Somebody – Depeche Mode | Text and Photos by Jude Bautista

Written by

Jude Bautista

There are some things that stay with you from your youth. Mine was the day I decided to buy my first LP (long playing record) age 12. In SM Makati, they had a cool record bar at the time, mid 1980s. It was so long ago, I have to explain (to young people) that an LP or record is a black plastic disc that contained music or audio recordings. A turntable with a physical needle would make contact with a disc rotating, thus playing the music.

My very first purchase, an album called Some Great Reward by DEPECHE MODE. Little did I know, how the album would shape my own tastes and perception of music. I loved it, practically every track was amazing to me.

There were the big hits: PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE, MASTER AND SERVANT, BLASPHEMOUS RUMORS. They had the angst and attitude of rock while having that (at the time) new synth sound. I could listen to the whole album all day, every day and not get sick of it.

Slow Ballad

Strangely enough the most popular song MOST played on the radio was SOMEBODY. That particular song, to me, stood out from the rest. And because it was so slow and popular, I tended to hate it. What could I do, I was an adolescent who had no idea, or inkling of love?

Later that same year, when I got into ‘telebabad’ (the term of hogging the phone – for a girl I fell for), my feelings and appreciation for Somebody drastically changed. The lyrics started to express exactly how I felt.

The song’s almost inanely simple: just a vocal with a piano behind it. But that’s why it’s so effective as well. You can feel the intimacy of Gore’s words on his simple but extremely moving melody. His vocals may not be operatic but is heartfelt. Especially because it sounds like anyone can sing it. Even me.

Respecting Differences

Lyrics speak about respect and love in spite of the differences of opinion. Not the usual, theme of love songs. Even humility on the part of the man. I also didn’t realize that the song would shape my own thoughts about love, decades later.

She will listen to me When I want to speak / About the world we live in

And life in general / Though my views may be wrong They may even be perverted

She’ll hear me out And won’t easily be converted / To my way of thinking In fact, she’ll often disagree / But at the end of it all She will understand me

The song also made me aware of loved ones or other people’s tendency to manipulate you. That’s a great message to be aware of about human nature. Something to be wary of. The music, words, for me, are just as moving and relevant now as when they were first released, 38 years ago.

I don’t want to be tied To anyone’s strings / I’m carefully trying to stay clear

Of those things

Depeche Mode – Somebody (Official Video)

Music Video

The music video was just as simple as the song itself. Martin Gore singing while Alan Wilder played on the piano with a dark background. There were dissolves of other band members: Dave Gahan and Andrew Fletcher. Gahan was the distinctive voice in most songs as lead vocalist.

Gore had his extreme close up. And was not too kind as he had a severe case of ‘British teeth’, meaning they were crooked. To me, and most fans that hardly mattered. The man is a genius. But he has since had them corrected.

Other Versions

I’m a little bit surprised not more artists have remade the hit since it was released in 1984. But locally in the Philippines, artist Abby Clutario made a video of her own version of Somebody (2020). She’s one of those brilliant multi instrument musicians, with lead vocals and playing keyboard for HUMANFOLK.

Abby’s version is amazing because she uses a Chapman Stick. An instrument that looks like the frets of a guitar, with more strings. Her vocals are just as impressive as her musicianship.

Somebody by Depeche Mode (Abby Clutario cover with lyrics)