[Post-Chorus: Martin L. Gore]
Understand me, understand me
Understand me, understand me

[Interlude]

[Verse 2: Dave Gahan]
Some people have to be permanently together
Lovers devoted to each other forever
Now I've got things to do
And I've said before that I know you have too
When I'm not there
In spirit, I'll be there

[Chorus: Dave Gahan & Martin L. Gore]
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these

[Post-Chorus: Martin L. Gore]
Understand me, understand me
Understand me, understand me

[Interlude]

[Chorus: Dave Gahan & Martin L. Gore]
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these

[Chorus: Dave Gahan & Martin L. Gore]
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these

[Interlude]

[Chorus: Dave Gahan & Martin L. Gore]
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these

Depeche Mode are recognized as one of the most artistically influential bands of the late 20th century. Commercially, they have released 14 studio albums to date, and sold more than 100 million records. Their most recent album, Spirit, hit the streets in March 2017.

The band got their start in Basildon, Essex in 1980, and named themselves after a French fashion magazine. They rose to fame with hits that have become “Just Can’t Get Enough” (1981), “Everything Counts” (1983), and “People Are People” (1984), to name a few. One of their most famous concerts was at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in 1988.

Martin Gore has been the band’s primary songwriter since Vince Clarke left in the early 1980s (and went on to form Yazoo and Erasure). Alan Wilder replaced Clarke on keyboards in 1982, but left in 1995 (reinvesting his creative energy in his band, Recoil, which he had started in 1986). Since then, the band has comprised frontman Dave Gahan, multi-instrumentalist Martin Gore, and keyboardist Andy Fletcher—all of whom are original members.

more tracks from the album

X¹ + X²

From the albums

X¹ + X² (1991)
DMBX3: Singles 13-18 (1991)

Depeche Mode popular songs

Shake the Disease (Remixed Extended Version)Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode

X¹ + X²