I'm taking a ride with my best friend
I hope he never lets me down again
He knows where he's taking me
Taking me where I want to be
I'm taking a ride with my best friend

We're flying high
We're watching the world pass us by
Never want to come down
Never want to put my feet back down on the ground

I'm taking a ride with my best friend
I hope he never lets me down again
Promises me I'm as safe as houses
As long as I remember who's wearing the trousers
I hope he never lets me down again

We're flying high
We're watching the world pass us by
Never want to come down
Never want to put my feet back down on the ground
We're flying high
We're watching the world pass us by
Never want to come down
Never want to put my feet back down on the ground

Never let me down
Never let me down
Never let me down
Never let me down

See the stars, they're shining bright (never let me down)
Everything's alright tonight (never let me down)
See the stars, they're shining bright (never let me down)
Everything's alright tonight (never let me down)
See the stars, they're shining bright (never let me down)
Everything's alright tonight (never let me down)
See the stars, they're shining bright (never let me down)
Everything's alright tonight (never let me down)


Lyrics submitted by gasmask

Never Let Me Down Again Lyrics as written by Martin Gore

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Never Let Me Down Again song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

94 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +8
    General Comment

    this is just a shot in the dark, but this song was written in the 80s when DM were heavy into the whole drug scene. i think that "he" may be the drug itself, and Gahan is saying how euphoric it is to be having this experience

    meliffy18on April 10, 2002   Link
  • +7
    General Comment

    Just to make things clear for those who don't know : wear the trousers = be the dominant partner in a relationship

    Anolyricson August 14, 2011   Link
  • +6
    General Comment

    I've been wondering about this song for ages. The drug interpretation finally makes sense! Even if Martin was clean and sober, I'm sure he had plenty of examples around him to draw from.

    xodon March 15, 2005   Link
  • +6
    General Comment

    THIS SONG IS ABOUT HEROIN!! Geez!

    Rusty Manhoodon October 12, 2006   Link
  • +5
    General Comment

    I agree about the drugs, although the members of DM weren't heavily into drugs at this point, in fact, David was really the only one to get into drugs and that was in the mid 90s. Anyway, this song sounds like its about drugs, specifically, LSD. It sounds like theyre taking an acid trip and one of the two has done it before and is guiding the other through the trip. Anyone whos familiar with LSD knows that this is usually the best way to trip for the first time. Many people can freak out and as long as you have a calm person tripping with you, it can keep you grounded (promises me Im as safe as houses, etc).

    Rez1on January 13, 2005   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    I heard that Martin wrote the lyrics while on a plane (we're flying high, we're watching the world pass us by) while putting lyrics together describing one of many disagreements within the band. He was struck by the similarity between handing over your trust to a "best friend" to passengers having to totally trust the pilot. I always felt this song described the challenges of a Rock and Roll lifestyle and the disagreements and forgiveness between Martin and Dave. "I hope he never lets me down again" alludes to past errors that may or may not reoccur. Martin runs Depeche Mode. Dave probably was a jerk about something and then realized his errors. It seems to me that Dave is being reminded that he is not in charge, Martin is: "as long as I remember who's wearing the trousers". I find that there are a lot of songs that relate to Dave's drug habit but Dave didn't write until after he was clean. I think Martin wrote some of the songs from Dave's perspective...but that's another thread!

    irishmcdermotton September 13, 2010   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    small brain: never let me down again is a song about being on drugs big brain: never let me down again is a song about doing gay things galaxy brain: never let me down again is a song about doing gay things while on drugs

    suck my ass heteros

    sleemgay69on December 13, 2018   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I think that this song is about two best friends. The male telling the story is saying how his best friend is taking him away from a place that he hates. My guess, is that he hates the city.(possibly the addiction of drugs) Why would someone hate a city? Maybe because it's full of corruption at night or he isn't fit for a noisy/busy environment. Maybe he had a bad time at a club or bar.

    The best friend gets him in his car and is driving and driving. He's driving fast, that the two men see the world pass by them. Lights stream past them and buildings with people's faces blur in the fast motion.

    "We're flying high watching the world pass us by Never want to come down never want to put my feet back down on the ground"

    When you speed in a car, the velocity climbs higher and higher. I think this is what he means by "We're flying high, never want to come down..."

    "Promises me I'm as safe as houses"

    The passenger is probably scared even though he really wants the best friend to be speeding and to get him out of the bad place. He tells him to slow down, but the best friend assures him that he's safe with him even though he's driving extremely fast. Houses stand still and don't have any chances of crashing lol, so they're safer than a car!

    "As long as I remember who's wearing the trousers."

    Wearing pants like a boss. 'Nuff said. lol no, I'm kidding, but I think he means that the driver is the one in control here, that from experience the two men know that the driver is a very good driver!!

    "See the stars they're shining bright Everything's alright tonight."

    Soon, they make it out of the city or wherever the bad place was and the two best friends realize that tonight was a good night out. They get to enjoy seeing the stars together and they realize that a person can really count on their bestfriends to help them escape when they need to. :)

    Bomberkidon September 24, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Not to sound rude - but - there is nothing to debate here. This song is clearly about drugs. When the song first came out, when I was all of 14, I knew that. Come on people. About homosexuality? No.

    The ending - " see the stars they're shining bright/ Everything's alright tonight" is about him being high and "everything is alright".

    ezboy1000on March 18, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Definitely drugs. "We're flying high", I mean just a little obvious.

    Helixion June 12, 2002   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
When We Were Young
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Album art
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.