Dave Gahan’s tattoos include a Celtic cross, an Om symbol, large back wings, family initials and traditional sailor-style designs. He has described them as markers of different times in his life; several have a clear story, while others are simply designs he chose.
The Celtic cross covered an earlier rose
One of the most visible tattoos on Gahan’s upper left arm is a Celtic cross. It covers an earlier rose with an eye in the center. Gahan once called the rose “just too puny.”
The cross is now the design most often seen in photos, though older pictures show the rose. Some accounts link the cross to his stepfather’s Irish background; Gahan hasn’t confirmed that as its meaning.
His Om symbol was a matching tattoo
Gahan has an Om symbol on the upper right side of his chest. In a 1993 interview, he said it represented every sound in the universe. He got the same tattoo as his second wife, Teresa Conroy.
The matching design began as something the couple shared. Gahan has kept it since their relationship ended.
The shoulder cross and other arm designs stand out on stage
Gahan’s right shoulder has a snake wrapped around a vine, with a flower and a skull inside the design. The tattoo is visible in sleeveless performance photos, but its meaning hasn’t been established.
Accounts place the design around the late 1980s. Beyond its visible shapes and approximate timing, explanations are speculative.
The heart and Celtic dagger tell a darker story
Inside Gahan’s left forearm is a Celtic dagger. The letters TCTTMFG appear below the hilt; he described them as a rude personal message connected to his second marriage. Nearby, a heart is pierced by a blade and surrounded by black flames.
Gahan said he got the dagger during a period of heavy drug use and saw it as a way of saying he might as well be stabbing himself. He has also called it a reminder not to repeat that mistake.
The back wings, JJSR initials and sailor ink mark different chapters
Gahan’s largest tattoo spans his back, from one shoulder blade toward the other and down the center. It is usually described as a pair of wings based on an old Celtic symbol. He had it done in Los Angeles in 1993.
The session took about ten hours. Gahan described the piece as a kind of weapon or good-luck charm for a tour, and later said the artist had missed a few small parts.
In 2012, he added the initials JJSR to his right wrist for his children, Jack, Jimmy and Stella Rose. JJSR was also the name of his publishing company.
His first tattoo was an eagle with his name, done when he was 14 at Southend seafront by a tattooist Gahan remembered as a sailor type. He later called it a “collector’s item”, since sailor-style tattoos were already becoming less common.
In 2017, he added a swallow and the words “Jennifer Forever” as a tribute to his wife. The swallow sits inside his right forearm, near the earlier eagle. Swallows are traditional sailor imagery often associated with loyalty, travel and returning home.
Small stars appear on the knuckles of his right hand and near the JJSR initials.
Gahan’s tattoos are more like a timeline than a theme
The collection doesn’t follow one style. The cross, snake, dagger and wings lean on Celtic and traditional imagery; the Om has a spiritual association; the wrist initials are for his children; and the swallow is a tribute to Jennifer.
Gahan has described the tattoos as markers of different times in his life. Some connect to family or relationships; the dagger recalls a period he has spoken about more painfully.
For more musician tattoo stories, visit the musician tattoo archive.
Watch Dave Gahan tattoo coverage
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