Enjoy the Silence


"Enjoy the Silence" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. Recorded in 1989, it was released as the second single from their seventh studio album, Violator, on 5 February 1990. The single is Gold certificated in the US and Germany. The song won Best British Single at the 1991 Brit Awards. "Enjoy the Silence" was re-released as a single in 2004 for the Depeche Mode remix project Remixes 81–04, and was titled "Enjoy the Silence " or, more simply, "Enjoy the Silence 04".

Background

Songwriter Martin Gore created a ballad-like first version of the song, which the band took into the studio in 1989. At band member Alan Wilder's insistence, the song was re-worked into the up-tempo version released on the album.

Music videos

Original versions

The Anton Corbijn-directed music video for "Enjoy the Silence" references the themes and storyline of the philosophical children's book The Little Prince from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Footage of Dave Gahan dressed as a stereotypical king wandering the hillsides of the Scottish Highlands, the coast of the Algarve in Portugal and finally the Swiss Alps with a deck chair is intercut with black-and-white footage of the band posing. Brief flashes of a single rose appear throughout the scenes.
When Corbijn presented the concept of the video to the band, which at the time was simply "Dave dressed up as a king, walking around with a deck chair", they initially rejected it. They changed their minds, when he explained that the idea was that the King represented "a man with everything in the world, just looking for a quiet place to sit"; a king of no kingdom. Andy Fletcher jokes that he favoured the video because " only had to do about an hour's worth of work".
The video uses a slightly different mix of the album version of the song that has not been released in any audio format. The final long shots of the king walking through the snow are not Gahan but rather the video's producer, Richard Bell. Gahan had left the set, tired of the cold in Switzerland.
There are two edited versions of the Corbijn-directed video. One version begins with Andy Fletcher looking towards his right as the song begins. Shots of Dave Gahan dressed as a king singing directly to the camera are intercut with scenes of his walking through the Scottish Highlands, the coast of Portugal and the Swiss Alps. The video ends with Gahan singing the last line, "Enjoy the silence", then putting his finger in front of his lips as if to quiet the viewer. This video is blocked in Japan, Mexico, United States.
The second version begins with Martin Gore looking to his right as the song begins. This version omits the shots of Gahan singing directly to the camera. In this version, the only lines Gahan is shown singing are "Words are very unnecessary/They can only do harm." The video ends with Gahan sitting on a deck chair in the snow while the last line, "Enjoy the silence", is sung. There are also differences in the group shots of the band standing together between the two versions.

Promotional video

On 2 December 1989, "Enjoy the Silence" was performed on live by DEPECHE MODE in the German Peter's Pop Show
On the 19th December 1989, a promotional single for "Enjoy the Silence" was pressed.
In 1990, a promotional video for "Enjoy the Silence" was shot by French TV featuring Depeche Mode lip-synching the song while standing on the observation deck atop the South Tower of the original World Trade Center.

Release and reception

"Enjoy the Silence" was released as a single on 5 February 1990. It was initially released as a 7-inch and 12-inch vinyl single as well as a cassette and CD single. There are two instrumental B-sides to "Enjoy the Silence". "Sibeling" is a soft piano-tune while "Memphisto" is a darker, eerier track. The title of "Sibeling" refers to Finnish classical composer Jean Sibelius. According to Martin Gore, "Memphisto is the name of an imaginary film about Elvis as a Devil, that I created in my mind", and is a portmanteau of "Memphis" and "Mephisto".
Billboard wrote that the song is a "more radio-viable effort" than the group's last hit, "Personal Jesus". They noted further that the track "blends quintet's recognizable techno-pop melodies with trendy house grooves." In a review, Tim Di Gravina wrote that Enjoy the Silence is one of Depeche Mode's "greatest songs" with a "pristine and lush yet punishing musical environment" and "lyrics of violence and darkness". Di Gravina wrote the song is a "love song" as the narrator seems unable to form loving relationships with anyone, and demands silence from the world as "words are meaningless and forgettable", clashing into his world. The very act of communication where "words are meaningless and forgettable" causes the narrator so much pain, thus leading him to seek silence and to hide himself away as the only form of happiness he can find. Another reviewer, Stephen Gore, noted the juxtaposition on Violator between "Enjoy the Silence" – where the narrator wants silence from the world as words are "like violence" – and the next song "Policy of Truth", which argues that a successful relationship can only be based on lies. Pitchfork Media included the song at number 15 on their Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.

