美国国家公共电台 NPR--Depeche Mode co-founder David Gahan wants us to remember: 'Memento Mori'

Depeche Mode co-founder David Gahan wants us to remember: 'Memento¹ Mori'

Transcript²

"Everything feels different. Everything that we've been doing."

That's how Depeche Mode singer and songwriter Dave Gahan sums up life for his band since the death of founding keyboardist Andy "Fletch" Fletcher in 2022. Gahan and co-founder Martin Gore³ forged ahead on their latest album without him; it's called Memento Mori. Roughly translated from Latin, it means: "Remember, one day you will die."

It's a theme that runs throughout the album. "Mortality, death, you know, and living! It's about living here now with what we have," Gahan told NPR's Leila Fadel.

While Fletch didn't live to hear this new music, Gahan says the album's lead single, "Ghosts Again," would have been a favorite. "A classic: sort of melancholy/joyous moments of Depeche Mode writing, where you kind of hit that nerve of both things. You feel the joy in the melody, but there's a foreboding in the lyric⁴ and the way it's sung."

Gahan wrote three of the songs on the album – a big change from Martin Gore's usual domination of those duties. But they came to an understanding while making their previous record, 2017's Spirit.

"I wouldn't say we came to blows," Gahan said, "but we came close. You know, the gauntlet was laid down and it was like, 'Hey, look, I write songs too, and I want as much attention with those songs as you get.' "

Gahan struggled with the idea of making another Depeche Mode album, and says the song "Speak To Me" was partially⁵ an imagined conversation he had with a "larger force" about that question. "Because I felt really torn between jumping into making another Depeche Mode record or, as I had been for the last couple of years for the first time in my life, home with friends and family and my animals. And just living a life and really enjoying that."

Now that they've planned a lengthy⁶ tour to support Memento Mori, Gahan says he and Gore haven't talked about continuing Depeche Mode beyond it. "We really kind of don't do that."

He says the exhaustion⁷ that sets in during a long tour sometimes makes the decision for him. "Always when it ends, I walk away from it feeling, I'm done now, you know? That's it. I did my job."

1 memento   

n.纪念品，令人回忆的东西

参考例句：

• The photos will be a permanent memento of your wedding.这些照片会成为你婚礼的永久纪念。
• My friend gave me his picture as a memento before going away.我的朋友在离别前给我一张照片留作纪念品。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

4 lyric   

n.抒情诗，歌词；adj.抒情的

参考例句：

• This is a good example of Shelley's lyric poetry.这首诗是雪莱抒情诗的范例。
• His earlier work announced a lyric talent of the first order.他的早期作品显露了一流的抒情才华。

5 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

6 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

7 exhaustion   

n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述

参考例句：

• She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲劳而酣睡。
• His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站着睡着了，显然是太累了。