One of the many tracks from the old Depeche mode discography. These songs spoke to me at a young age. To today’s listener they may seem uncomplicated and campy. But they are journeys.
One thing Depeche Mode did very well on these old songs was to build the narrative of the song by adding layers. What starts out as s simple beat and bass with one melodic line becomes very richly layered by the time you are into it.
Then they climax with a musical interlude.
Then after the musical centerpiece, they pull back the layering for a third verse.
The song concludes with a coda that is a layered rehash of one of the earlier melodic lines but it is remixed. So they basically remix themselves within their own song. But it is somehow uncomplicated. Remixing your own song within itself provides a means through which you can further study and appreciate the original theme of the music. It is a way of creating an “other” space from which y9u can look back to where you came from.
Another thing Depeche Mode used to do was revisit baselines with different top layers. So everybody in the band would have a shot at interpreting the underlying theme of the song. This is a very egalitarian approach to music. It also really exemplifies the purpose of the music which is to elicit a feeling or emotion. It’s like having a round robin in the band for every body to have a shot at expressing what the baseline does to them.
I’m sorry if you find this music uncomplicated, but to me I enjoy the journey of these types of old songs. Every layer is added with consideration for what it might bring to the narrative. Nothing is out of place. Everything is intentional.
“See You” is a fine example of this old Depeche Mode style of highly intentional song arranging. This style comes out in many other of their early songs such as “My Secret Garden” and “Leave in Silence”.
Depeche Mode – “See You” Lyrics:
(All I wanna do is)
(All I wanna do is)
(All I wanna do is)
(All I wanna do is)
All I want to do is see you again
Is that too much to ask for?
I just want to see your sweet smile
Smile the way it was before
Well, I’ll try not to hold you and I’ll try not to kiss you
And I won’t even touch you
All I wanna do is see you
Don’t you know that it’s true?
I remember the days when we walked through the woods
We’d sit on a bench for a while
I treasure the way we used to laugh and play
And look in each other’s eyes
You can keep me at a distance if you don’t trust my resistance
But I swear I won’t touch you
All I wanna do is see you
Don’t you know that it’s true?
Well I know five years is a long time
And that times change (that times change)
But I think that you’ll find
People are basically the same (basically the same)
If the water’s still flowing, we can go for a swim
And do the things we used to do
And if I’m reluctant, you can pull me in
And we can relive our youth
Ah, but we’ll just stay friendly like sister and brother
Though I think I still love you
All I wanna do is see you
Don’t you know that it’s true?
All I wanna do is see you
Don’t you know that it’s true?
All I wanna do is (see you)
All I wanna do is (see you)
All I wanna do is (see you)
All I wanna do is (see you)
All I wanna do is (see you)
All I wanna do is (see you)
All I wanna do is (see you, see you, see you)
All I wanna do is (see you, see you, see you)
All I wanna do is (see you, see you, see you)
All I wanna do is (see you, see you, see you)
All I wanna do is (see you, see you, see you)
All I wanna do is (see you, see you, see you)
All I wanna do is (see you, see you, see you)
All I wanna do is (see you, see you, see you)
All I wanna do is (see you, see you, see you)
All I wanna do is (see you, see you, see you)
All I wanna do is (see you, see you, see you)
All I wanna do is (see you, see you, see you)
All I wanna do is (see you, see you, see you)
