Lyric discussion by ezboy1000 

Cover art for But Not Tonight lyrics by Depeche Mode

I agree with most of what has been said. Yet I feel I should mention that this song is not simply about happiness and redemption.

Notice the narrator states, "just for one day..." It is about a moment in an otherwise crappy life where you find happiness. It is not as if the narrator has suddenly become optomistic, there is no "life altering moment".

The song is simply about someone who is normally involved in "debauchery" but for one night they have this fleeting, inexplicable, moment of zest for life.

To simply see this song as optimistic is to miss the underlying message.

absolutely!