"Never Let Me Down Again" is a song by the English

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

band

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...

. It was released as the second single from their sixth studio album, ''

Music for the Masses ''Music for the Masses'' is the sixth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 28 September 1987 by Mute Records. The album was supported by the Music for the Masses Tour, which launched their fame in the United S ...

'' (1987), on 24 August 1987. It reached No. 22 in the UK, No. 2 in West Germany, and the top-10 in several other European countries such as Sweden and Switzerland, topping the Danish charts. In the US, it entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The cover art features fragments of a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

map of Russia and Europe, with different fragments used for the different editions of the single.

Background and composition

Former member

Alan Wilder Alan Charles Wilder (born 1 June 1959) is an English musician, composer, arranger, record producer and member of the electronic band Depeche Mode from 1982 to 1995. After his departure from the band, the musical project Recoil became his pri ...

and the other members of the band considered the track an "obvious single" with much potential. They developed it throughout so that dramatic-type elements such as the

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

-influenced

drum patterns The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

and

Martin Gore Martin Lee Gore (born 23 July 1961) is an English musician and songwriter. He is one of the founding members of the electronic music band Depeche Mode and is the band's main songwriter. He is the band's guitarist and keyboardist, and occasiona ...

's distinctive guitar riffs sound in the forefront. The lyrics of the song, starting with the strident vocals of "I'm taking a ride with my best friend", are generally regarded as reflecting drug use, with the track being labelled by ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' music journalist Jane Solanas as a "masterpiece" that well conveys the feeling of "drug euphoria". In a 1987 interview, Gore said that the song: "...has nothing to do with relationships. It's about the concept of fleeing from reality and the evil awakening afterwards. Any kind of fleeing. Drugs, alcohol, or whatever." The guitar intro of the song on the album was not originally intended, according to producer Bascombe: "...the sequencers we were using in those days, that guitar was sampled and it just ran on the count-in over the start of the track but it wasn't supposed to be. We all went, 'That's great' and so that was a happy accident." The coda of "Never Let Me Down Again" references the

Soft Cell Soft Cell are an English synth-pop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball (electronic musician), David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit versio ...

song "

Torch A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end which can be used as a light source or to set something on fire. Torches have been used throughout history and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggl ...

". The main

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

version of the track, known as the "Split Mix", came about with direct involvement from the band. Years later, after remixes began being made by various hired producers, Wilder said the group should have continued making their own remixes – "...we were right the first time."

Live performances

The song became a favourite among fans, especially live. Notable in the ''

101 101 may refer to: *101 (number), the number * AD 101, a year in the 2nd century AD * 101 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC It may also refer to: Entertainment * ''101'' (album), a live album and documentary by Depeche Mode * "101" (song), a 19 ...

'' video is when

Dave Gahan David Gahan ( ; né Callcott; born 9 May 1962) is an English singer best known as the lead singer of electronic music band Depeche Mode since their formation in 1980. Noted for his commanding stage presence and unique baritone voice, Gahan was ...

waves his arms in the air toward the end of the song, and the sold-out crowd of 60,000 mimics Gahan's movements. It is now customary at Depeche Mode shows for fans to wave their arms in the air during the coda section of "Never Let Me Down Again", which the German magazine ''Music Express'' has termed a "wind in a cornfield" simulation. During the 1990

World Violation Tour The World Violation Tour was a 1990 concert tour by English electronic group Depeche Mode in support of the act's seventh studio album, '' Violator''. It was estimated that by the end of the tour, Depeche Mode had toured to 1.2 million fans. ...

, the band played a different version of the song, known as the "Split Mix", including their massive live performances at the

Giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) * Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'g ...

and

Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...

s, which were being broadcast live on

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

. On 8 November 2001, shortly after their final Exciter Tour concert in

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, the band played "Never Let Me Down Again" during the

MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an al ...

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

, which aired in the US on

MTV2 MTV2 (formerly M2) is an American pay television Cable television, channel owned by the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global, through PMN’s MTV Entertainment Group Subdivision. The channel launched initially as an all-music ...

Remixes

The main 12-inch remix of "Never Let Me Down Again" is known as the "Split Mix", as stated above, and the nine-and-a-half-minute track featured direct involvement from the band during its creation. In detail, the remix features the regular song, an added intro piece, and a

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...