Track listing

7": Cassette: Mute / Bong18, CBong18
  1. "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:15
  2. "Memphisto" – 4:02
12": Mute / 12Bong18
  1. "Enjoy the Silence “ – 4:15
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 7:18
  3. "Enjoy the Silence " – 5:54
  4. "Sibeling" – 3:14
12": Mute / L12Bong18
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 7:40
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 2:41
  3. "Enjoy the Silence " – 5:27
  4. "Memphisto" – 4:05
12": Mute / XL12Bong18
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 15:30
CD: Mute / CDBong18
  1. "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:16
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 6:41
  3. "Enjoy the Silence " – 5:45
  4. "Sibeling" – 3:15
CD: Mute / LCDBong18
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 7:40
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 2:41
  3. "Enjoy the Silence " – 5:27
  4. "Memphisto" – 4:05
CD: Mute / XLCDBong18
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 15:27
Promo CD: Sire/Reprise / PRO-CD-3976
  1. "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:18
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 7:20
  3. "Enjoy the Silence " – 7:40
CD: Mute / CDBong18X
  1. "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:15
  2. "Memphisto" – 4:02
  3. "Enjoy the Silence " – 6:41
  4. "Enjoy the Silence " – 5:45
  5. "Sibeling" – 3:15
  6. "Enjoy the Silence " – 7:42
  7. "Enjoy the Silence " – 2:41
  8. "Enjoy the Silence " – 5:59
  9. "Enjoy the Silence " – 15:30
Promo 12": Mute / P12Bong18
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 7:40
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 6:41
  3. "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:15
Promo CD: Mute / CDBong18R
  1. "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:15
  2. "Memphisto" – 4:02
12"/Cassette: Sire/Reprise / 0-21490 / 4-21490
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 15:27
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 5:54
  3. "Enjoy the Silence " – 7:40
  4. "Enjoy the Silence " – 7:20
  5. "Memphisto" – 4:05
CD: Sire/Reprise / 21490-2
  1. "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:15
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 7:18
  3. "Sibeling" – 3:15
  4. "Enjoy the Silence " – 7:40
  5. "Enjoy the Silence " – 5:54
  6. "Memphisto" – 4:02
  7. "Enjoy the Silence " – 5:27
  8. "Enjoy the Silence " – 2:41

    Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

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Year-end charts

Sales and certifications

"Enjoy the Silence 04"

"Enjoy the Silence" was re-released as a single on 18 October 2004 by Depeche Mode for the remix project Remixes 81–04, and was entitled "Enjoy the Silence " or, more simply, "Enjoy the Silence 04". The "Reinterpreted" version was remixed by Mike Shinoda, the rapper and producer for the American band Linkin Park, who played most of the instruments.

Track listings

CD: Mute / CDBong34
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 3:32
  2. "Halo " – 4:22
CD: Mute / LCDBong34
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:41
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 3:33
  3. "Something to Do " – 7:11
CD: Mute / XLCDBong34
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:22
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:39
  3. "World in My Eyes " – 6:18
  4. "Mercy in You " – 7:03
12": Mute / 12Bong34
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:41
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:39
12": Mute / L12Bong34
  1. "Something to Do " – 7:11
  2. "World in My Eyes " – 6:18
  3. "Photographic " – 6:20
12": Mute / XL12Bong34
  1. "Halo " – 4:22
  2. "Clean " – 7:09
  3. "Little 15 " – 4:52
Promo 2x12": Mute / P12Bong34
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:41
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:39
  3. "Enjoy the Silence " - 8:22
  4. "Enjoy the Silence " - 8:35
Promo 12": Mute / PL12Bong34
  1. "Something to Do " – 7:11
  2. "World in My Eyes " – 6:18
  3. "Photographic " – 6:20
Promo 12": Mute / PXL12Bong34
  1. "Halo " – 4:22
  2. "Clean " – 7:09
  3. "Little 15 " – 4:52
Radio Promo CD: Mute / RCDBong34
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 3:32
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 3:30
  3. "Enjoy the Silence " – 3:33
12": Reprise / 42757-0
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:41
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:39
  3. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:22
  4. "World in My Eyes " – 6:18
CD: Reprise / 42757-2
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 3:32
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:41
  3. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:39
  4. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:22
  5. "World in My Eyes " – 6:18
  6. "Something to Do " – 7:11
Promo 12": Reprise / PRO-A-101419A
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 3:32
  2. "Nothing " – 3:30
  3. "Halo " – 4:22
Promo 2x12": Reprise / PRO-A-101430
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 3:32
  2. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:39
  3. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:22
  4. "Enjoy the Silence " – 8:41
  5. "World in My Eyes " – 6:18
  6. "Something to Do " – 7:11
Promo CD: Reprise / PRO-CDR-101419
  1. "Enjoy the Silence " – 3:33
  2. "Nothing " – 3:31
  3. "Halo " – 4:22

    Personnel

's "Enjoy the Silence 04" was a distortion guitar-driven version of the song, in which he imprinted Linkin Park's distinctive nu metal sound. Its animated music video was directed by Uwe Flade. Monitors in the animation show performances of "Enjoy the Silence" excerpted from Devotional and One Night in Paris, as well as footage from a concert from The Singles Tour filmed in Cologne in 1998 for MTV.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Notable cover versions

Lacuna Coil version

"Enjoy the Silence" is the second single by Lacuna Coil from their album Karmacode. It made the New York Posts Top 100 Cover Songs list.

Music video

There is a UK version of the video and an international one. Both videos, shot with "Closer" music video on 12 March 2006, came out in June 2006, include the band performing in a dark room, but aside from that the UK version shows live clips of the London Forum show, while the international one shows scenes of a city, the countryside, and a bay.

Charts

Track listings

There are three "volumes" of the single.
;Volume I
  1. "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:08
  2. "The Edge" – 3:28
  3. "Fragile" – 4:40
  4. "Video Interview"
;Volume II
  1. "Enjoy the Silence"
  2. "To the Edge"
  3. "Fragile"
  4. "Tight Rope"
;Volume III
  1. "Enjoy the Silence"
  2. "Silence"
;Digital single
  1. "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:06
  2. "Virtual Environment" – 5:23
  3. "To the Edge" – 3:28
  4. "Fragile" – 4:40
  5. "Tight Rope" – 4:54
  6. "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:22

    Other cover versions

The only other version to be a hit single in the UK was by Mike Koglin. Slightly re-titled as "The Silence", it reached number 20 in 1998.