Shine

"Shine" was released as a single and is the first track on Angels & Ghosts.

Lyrics

Dave's Take

"['Shine' is] pretty on the optimistic side for me. I'd had this melody and this loose lyrical idea, which had come to me after a concert I did with Depeche in Berlin. We played in this huge stadium, beautiful summer night, a couple years ago. It was one of those nights where, on the stage, everything just felt great. I felt like I was singing like I had all the power I wanted. I had all the energy I needed. I'm looking around, and I knew that everybody was kind of in the same place. I always look at Christian [Eigner], my drummer — he and I are sort of a team on stage — I could tell that he was just feeling it, too. It was one of those nights. When I got back to the hotel that night, this melody was spinning around in my head. I threw it into my phone and when Rich sent me that guitar, I remembered this thing, and the two just came together very fast. 'Shine' really set the record up, so we made it the first song."¹

My Take

What an album opener! Doesn't Dave sound like he enjoys singing this song more than anything else in the world? I definitely get that impression listening to him here. He just sounds so natural and free, like this is what he was meant to do all along (sorry, Depeche Mode). Anyway, this song sounds like straight-up gospel, and feels like it would be right at home performed in an old church with a big choir. In fact, I'm specifically thinking of that scene in The Blues Brothers movie where the pastor, played by soul legend James Brown, gives his musical sermon and the whole church just goes wild with song and dance and for some reason this song reminds me of that scene. Like that scene, this song feels very big, bright, and open. The "light" that "shines" here could be speaking about a literal light source, like a spotlight on a performer, perhaps, but I also like to think that it speaks about a figurative light, as well. For instance, have you ever met or known someone who was full of light, spiritually or personality-wise? It's almost as if they emanate a bright light from within themselves, which I know is not what this song is about, but I am reminded of that, as well. I also find it interesting to compare this song with another of the same name by Depeche Mode. Written by Martin Gore and having appeared on Exciter, it also talks about a light that shines from someone- either from a figurative or literal angel, in that case. Both Dave and Martin love to play with imagery related to light and darkness, it seems, and they also seem to have the most fun with it.

Music Video

The video opens with a setting in a small room, where there are numerous lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling. Dave walks among them, singing, and there is also a woman who is walking among the lights. Interspersed with this scene are other scenes of lights, like the sun shining on people hanging out in a park, playing basketball, and painting. One scene also shows a couple watching the sun set (or rise?) behind a big city view. Other scenes show various people smiling at the camera. By the end of the video, one very bright light shines on the woman in the room with the lights and she falls down onto the floor, seemingly enraptured by the experience.

My Take

As if the words to this song weren't clear enough, the video makes it very clear that the overarching theme is light...and lots of it! There are basically two main settings featured in this video that get interleaved with each other- the small room with the lights and the one outside in the city. There's almost a sense of claustrophobia in the first scene despite the hanging lights all over the place, but with Dave in there, one can't be too distraught, right? The scenes between the woman and Dave are sensual to a degree. They exchange soft looks with one another, fondling the lightbulbs in front of each other's faces...that all sounds really weird to type but I'm just describing what I saw! Anyway, the outdoor city scenes in contrast feel very open, and not only is the lighting from the sun providing a sense of happiness and levity to everything, but the people are, too, with some of their expressions, especially with the big and bright smiles. It's as if every person has their own individual light that shines from within each of them- shining on one another as they interact. Don't ask me what's going on with the woman in the room, though; she seems to experience somewhat of an orgasm, for lack of a better word, when the bright light finally shines down on her. Well, so lemme ask...what would you do if you were trapped in a small room alone with Dave? I'll just leave that there...

References

1. "Dave Gahan on Soulsavers, Depeche Mode's Future, Trashy TV", Rolling Stone (October 19, 2015)