Week Ten: Depeche Mode - "Shake the Disease" - Single

I have now returned home from my wonderful beach getaway, and it's time for me to get back into my routine.  When I was marking off the days from my massive wall calendar, I realized that in exactly one week, I will be celebrating eight years of sobriety.

To me, "Shake the Disease" has always been symbolic of ridding oneself of addiction.  When I was attempting to see if there was any insight from the band members in regards to the meaning of this song, I found a quote from Alan Wilder: "There's a certain edge to what we do that can make people think twice about things. If we've got a choice between calling a song "Understanding" or "Shake the Disease", we'll call it "Shake the Disease". There's a lot of perversity and innuendo in our lyrics, but nothing direct."

It's so interesting when people finally become comfortable enough around me to inquire why I do not partake in consuming alcoholic beverages.  When I reveal to them that I am a recovering alcoholic, they about nearly fall over.  It's an amazing feeling to know that I am so far removed from that period of my life that people no longer associate me with ever being capable of having such a lifestyle.  Sadly, there was a lengthy period when people only knew me as being a part of that lifestyle.  Wow... and I was a terribly obnoxious drunk!!



 I'm not going down on my knees
Begging you to adore me
Cant you see it's misery
And torture for me
When I'm misunderstood
Try as hard as you can
I tried as hard I could
To make you see
How important it is for me
Here is a plea
From my heart to you
Nobody knows me
As well as you do
You know how hard it is for me
To shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these
Understand me

Some people have to be
permanently together
Lovers devoted
to each other forever
Now I got things to do
and I said before
That I know you have to
When I'm not there
In spirit I'll be there
Here is a plea
From my heart to you
Nobody knows me
As well as you do
You know how hard it is for me
To shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these
Understand me

Here is a plea
From my heart to you
Nobody knows me
As well as you do
You know how hard it is for me
To shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these...