-like musical arrangement appended at the end. The arrangement was expanded to the "Aggro Mix" on the 12-inch

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

, a piece additionally available as a bonus track on the CD and cassette tape versions of ''Music for the Masses''. The "Split Mix" appears on the album collection ''

Remixes 81–04 ''Remixes 81–04'' is a remix album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 25 October 2004. It was the band's first release since Daniel Miller's independent label Mute Records was acquired by industry major EMI in 2002. ...

'', a release that came out in October 2004. Another remix of the track, done by the German group Digitalism, came out in 2006 as one of the 'Digital Deluxe Bonus Tracks' found in ''

The Best of Depeche Mode Volume 1 ''The Best of Depeche Mode Volume 1'' is a greatest hits album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 8 November 2006 by Mute Records. The album consists of select Depeche Mode singles from their then-25-year career, as wel ...

'' (also being released as a limited double vinyl 12-inch piece). That remix appears on the band's remix compilation '' Remixes 2: 81–11'' as well.

Eric Prydz Eric Sheridan Prydz (, ; born 19 July 1976), also known by his many aliases including Pryda () and Cirez D (), is a Swedish DJ and record producer. He rose to prominence with his 2004 hit single " Call on Me", and saw continued chart success wi ...

also remixed the song for this album. The single version appears on ''

The Singles 86–98 ''The Singles 86>98'' is a greatest hits album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 28 September 1998 by Mute Records. It serves as a follow-up to the band's previous compilation, '' The Singles 81→85'', which was als ...

'' (1998) and ''

'' (2006).

Music videos

There are two music videos for "Never Let Me Down Again", directed by

Anton Corbijn Anton Johannes Gerrit Corbijn van Willenswaard (; born 20 May 1955) is a Dutch photographer, film director, and music video director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2,Pitman, Joanna"The silent partner" ...

. The long version is featured on the ''

Strange Strange may refer to: Fiction * Strange (comic book), a comic book limited series by Marvel Comics * Strange (Marvel Comics), one of a pair of Marvel Comics characters known as The Strangers * Adam Strange, a DC Comics superhero * The title c ...

'' video, and uses the "Split Mix" (minus the intro and outro) and during the later EBM portion of the song, Gahan's shoes are shown walking without anyone wearing them, before someone puts them on and wears them to dance. There is also a short video with just the single version of the song, which ends before the animated shoes. The short version appears on '' The Videos 86>98'', the DVD of ''

'' and on ''

Video Singles Collection ''Video Singles Collection'' is a 2016 three-DVD music video compilation by Depeche Mode, containing all the videos released for singles by the band between 1981 and 2013. The compilation is the first official Depeche Mode archival title to be ...

''.

B-sides

There are two B-sides. "Pleasure, Little Treasure" is a short dance track. An extended version called the "Glitter Mix" ends with fragments of vocal recordings that have been reversed and treated with delay effects. Notably, some of these sounds can be heard in the track "Mothers Talk" from the 1985 Tears for Fears album ''

Songs from the Big Chair ''Songs from the Big Chair'' is the second studio album by the English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released on 25 February 1985 by Phonogram Records/Mercury Records. The follow-up to the band's successful debut album, ''The Hurting'' (1983), ' ...

'', which was engineered by Dave Bascombe. The "Glitter Mix" showed up as a bonus track on the CD/Cassette versions of ''Music for the Masses'' and in remastered form on the 2006 CD/DVD release. The rarer B-side is "To Have and To Hold (Spanish Taster)".

's original plan for the song sounded a lot like upbeat

electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...

, but

turned it into the

dark wave Dark wave, or darkwave, is a music genre that emerged from the new wave and post-punk movement of the late 1970s. Dark wave compositions are largely based on minor key tonality and introspective lyrics and have been perceived as being dark, ro ...

track it eventually became. While Alan's version was always set to be the final version, Martin wanted his version to be recorded as well. However, not all of the lyrics are sung in the song. It shows up as one of the bonus tracks on the CD/Cassette version of ''Music for the Masses'' and is on the CD versions of "Never Let Me Down Again". The regular version of "To Have and To Hold" is one of the main tracks on the ''Music for the Masses'' LP.

Notable cover versions

The Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also simply known as Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. The ...

recorded a cover of the song and released it as a B-side on their 1994 CD single "

Rocket A rocket (from , and so named for its shape) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using any surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely ...

" as well as on the Depeche Mode tribute album ''

For the Masses For or FOR may refer to: English language *For, a preposition *For, a complementizer *For, a grammatical conjunction Science and technology * Fornax, a constellation * for loop, a programming language statement * Frame of reference, in physics * ...

