Hole to Feed

"Hole to Feed" was released as a double A-side single along with "Fragile Tension" and is the second track on Sounds of the Universe.

Lyrics

Dave's Take

"This is one of the songs I wrote on the album, a very cynical song about wanting to fill a gaping hole but not knowing what to fill it with. About sometimes the idea having a hole to feed all being a figment of my imagination when I'm actually fine."¹

My Take

I love the percussion on this and how it begins, as it almost sounds like a big band/swing beat, very similar to the one in, say, "Sing, Sing, Sing." Then, of course, the blips and beeps of the synths add that Depeche Mode touch. This is one of those songs that speaks about a simple but emotional subject and where the title could be innocent and unassuming- say, "We Share Something" or "We Can Love," for example. But no, this is Depeche Mode we are talking about- the band that writes songs about common relationship issues and gives them attention-grabbing and slightly gross-sounding names like "Shake the Disease" or "Fly on the Windscreen!" Thus, in true Depeche Mode fashion, a song about another common relationship issue (i.e., emotional bankruptcy and the inability to find satisfaction) is aptly titled "Hole to Feed." It's about having a relationship with someone who can't be satisfied because they are themselves devoid of love. Thus, it's very much like that saying, "To love others you must first love yourself."²

Music Video

The video starts with a band (not Depeche Mode) singing and performing the song in a concert hall, dressed up in gaudy and colorful costumes. They all look very unenthusiastic while performing, and when the camera cuts to the small audience watching them, the audience looks very unenthusiastic, as well. No one's dancing or moving around much. The band do choreographed moves every now and then, but they lack vigor. When the camera pans out on a wide view of the stage, we can see two giant inflatable babies on either side of the stage, adding to the strangeness of the whole show. As the band continues to perform, the whole audience turns around to witness the only sign of life that seems to be taking place in the middle of the crowd- a couple engaging in a very sloppy makeout session with each other. It's so sloppy that they both have their mouths wide open and tongues all over each other's faces. As the audience watches them, something within some of them seems to click and we see another man and woman turn towards each other and start engaging in the same sloppy and extreme "tongue tango." Soon, more and more couples start joining in, pairing up with one another and making out in this extremely sloppy manner. The band continues playing and they have their eyes on the audience where everyone now has paired up and are making out. After this, we are then treated to scene after scene of couples doing this within and without the concert hall. Out on the street, we see the same scene...and this continues on for a while until all of a sudden, everyone stops at the same time, separates from one another, and then goes about their day. Back in the concert hall, things look like they did at the beginning, with the band having finished the song and a seemingly-disengaged audience watching them. The band members all exchange looks with each other, as if asking, "What just happened?"

My Take

I really feel like I have to take a shower after watching this video, or at least wash my mouth out with mouthwash or something. The extreme makeout scenes were just plain gross, as if they were demonstrating all of the don'ts of French-kissing and making out. The slow-motion closeups of slimy tongues, the people with bad teeth, and the mustard-licking were especially stomach-turning. But I feel like that is the whole point of it- to make one feel very uncomfortable and disgusted. It did also seem like most, if not all of the couples were basically total strangers to one another...but something made them want to start making out with the person nearest to them. Maybe that is supposed to speak to the "emotional bankruptcy" theme of the song, where one feels so desperate for love, or at least for physical intimacy that they would make out with a total stranger if they could, even if they felt no attraction whatsoever to them. Anyway, the shock value is definitely a major plot device in this video, and it succeeded in thoroughly giving me the creeps. If the video for "Suffer Well" is my favorite Depeche Mode music video, then this is absolutely my least favorite.

References

1. "Songs of faith and commotion", The Guardian (March 20, 2009)
2. Leo Buscaglia, unknown