Covered: Personal Jesus
Electronic band Depeche Mode released their seventh album, Violator, in the spring of 1990, opting to go with “Personal Jesus” as its lead single, with the band’s signature dark synths, deep vocals, and a guitar riff and opening line — “reach out and touch faith” — that have become recognizable instantly and one of the band’s biggest hits.
Before musicians were using the viral marketing techniques of today, Depeche Mode introduced “Personal Jesus” to the world via newspaper. The classified ads featured a listing for “your own personal Jesus” with a phone number, and those who called were treated to a short clip of the song.
Lyrically, “Personal Jesus” was inspired by Priscilla Presley’s book Elvis and Me. “It’s a song about being a Jesus for somebody else, someone to give you hope and care,” Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore told Rolling Stone. “It’s about how Elvis was her man and her mentor and how often that happens in love relationships — how everybody’s heart is like a god in some way, and that’s not a very balanced view of someone, is it?”
“Personal Jesus” has been covered a few times since and has clearly appealed to musicians across genres and probably, too, across different religious beliefs. Its most famous remake is perhaps the one done by Marilyn Manson in 2004.
“I thought if I had to write a song, [the lyrics of ‘Personal Jesus’ are] exactly what I would say,” he told MTV. His cover is a fairly faithful one, albeit more guitar-heavy, and that combined with Manson’s raspy vocals add intensity.
But perhaps the most surprising take came two years earlier, in 2002, from country icon Johnny Cash. His album of covers American IV: The Man Comes Around is known for his take on Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” — and for very good reason — but Cash also put a stripped-down spin on “Personal Jesus” that’s a far cry from the original. Musically, it’s an odd choice. Johnny Cash covering Depeche Mode? His version takes that famous riff and takes it acoustic, then adds a light, twinkly piano, similar to the changes that made “Hurt” a famous and beloved cover in its own right. But lyrically, it makes more sense and fits in with Cash’s manny gospel songs, particularly with the musical arrangement and Cash’s vocal delivery. He even called it “probably the most evangelical gospel song I ever recorded” while also acknowledging that might not be quite what Depeche Mode intended.
Most recently, British rockers Def Leppard took on the song in 2018 as the lead single from a best-of compilation — it’s the track used to test the PAs before the band’s shows.
Like Manson years before, Def Leppard’s cover kicks up the guitars for a more straightforward rock song that’s very Def Leppard, with a slight echo on the vocals and the heavy breathing that gave the original a vaguely sexual feel. “‘Jesus’ is the sort of classic song that can be interpreted in many ways and as Def Leppard has always been the kind of band that can blend genres, it was an easy choice for us. It was that or ABBA!” guitarist Vivian Campbell quipped.
“Personal Jesus” still resonates, clearly, with musicians and fans alike, as reinterpretations continue nearly 30 years after its original release — and you can still hear the original in radio rotation today.
