Song of the day for May 26, 2024

Barrel of a Gun by Depeche Mode is today’s featured song.

On this day in 2022, Depeche Mode keyboardist Andy Fletcher died age 60. Fletcher was a founding member of the band which found success with their dark electronic sound with hits including ‘Personal Jesus’. Depeche Mode had chart success in the 1980s and 1990s with singles including ‘New Life’, ‘Enjoy the Silence’ and ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’.

“Barrel of a Gun” is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released as the first single from their ninth studio album, Ultra (1997), on 3 February 1997. The song reached number one in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain and Sweden while reaching the top 10 in several other countries, including Finland, Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom. In North America, the song reached number 47 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Canadian Singles Chart.

“It’s about understanding what you’re about and realising that you don’t necessarily fit into somebody else’s scheme of things,” said keyboardist Martin Gore. Singer Dave Gahan, who was weakened from his battle with substance abuse at the time, added, “The song sums up the way I was treating myself and everybody around me. That’s what life had in store for me every day. It’s a really powerful statement. When you’re in that kind of row, the last thing on your mind is dying.”