Broken

First off, there are few songs that give me goose bumps, but this is one A studio version on You Tube in the Vevo catalog really hits home to me by watching Dave's expression/emotion while singing this

He has already stated that this is a song about a "friend" (or possibly to his own dark side) of his that still is fighting his own demons in life. As Parent of a teenage heroin addict and watching his constant battles, falls and failures; I guess this is why the song hits home to me.

My interpretation is simple

Dave speaks to this friend (probably known since childhood) and says it's ok. You will make it and just accept we are all human. We are all "broken"

From someone else these words, would be shallow, but Dave has been there so they hold value

An extremely powerful song if you have been there or live with someone and their internal struggles

I think "Broken" is about a person watching a friend who has a condition that is either lifelong or it just started but the person was predisposed to it from birth, like autism or Alzheimers.

"You see the friend that I knew cannot be found, replaced by another, wearing his crown" - The friend's condition is deteriorating, (s)he's getting worse.

"There’s a place where I go without any sound. Only you can reach me. Only you’re allowed." - This is from the point of view of the person suffering the condition. Really fits autism. Also really fits Alzheimers.

"When you were a child, you'd dream all day long. You'd dream of the future, get lost in your songs." - This screams autism to me.

"Words long forgotten, forgotten somehow." - This screams Alzheimers to me.

"You were broken from the start." - The condition is either lifelong or the person was born predisposed to a condition that is now consuming them.

I submitted a change to the lyrics that are currently there to match what I put in this comment.

The song describes a sentiment I feel towards a dear friend of mine so perfectly; I'm so grateful to Depeche mode for writing something so beautiful , insightful and gracious.

For me, this song conveys the grace of someone who holds onto immense respect and care for a cherished friend, who has let them down, perhaps repeatedly. They recognise the friend has a broken side, and suffers considerably for it. Instead of choosing rejection for letting them down, the singer offers to be there out of respect for "the friend that he knew".

Whether or not the friend accepts the olive branch or what the singer has to say, the lyrics say a lot about the good character of the song writer. I hope it worked out for them.