For me, when I saw the music video, the multi-colored balloons wrapped in a light sheet of plastic could only represent one thing. Heroin.
As an addict, the drug is really like, "Someone to hear your prayers, someone who cares, and/or someone who's there."
Often times a user will find themselves alone (with their telephone), and I take the lyrics,
"Lift up the receiver, I'll make you a believer"
and
"I will deliver, you know I'm a forgiver"
to be about when you're all strung out and alone and you call up the dealer for a fix. Most dealers could care less about you, you're just money. but to the user the dealer is a saint (or Personal Jesus) for giving them their precious drugs.
These lyrics aside, people seek out religion for many reasons, peace of mind, salvation, hope, eternal life, all of which can be gained by doing dope... for awhile anyway. When I was using, I thought of Heroin as my own little religion. When I was high, I had no problems, or worries, more than any religion has ever done. I'm not trashing religion, but religion requires faith, and I think the song implies that with drugs you can get a religion/faith that you can "reach out and touch."
I don't know what Depeche Mode was trying to say with this song, or how MM interpreted it. But this is what the song means to me.
For me, when I saw the music video, the multi-colored balloons wrapped in a light sheet of plastic could only represent one thing. Heroin.
As an addict, the drug is really like, "Someone to hear your prayers, someone who cares, and/or someone who's there."
Often times a user will find themselves alone (with their telephone), and I take the lyrics, "Lift up the receiver, I'll make you a believer" and "I will deliver, you know I'm a forgiver" to be about when you're all strung out and alone and you call up the dealer for a fix. Most dealers could care less about you, you're just money. but to the user the dealer is a saint (or Personal Jesus) for giving them their precious drugs.
These lyrics aside, people seek out religion for many reasons, peace of mind, salvation, hope, eternal life, all of which can be gained by doing dope... for awhile anyway. When I was using, I thought of Heroin as my own little religion. When I was high, I had no problems, or worries, more than any religion has ever done. I'm not trashing religion, but religion requires faith, and I think the song implies that with drugs you can get a religion/faith that you can "reach out and touch."
I don't know what Depeche Mode was trying to say with this song, or how MM interpreted it. But this is what the song means to me.
Peace, Brian