2011-05-01

WHEN SONGS ARE CONFESSIONS ...

PRECIOUS and SUFFER WELL

These are two very powerful songs included in the Playing the Angel album by DM of 2005, but have different composers. Precious was created by eternal songwriter, Martin Gore; Suffer Well was composed by Dave Gahan and his buddies Phillpot and Eigner.

Precious is DM´s forty-first single, released on October 1st, 2005. It is considered a song of understanding addressed to Martin´s children, affected by his recent divorce. The chorus seems in itself a declaration of repentance. With this in mind, the song takes on much more meaning and to many it is the highlight of this album.

Beautifully interpreted by Dave Gahan with a simple, delicate musical arrangement which makes the song precious.

The original video by director Uwe Flade, shows a computer generated cruise ship starring Gahan, Gore and Fletcher.

Precious/Lyrics
Precious and fragile things
Need special handling
My God what have we done to you?

We always try to share
The tenderest of care
Now look what we have put you through ...

CHORUS
Things get damaged
Things get broken
I thought we´d manage
But words left unspoken
Left us so brittle
There was so little left to give

I pray you learn to trust
Have faith in both of us
And keep room in your heart for two.

CHORUS (same as before)


Precious / Video

Suffer Well, DM´s 43rd single, released March 27, 2006, was Dave Gahan´s gift to Playing the Angel. It seems Dave was ready to roll as a composer and, fuelled by his solo undertakings,  threatened Martin with quitting the band, if he couldn´t contribute with his own songs. As Martin gave in, a great song was born. The music was created by Andrew Phillpott and Christian Eigner, who were already working with Dave in his solo projects. Some fans are still wondering how many other great songs we must have missed before Dave finally decided to rebel. Better late than never.

Many believe it is a haunting song that speaks about disappointment and recrimination, death and suicide. In 1996, Dave almost died of a drug overdose and went through a 2-minute death situation. In a first stanza he seems to be talking to someone who deserted him when he was going down the road, getting trapped by heroin. In a second stanza he refers to his narrow escape from death and the finding of love. In the end, it is a song of hope: life is hard but you can still hang on there.

In the song, Dave may have hinted at his wife Jennifer being the angel in his life, as she appears both as an angel and as herself in the industrial video filmed by Anton Corbijn, December 2006.

Suffer Well/Lyrics
Where were you when I fell from grace
Frozen heart, an empty space
Something´s changing, it´s in your eyes
Please, don´t speak, you´ll only lie
I found treasure not where I thought
Peace of mind can´t be bought
Still I believe.

CHORUS
I just hang on
Suffer well
Sometimes it´s hard
It´s hard to tell

An angel led me when I was blind
I said take me back, I´ve changed my mind
Now I believe
From the blackest room, I was torn
You called my name, our love was born
So I believe

CHORUS (twice)


Suffer Well Remix
Video