“Breathing in Fumes” by Depeche Mode

Lyrically “Breathing in Fumes” is a very terse piece though not necessarily that easy to understand. That is because on the surface it reads a lot like your average amorous love song, i.e. the vocalist relishing when he and his significant other, that being the addressee, kiss.

But the titular metaphor, “breathing in fumes”, is actually known to allude to the idea of being poisoned. So what the singer is saying is that the addressee is “breathing in fumes”, and accordingly when he smooches her he too is “breathing in fumes”.

But as alluded to earlier, he doesn’t actually elaborate on what he means in that regard. Additionally based on the title and the terseness of the lyrics, we’re not compelled to go out any limbs, as covering the range of theoretical possibilities he may be speaking to could be akin to opening a can of worms. 

Perhaps fully understanding what Dave Gahan means would require a wider understanding of the album this song is derived from. But one thing that does seem apparent is that even if the vocalist is trying to say something like being with the addressee has some type of negative effect, still he enjoys getting intimate with her nonetheless.

When did Depeche Mode release “Breathing in Fumes”?

This song came out on 10 February 1986. It was the B-side to “Stripped“, which was the first single from Depeche Mode’s album “Black Celebration”. And the label that put it out is Mute Records.

Due to the fact it wasn’t released as a single, “Breathing in Fumes” doesn’t have a chart history to speak of. However, it is apparently a favorite amongst Depeche Mode fans, considering for instance that a 2021 Depeche Mode tribute album by Andrew Ektom was named after this song.

Who wrote this song?

This song was written by Martin L. Gore. And the entire Depeche Mode crew produced it with Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller.