Stories of Old – English Lyrics

• By: Depeche Mode
• Album: Some Great Reward (Deluxe)

Lyrics & Translation

Discover a different side of love and relationships through Depeche Mode's 'Stories of Old.' This song is a fantastic opportunity to explore English vocabulary related to love, ideals, and self-identity, all set to a classic 80s synth-pop beat. The lyrics challenge traditional romantic notions, offering a more complex and modern perspective that makes for a great discussion and learning topic. Its unique sound from their Berlin-era makes it a special piece in the Depeche Mode catalog.

[English]

Take a look at unselected cases

You'll find love has been wrecked

By both sides compromising

Amounting to a disastrous effect

...

You hear stories of old

Of princes bold

With riches untold

Happy souls

Casting it all aside

To take some bride

To have the girl of their dreams

At their side

But not me

I couldn't do that

Not me

I'm not like that

I couldn't sacrifice

Anything at all

To love

...

I really like you

I'm attracted to you

The way you move

The things you do

I'll probably burn in hell

For saying this

But I'm really in heaven

Whenever we kiss

But oh no!

You won't change me

You can try

For an eternity

I wouldn't sacrifice

Anything at all

To love

...

Take a look at unselected cases

You'll find love has been wrecked

By both sides compromising

Amounting to a disastrous effect

...

Now I've got things to do

You have too

And I've got to be me

You've got to be you

So take my hand

And feel these lips

And let's savor a kiss

Like we'd savor a sip

Of vintage wine

One more time

Let's surrender

To this love divine

But we won't sacrifice

Anything at all

To love

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
stories /ˈstɔːriːz/ A2	noun - a narrated account of a series of events
princes /ˈprɪnsɪz/ B1	noun - a male member of a royal family
bold /bəʊld/ B1	adjective - showing an ability to take risks; courageous
riches /ˈrɪtʃɪz/ B2	noun - a great quantity of money or valuable possessions
sacrifice /ˈsækrɪfɪs/ B2	verb - give up something valued for the sake of something else noun - an act of giving up something valued
attracted /əˈtræktɪd/ B1	adjective - feeling interest or liking for someone or something
burn /bɜːrn/ A2	verb - be destroyed or damaged by fire
heaven /ˈhɛvən/ B1	noun - a place or state of great happiness
savor /ˈseɪvər/ B2	verb - enjoy something fully; appreciate
surrender /səˈrɛndər/ B2	verb - stop fighting; accept defeat
divine /dɪˈvaɪn/ C1	adjective - of, from, or like God or a god
wrecked /rɛkt/ B2	adjective - severely damaged or destroyed
compromising /ˌkɒmprəˈmaɪzɪŋ/ B2	verb - accepting standards that reduce the quality of something
eternity /ɪˈtɜːrnɪti/ C1	noun - the endlessness of time
vintage /ˈvɪntɪdʒ/ B2	adjective - of or from a past time; old and high quality

Key Grammar Structures

• You'll find love has been wrecked

  ➔ Future with 'will' contraction ('ll'), Present Perfect Passive

  ➔ The contraction 'You'll' is a common feature of spoken and informal written English. 'Love has been wrecked' uses the present perfect passive to indicate that love has suffered damage in the past, with continuing relevance. The structure is **has/have + been + past participle**.

• Amounting to a disastrous effect

  ➔ Gerund as a subject complement, Adjectival phrase

  ➔ The gerund 'amounting' functions as a subject complement, describing what the compromising *results in*. 'Disastrous effect' is an adjectival phrase modifying 'amounting'. It shows the consequence of the compromise. The word **amounting** is key here.

• I wouldn't sacrifice anything at all to love

  ➔ Conditional sentence (second conditional - implied 'if'), emphatic negation

  ➔ The structure 'wouldn't + verb' implies an 'if' clause (e.g., 'If I were asked...'). The phrase 'anything at all' provides emphatic negation, stressing the complete unwillingness to sacrifice. The word **wouldn't** is the key indicator of the conditional.

• Let's savor a kiss like we'd savor a sip of vintage wine

  ➔ Imperative mood, Comparative simile, Conditional mood ('d')

  ➔ 'Let's' is an imperative, suggesting shared action. The simile compares the kiss to savoring vintage wine, emphasizing the enjoyment and appreciation. 'We'd' is a contraction of 'we would', indicating a conditional mood – how they *would* enjoy it. The word **savor** is central to the imagery.