I stand still, stepping on the shady streets
And I watched that man to a stranger
If you you only know me when you turn on the light
Now the room is lit, red danger

Complicating, circulating
New life, new life
Operating, generating
New life, new life

Transition to another place
So the time will pass more slowly
Your features fuse and your shadow's red
Like a film I've seen, now show me

Complicating, circulating
New life, new life
Operating, generating
New life, new life

Your face is hidden and we're out of sight
And the road just leads to nowhere
The stranger in the door is the same as before
So the question answer's nowhere

Complicating, circulating
New life, new life
Operating, generating
New life, new life

I stand still stepping on the shady streets
And I watched that man to a stranger
You think you only know me when you turn on the light
Now the room is lit, red danger

Complicating, circulating
New life, new life
Operating generating
New life, new life


Lyrics submitted by shut

New Life Lyrics as written by Vince Clarke

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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New Life song meanings
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5 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    The reason the album "Speak and Spell" had a more technopop sound to it than DM's subsequent material was that Vince Clarke, a founding member of DM, was their main songwriter; he wrote all the tracks on "Speak and Spell", including "New Life". Then he left the band (bummer, IMHO) to work on other musical projects: the duo, Yazoo, with torch jazz singer, Alison Moyet (she went by the handle, Alf, on the 2 albums they did: "Upstairs at Eric's" and "You and Me Both"); then in the mid-'80s, made the bigtime worldwide with the band, Erasure. That left the major songwriting duties to Martin Gore, who took DM on a more industrial, edgier style that has kept them going strong for over 20 yrs. , playing to a wide-ranged fanbase of gothics and others into metal, industrial, techno, electronica, & alternative rock--whew!

    pharmageekon September 08, 2006   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    Some time ago I read an article about "Operation: New Life" which was a military operation in 1975 dedicated to transition large groups of Vietnam war refugees to western countries. I wouldn't expect this kind of reference from Vince's early lyrics, but suddenly the story of a stranger transitioned to another place where the features fuse and his shadow's red seems kinda fitting.

    serkelothon February 20, 2020   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    great song ! the first song on their first cd: 'speak and spell'. damn good music !

    xl5ronon June 02, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    New life is so great. I really don't understand why fans hasn't paid atention to it. New life is inside the DM best album ever and I dare to say that it's a representative song from a age. Really epoque-making, and also another way to understand music of DM.

    catalunyaon January 23, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song never stops being good. Quintessential Depeche Mode.

    Major Valoron September 08, 2006   Link

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