Everything Counts – English Lyrics

• By: Depeche Mode

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the cutting-edge synth-pop of Depeche Mode's "Everything Counts" – a song that doesn't just offer an infectious beat but a profound critique of the corporate world. Learning the English lyrics will not only expose you to vivid imagery of "grabbing hands" and a "competitive world" but also immerse you in the band's pivotal transition to a more mature, thought-provoking sound. Discover how this 1983 hit masterfully blends electronic innovation with biting social commentary, making it a unique and enduring piece of music history.

[English]

The handshake seals the contract

From the contract, there's no turning back

The turning point of a career

In Korea, being insincere

The holiday was fun-packed

The contract still intact

The grabbing hands grab all they can

All for themselves, after all

The grabbing hands grab all they can

All for themselves, after all

It's a competitive world

Everything counts in large amounts

...

The graph on the wall

Tells the story of it all

Picture it now, see just how

The lies and deceit gained a little more power

Confidence taken in

By a suntan and a grin

The grabbing hands grab all they can

All for themselves, after all

The grabbing hands grab all they can

All for themselves, after all

It's a competitive world

Everything counts in large amounts

...

Everything counts in large amounts

...

The grabbing hands grab all they can

Everything counts in large amounts

The grabbing hands grab all they can

Everything counts in large amounts

Everything, everything

Everything, everything

The grabbing hands grab all they can

Everything counts in large amounts

The grabbing hands grab all they can

Everything counts in large amounts

...

Key Grammar Structures

• The handshake seals the contract

  ➔ present simple (3rd person singular)

  ➔ The verb "seals" is in the present simple, third‑person singular, used for a regular or factual action.

• From the contract, there's no turning back

  ➔ existential there is + gerund

  ➔ The contraction "there's" (= "there is") introduces an existence statement, and "turning" functions as a gerund meaning "to turn back".

• The grabbing hands grab all they can

  ➔ present simple + relative clause

  ➔ The verb "grab" is in the present simple, and "they can" is a reduced relative clause meaning "that they are able to".

• It's a competitive world

  ➔ contraction (it is) + present simple

  ➔ The contraction "It's" stands for "It is", linking the subject to the predicate "a competitive world" in the present simple.

• Picture it now, see just how

  ➔ imperative mood

  ➔ "Picture" and "see" are verbs in the imperative, giving a direct command to the listener.

• The lies and deceit gained a little more power

  ➔ past simple (regular verb)

  ➔ "gained" is the past simple form of the regular verb "gain", indicating a completed action in the past.

• Confidence taken in

  ➔ past participle used as adjective

  ➔ "taken" is a past participle functioning as an adjective to describe "confidence".

• Everything counts in large amounts

  ➔ present simple + quantifier phrase

  ➔ "counts" is in the present simple, and the phrase "in large amounts" quantifies how much everything counts.

• The graph on the wall tells the story of it all

  ➔ present simple + prepositional phrase

  ➔ "tells" is a present simple verb, and "on the wall" is a prepositional phrase indicating location.

• All for themselves, after all

  ➔ idiomatic prepositional phrase + reflexive pronoun

  ➔ "themselves" is a reflexive pronoun used after the idiomatic phrase "for themselves", emphasizing self‑interest.