''. Discussing the cover, Martin Gore said he had "always liked" the Pumpkins cover, while Dave Gahan said he "particularly liked it", and even thought it was "a lot better" than the Depeche Mode original. American rock band

Smash Mouth Smash Mouth is an American Rock music, rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994 and was originally composed of Steve Harwell (lead vocals), Kevin Coleman (drums), Greg Camp (guitar), and Paul De Lisle (bass). Harwell's ...

recorded a cover of the song for their unreleased 2005 album '' Old Habits''.

In popular culture

The song was featured in the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

series ''

Euphoria Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...

''. It played during the third episode of the second season, "Ruminations: Big and Little Bullys". "Never Let Me Down Again" appeared two times on the TV show ''

The Last of Us ''The Last of Us'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Players control Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across a post-apocalyptic United States ...

''. Its first appearance came in the series premiere, " When You're Lost in the Darkness".

Craig Mazin Craig Mazin (born 1971) is an American writer, director, and producer. He is best known for creating, writing, and producing the HBO historical disaster drama miniseries ''Chernobyl (miniseries), Chernobyl'' (2019) and co-creating, co-writing, an ...

, the co-creator of the series, chose the song due to its blend of upbeat sounds and dark lyrics. He felt its title referred to the relationship between Joel and Ellie, and noted it would recur later in the season in a different manner. In the wake of the song being featured on ''The Last of Us'', the amount of streams of "Never Let Me Down Again" tripled overnight. The song returned in the sixth episode of the first season, " Kin", where it is performed by Mazin's daughter Jessica, to demonstrate Ellie feeling let down by Joel.

Track listings

All songs written by

. 7-inch: Mute / Bong14 (UK) #"Never Let Me Down Again" – 4:20 #"Pleasure, Little Treasure" – 2:52 12-inch: Mute / 12Bong14 (UK) #"Never Let Me Down Again (Split Mix)" – 9:34 #"Pleasure, Little Treasure (Glitter Mix)" – 5:34 #"Never Let Me Down Again (Aggro Mix)" – 4:53 12-inch: Mute / L12Bong14 (UK) #"Never Let Me Down Again (Tsangarides Mix)" – 4:22 (Remixed by

Chris Tsangarides Christopher Andrew Tsangarides (17 August 1956 – 6 January 2018) was a British record producer, sound engineer, and mixer of Greek Cypriot origin. He was best known for his work with many heavy metal artists, including Gary Moore, Thin L ...

) #"Pleasure, Little Treasure (Join Mix)" – 4:53 (Remixed by

John Fryer John Fryer may refer to: *John Fryer (physician, died 1563), English physician, humanist and early reformer *John Fryer (physician, died 1672), English physician *John Fryer (travel writer) (1650–1733), British travel-writer and doctor *Sir John ...

& Paul Kendall) #"To Have and to Hold (Spanish Taster)" – 2:33 Cassette: Mute / CBong14 (UK) #"Never Let Me Down Again (Split Mix)" – 9:34 #"Pleasure, Little Treasure (Glitter Mix)" – 5:34 #"Never Let Me Down Again (Aggro Mix)" – 4:53 CD: Mute / CDBong14 (UK) #"Never Let Me Down Again (Split Mix)" – 9:34 #"Pleasure, Little Treasure (Join Mix)" – 4:53 #"To Have and to Hold (Spanish Taster)" – 2:33 #"Never Let Me Down Again (Aggro Mix)" – 4:53 *Originally released in Cardsleeve 987*Rereleased as 4track CD single in Slim Jewel Case in 1991. CD: Mute / CDBong14 (UK) #"Never Let Me Down Again" – 4:20 #"Pleasure, Little Treasure" – 2:52 #"Never Let Me Down Again (Split Mix)" – 9:34 #"Pleasure, Little Treasure (Glitter Mix)" – 5:34 #"Never Let Me Down Again (Aggro Mix)" – 4:53 #"Never Let Me Down Again (Tsangarides Mix)" – 4:22 #"Pleasure, Little Treasure (Join Mix)" – 4:53 #"To Have and To Hold (Spanish Taster)" – 2:33 *The second CD is the 1992 re-release.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

Single information from the official Depeche Mode website
{{Authority control 1987 songs 1987 singles Black-and-white music videos Depeche Mode songs Music videos directed by Anton Corbijn Mute Records singles Number-one singles in Denmark Song recordings produced by Daniel Miller Songs about drugs Songs written by Martin Gore