“Precious” by Depeche Mode

“Precious” was written by Depeche Mode member Martin Gore, though it is sung from the personal perspective of lead vocalist Dave Gahan. At the time of its penning, Gore was going through a divorce. And this track is centered on the sympathy he had for his children due to them bearing witness to this. In other words, he feels that they did not deserve to go through such emotional turmoil. Indeed he and his wife had always tried to do their best for them. But he recognizes his children as “fragile” and innocent. So in addition to feeling sorry for them, he implores them to understand that “things get broken” and to maintain trust in both of their parents.

Facts about “Precious”

This is the lead single from Depeche Mode’s album Playing the Angel, and it was released as such on 3 October 2005. In the UK, the label that handled it was Mute Records. And in the US it was put out by Reprise Records alongside Sire Records.

The music video to this particular song was handled by a German director named Uwe Flade. He also directed the video to a track Depeche Mode released the year prior, 2004’s Enjoy the Silence 04. And the “Precious” clip actually leaked online a couple of months before the song was officially released.

This track was a notable hit for Depeche Mode. For instance, it went to number one in a few European countries in addition to replicating the feat on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs and Hot Dance Singles Sales (aka Electronic Singles Sales) charts in the US. It also peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and overall charted in over 20 nations.

“Precious” was written exclusively by Martin L. Gore, as is standard with Depeche Mode tunes. And its producer is Ben Hillier, who worked on a number of the band’s albums throughout the years.