Lyrics for Personal Jesus as interpreted by gasmask

Personal Jesus Lyrics
Your own personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who cares
Your own personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who's there

Feeling unknown
And you're all alone
Flesh and bone
By the telephone
Lift up the receiver
I'll make you a believer

Take second best
Put me to the test
Things on your chest
You need to confess
I will deliver
You know I'm a forgiver

Reach out and touch faith
Reach out and touch faith

Your own personal Jesus...

Feeling unknown
And you're all alone
Flesh and bone
By the telephone
Lift up the receiver
I'll make you a believer

I will deliver
You know I'm a forgiver

Reach out and touch faith

Your own personal Jesus...

Reach out and touch faith

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  • 77 Comments
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Ratgirl
06-13-2002

Rated 0 
Another good Depeche Mode song!

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1 Reply
RedArmy
06-15-2002

Rated 0 
I think this song is about being there for someone even if they are far away.

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stephan_jenkins
09-29-2002

Rated 0 
=) What can I say? I looooove this song! It's so freakin catchy!!

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tjkerouac
10-11-2002

Rated 0 
I read a long long time ago that Martin Gore wrote this song after he read the autobiography of Pricella Presley about her love and devotion to Elvis. I can see how this song can relate to a one-sided relationship, when someone looses themself in the other... it can be tragic.

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liukangwins
06-26-2004

Rated 0 
Ever see Reality Bites? This song reminds me of Winonna Rider's character calling the psychic friends network, or whatever they were.

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sorrywrongnumbah
10-17-2004

Rated 0 
What I really love about "Personal Jesus" is that it's about devotion, like tjkerouac said, but it's not a love song...it's darker and more desparate.

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paphan
12-07-2004

Rated 0 
I think the song is about phone sex - quite seriously.

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MarcelDwayne
12-14-2004

Rated +1 
this song is hinting at salvation and religious issues "jesus".

In order to understand what it means to have "your own personal jesus" one must understand what religious ppl find in Jesus. All the placebo like strength that one gains from a relationship with "jesus" can be acheived without having such rediculous dogma. Many ppl cannot lie to themself enough to receive the love of jesus, knowing full hearteadly that christianity is bull shit.

So instead this song is about how one can find their own salvation through something much more personable than jesus. "Your own personal jesus" can be a real person in your life. like a wife, or life partner who u agree to be close too.

The overall point of this song is that u should not give everything you have to an imaginary "Jesus" when u can have so much more love from people who actually live life with us. people who are very much alive and have the same aspirations as we do.

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Blacke
12-18-2004

Rated 0 
i agree because they say flesh and bone

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monkeymoogle
12-21-2004

Rated 0 
The song's about idolization. It could refer to either an unrequited adoration or the creation of an idol in order to comfort one's miseries.

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Chinup
12-28-2004

Rated 0 
Reach out and touch faith
is a take on AT&T's old slogan "Reach out and touch someone".

This song talks about the "second best" thing to talking to Jesus - the business of TV/phone evangelism. Getting "saved" through another human, a human who waits until you're down and out and vulnerable ("Feeling unknown/And you're all alone"), and then you're saved and converted, for a small fee. These guys basically play Jesus for these needy people - people with the need for an answer, because they're prayers aren't getting answered. Forgiving sins, converting folks to Christianity, etc. - all without getting off the couch.

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mdeaves
01-25-2005

Rated 0 
Paphan, though i don't think your idea is correct i am gonna go with it anywayz. Gives me something to chuckle at

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venus in furs 28
01-25-2005

Rated 0 
Paphan - why is it that people attach sexual meanings to EVERYTHING?

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bunnzy
02-02-2005

Rated 0 
I think this song is about hookers to be honest.

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the_libertine
02-19-2005

Rated 0 
I love this song, it's so catchy. Just listen to that riff!! I've gone through weeks of having this song in my head permenantly.
To be honest, I don't know what this song is about and I have absolutely no clue either.

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Trent Reznor
03-18-2005

Rated -1 
This song is about finding Jesus within yourself, through the Holy Spirit. It is like a personal communication line to God. There are so many misconceptions about the Holy Spirit that I didn't know exactly what it was until He came to me. The Holy Spirit is the soft, still voice of God within you, and it's a very real thing. And I warn anyone who is doubtful of the works of the Holy Spirit...if you think what I'm saying isn't true, be very careful about how you react to someone witnessing for the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy is the only unforgivable sin, and shouldn't be taken lightly. God bless you all :)

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1 Reply
Marvel_Man14
04-01-2005

Rated +1 
Trent yoy live in a fantasy world. As much as I would like you to be correct. It's not true. It's pretty much a middle finger to christianity. I still like the song though, and I agree with some of their points on this board. Despite being a devout Catholic.

O yeah, only protestants go to hell. You never truly saved until purgatory.

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paphan
04-11-2005

Rated 0 
Okay, let me explain what I meant, because the day I typed my comment about phone sex, I didn't have much time...

All right. So let's say that there are people who call a phone sex line to hear a woman moan and talk dirty and all that. But then let's say that there are also those who are truly lonely and don't have anybody to share their life with, those who have things they need to get off their chest but don't have a beloved whom they can share those feelings with.

A phone sex hotline is unique in that it can offer a sense of intimacy between two complete strangers, so that you can feel compelled to confess your innermost secrets to the person at the other end of the line without worrying about ever having to face that person. It's a feeling of intimacy and distance at the same time, and the person who is paid for their services can make you feel good without being sexual, simply by listening to you.

I don't know, maybe I have a screwed up logic and a messed up imagination, but that is what I meant with my earlier comment.

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misschichi
04-23-2005

Rated 0 
paphan, you may be on to something. However it doesn\'t necessarily have to be about a phone sex hotline. Maybe like a suicide hotline or something of that nature. That being said, this song may have another meaning. It may have been inspired by something completely different than what we can interpret without knowing more details, but I think it\'s quite safe to say that everyone needs a \"Personal Jesus,\" whether they\'re a stranger, an unrequited love, whatever.

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misschichi
04-23-2005

Rated 0 
Annnnd because I forgot to mention this earlier: A lot of people tend to take this song quite literally, to mean that Jesus is meant to save everyone and what have you. But Depeche Mode aren\'t exactly a Christian rock band. So I would reconsider your interpretations. Of course, to each his own. I could be completely wrong.

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Satanyk
06-30-2005

Rated 0 
Good song. Love the beat. Overall well done. xD

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aniym
08-12-2005

Rated 0 
I think paphan and misschichi are on the right track, though I agree with bits of what the others have said also (except for the dude who thinks it's actually about Jesus, rofl)..the 'personal Jesus' really can be anyone on the other receiver, whether a friend, a phone sex service, a suicide hotline.

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aczinke
08-31-2005

Rated 0 
Song is about televangelism.

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dairec
09-01-2005

Rated +1 
On a literal reading it definitely seems to be about tele evangelism but I'm suprised nobody's mentioned the possibilty of him referring to heroin, especially given Martin's well-known drug-use in the past.

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sbto
09-30-2005

Rated 0 
well I personally think that the line: you're own personal jesus suggests that the song is about being true to yourself. Each of us can be forgiving and good to yourself as Jesus was. Just reach and touch that place in yourself. The verse about the telephone suggests to me that the person who's singing is already there and wants you to know it. And he's showing you the way at the same time.

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