Blasphemous Rumours

Album: Some Great Reward (1984)
Charted: 16
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This follows the tragic journey of a teenage girl who finds God after a suicide attempt, only to be killed in a car crash two years later. The narrator concludes, "I don't want to start any blasphemous rumors, but I think that God's got a sick sense of humor, and when I die, I expect to find him laughing."
  • In the UK, this was considered too anti-religious to air every day by the BBC. Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan explained in 1984 to the Belgian Pop magazine JOEPIE: "Conservative attitude, uh?, that radio of ours. I'm by the way not anti- religious at all! I only oppose a certain kind of religion that was forced upon me when I was young. My mother was in the Salvation Army. So she sent me to the church every Sunday till my 18th birthday. Together with my sister, we usually went for a ride with the bike and told mom afterwards how lovely the homily was. The song only wants to say that no one should let someone force anything upon him. Whether it's politics or something else, that doesn't matter. You have to choose yourself what you wanna do with your life. And dare to take risks. That's what Depeche Mode did too and everything turned out quite good for us, didn't it?" >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • This was released as a double A-side single with "Somebody."
  • This was used on the CBS crime drama Cold Case in the 2006 episode "The River."

Comments: 2

  • Tom T from UsaIn BR, the track should be not "Hit by a car" but "Abandoned by God".

    Just want to know if the guys thought that was too controversial?
  • Dmfan from UsaMissing a verse from the lyrics:
    Girl of eighteen
    Fell in love with everything
    Found new life in Jesus Christ
    Hit by a car
    Ended up
    On a life support machine [thanks, got that added - editor]
see more comments

Editor's Picks

JJ Burnel of The Stranglers

JJ Burnel of The StranglersSongwriter Interviews

JJ talks about The Stranglers' signature sound - keyboard and bass - which isn't your typical strain of punk rock.

Frankie Valli

Frankie ValliSong Writing

An interview with Frankie Valli, who talks about why his songs - both solo and with The Four Seasons - have endured, and reflects on his time as Rusty Millio on The Sopranos.

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About Transgenderism

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Bob Dylan Lyric Quiz

Bob Dylan Lyric QuizMusic Quiz

Think you know your Bob Dylan lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.