Depeche Mode – Higher Love

Let us get one thing clear: Depeche Mode is not a Christian band.  They often sing about religion, spirituality, and life struggles, but don’t expect to see Christianity overflowing within their music like most songs I review.  I agreed to review this song because it sounds like it could be Christian.

Forming in 1980, this electronic band a total of fourteen studio albums, including Violator (1990), Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993), and most recently, Spirit (2016).

They have won a total of thirteen awards, including Best British single for Enjoy the Silence (1991), Q Magazine “Innovation Award” (2002), and MTV Europe Music Award for Best Group (2006).

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Depeche-mode-higher-love-lyrics.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

There is a burning desire to surrender all control to a “higher love”, worthy of their labor and sacrifice. It lifts them up, sets their soul ablaze, and causes them to achieve more than on their own strength. They are headed for heaven, with eternity living within their hearts.

Depeche Mode does not define what this higher love is or what qualities/characteristics it has, leaving it up to the audience to insert whatever they want.  It is about as vague as one can achieve in song lyrics.  Sacrifice for a noble cause is great; However, if the substance is false, then the laboring is in vain.

Score: 5/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

Since it is not implicitly clear who is the “higher love”, I will invoke a 2 point penalty to assume the God of Christianity.  With that in mind, all of the lyrics agree with the Bible under this interpretation.

[Verse 1]

Lines 1-4: I have more questions than answers.  What is the taste?  The burning?  The warm glow?  Verse 2 answers that question.  It is desire.

[Chorus]

Lines 1-3: That is, moved by God, who is love (1 John 4:8).  He lifts His people up (Leviticus 26:13, 2 Samuel 22:49, Psalm 3:3, Psalm 18:48, Psalm 27:5-6, Psalm 30:1-3, Psalm 40:2, Psalm 41:10, Psalm 71:20, Psalm 75:7, Psalm 145:14, Psalm 146:8, Job 5:11, Ezekiel 32:3, Jonah 2:6, and Luke 1:52).

[Verse 2]

Lines 1-4: What is this desire that Depeche Mode speaks? It is God’s eternity that exists within the heart of those who are His (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

[Post-Chorus 1]

Line 1: With God as our foundation, (Deuteronomy 32:4, 1 Samuel 2:2, 2 Samuel 22:47, Psalm 18:31, Psalm 28:1, Psalm 62:2, Psalm 94:22, Psalm 118:22, Isaiah 28:16, Matthew 7:24-27, Matthew 21:42, Acts 4:11, 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, Ephesians 2:20, 2 Timothy 2:19, and 1 Peter 2:6), we are heading for eternal life with God (Mark 10:29-30, John 3:15-16, John 3:36, John 4:14, John 5:24, John 5:39-40, John 6:27, John 6:40, John 10:28, John 17:3, John 20:31, Romans 5:21, Romans 6:22-23, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Galatians 6:8, 1 Timothy 1:16, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 2:11 , Hebrews 5:9, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 John 2:23-27, 1 John 5:10-13, 1 John 5:20, Jude 1:20-21, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 7:16-17, and Revelation 21:3-4).

Line 2: Given the truths in line 1, we have confidence to face any challenge with God’s help.  These stretch out faith (Psalm 66:8-12, Acts 14:22, Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4, and 1 Peter 1:5-9).

[Post-Chorus 2]

Lines 1 and 2: Depeche Mode sacrifices everything to achieve this higher goal (Luke 14:25-35).

[Outro]

Lines 1-6: Derivative of Chorus, lines 2 and 3.

Score: 8/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Any way they want!

Score: 0/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It would only glorify God if we assume Him before examining the lyrics.

Score: 5/10

Closing Comments

Depeche Mode’s Higher Love is as unclear as they come.  It is the type of song that fits nicely with our westernized obsession with relativism.  Some might interpret this as God, but I do not see it anywhere implicitly within these lyrics.  There are no characteristics that point us to God.  There are no personal pronouns at all. On the other hand, if we assume God, it is Scripturally sound and does glorify Him if we hang onto it.

Given its implicit vagueness, I cannot recommend this song for corporate worship.

Final Score: 5/10

Artist Info

Track: Higher Love (listen to the song)

Artist: Depeche Mode

Album: Songs Of Faith and Devotion

Genre: Electronic

Release Year: 1993

Duration: 7:30

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

Updates:

12/05/2019 – Upon commenter Bill Tavis’ challenge and another closer examination, I admit that I was wrong about my interpretation of infinity.  It is not the “infinity” that guides Depeche Mode, but a “higher love”, altering the entire review and significantly raising my score from a big fat 0/10 to 5/10.