Condemnation

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2. Walking In My Shoes
3. Condemnation
List of Songs of Faith and Devotion songs
4. Mercy In You
Condemnation
Single-Condemn.jpg
Song Condemnation
By Depeche Mode
Songwriter Martin L. Gore
Produced by Depeche Mode
Flood
Recorded at Madrid, Spain
Chateau du Pape, Hamburg, Germany
Length (mm:ss) 3:22 (album version)
3:21 (Paris Mix)
Tempo 58 BPM
Time signature 4
4
Key B Major
Design Anton Corbijn
Area
Recorded February 1992 – January 1993
Originally released 13 September 1993
Live performances as Depeche Mode 265 times *
Total live performances 274 times *

"Condemnation" is a song from the 1993 album Songs Of Faith And Devotion by Depeche Mode. It was released as a single on 13 September 1993.

Notes

Martin Gore in Bong issue no. 37, 1998:

"Being the songwriter, I am not supposed to keep saying that I think it's a great song, somebody else is supposed to say it. I really like that song, but I am not sure that we got the best out of it. Our album version is sort of pastiche gospel but the single version, that we recorded using gospel singers, is probably better. Although I am still not sure that that's the optimum we could have got out of the song."

Alan Wilder said in the May 1993 issue of Keyboard magazine:

"[O]n 'Condemnation', we put the piano through some kind of wobbly pitch-shifter. The idea of that track was to enhance the gospel feel that the song originally had without going into pastiche, and to try to create the effect of it being played in a room, in a space. So we began by getting all four members of the group to do one thing each in the same space. Fletcher was bashing a flight case with a pole, Flood and Dave were clapping, I was playing a drum, and Martin was playing an organ. We listened back to it. it was embryonic, but it gave us an idea for a direction."

Dave Gahan told Exclaim! in 2021 that he still gets goosebumps when he recalls recording the song:

"I immediately knew the song. It wasn't necessarily completely accurate to the way Martin wrote the melody line or the phrasing or the timing. I just sang it, and [after] I sang it, the tape stopped rolling and it went on quiet. I've got my headphones on and I hear [producer] Flood's voice go, 'Yeah, I mean, you could do another one. But I think we got it.'"

Dave in Rolling Stone issue #670:

"When I first heard 'Condemnation', it was a total relief; I couldn't believe it."

Dave Gahan has frequently mentioned "Condemnation" as one of his favourite songs. However, soon after playing in South Africa in 1994, it was no longer Dave who sang "Condemnation", presumably due to his health and the strenuous vocal task the song requires, but it was Martin, accompanied by Alan on piano (the earliest verifiable date on which this change occurred was on 1994-03-16 in Hong Kong). Martin also sang the song on the 2013-2014 Delta Machine Tour. Dave did perform the song on his short 2015 "Angels and Ghosts" Tour, but in 2016 he told Stirile Pro: "There's certain songs from Songs Of Faith And Devotion that, I feel they capture a moment: 'Condemnation' being one of those. And it's hard for me to perform that song now, it brings up so many emotions." He also told Exclaim in 2021 that he had considered putting "Condemnation" on his Soulsavers cover album Imposter, saying: "It's got everything in there. It's got that soulfulness, the redemption, the longing to belong in something."

Lyrics


Condemnation

Condemnation

Tried

Here on the stand

With the book in my hand

And truth on my side


Accusations

Lies

Hand me my sentence

I'll show no repentance

I'll suffer with pride


If for honesty

You want apologies

I don't sympathize

If for kindness

You substitute blindness

Please open your eyes


Condemnation

Why

Because my duty

Was always to beauty

And that was my crime


Feel elation

High

To know I can trust this

Fix of injustice

Time after time


If you see purity

As immaturity

Well it's no surprise

If for kindness

You substitute blindness

Please open your eyes


Songwriter: Martin L. Gore
Publishing Information: ©1992 Grabbing Hands Music Overseas/EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Music video

Live performances

Main article: Available recordings of "Condemnation"
Main article: List of dates where "Condemnation" was played

Live versions

This section provides an example of a live version of Condemnation from each tour that it was played.

Trivia

  • "Condemnation" is featured in season two episode thirty-three of Israeli television show Ha-Shminiya.


1981-1985: Dreaming Of MeNew LifeJust Can't Get EnoughSee YouThe Meaning Of Love
Leave In SilenceGet The Balance RightEverything CountsLove In ItselfPeople Are PeopleMaster And ServantBlasphemous Rumours / SomebodyShake The DiseaseIt's Called A Heart
1986-1989: StrippedBut Not TonightA Question Of LustA Question Of TimeStrangelove
Never Let Me Down AgainBehind The WheelLittle 15Personal Jesus
1990-1998: Enjoy The SilencePolicy Of TruthWorld In My EyesI Feel YouWalking In My ShoesCondemnationIn Your RoomBarrel Of A GunIt's No GoodHomeUseless
Only When I Lose Myself
2001-2009: Dream OnI Feel LovedFreeloveGoodnight LoversPreciousA Pain That I'm Used To
Suffer WellJohn The Revelator / LilianMartyrWrongPeaceFragile Tension / Hole To Feed
2013-2017: HeavenSoothe My SoulShould Be HigherWhere's The RevolutionGoing Backwards
Cover Me
2023: Ghosts Again
1992-1998: Faith HealerDriftingStalker / Missing Piece
2000-2008: Strange HoursJezebelPreyAllelujah
2003-2008: Dirty Sticky FloorsI Need YouBottle Living / Hold OnA Little PieceKingdomSaw Something / Deeper And Deeper
2012-2015: Longest DayTake Me Back HomeAll Of This And NothingShine
1989-2003: CompulsionStardustLoverman
2012-2015: SpockSingle BlipAftermathsEuropa Hymn • "Pinking" (Christoffer Berg Remix)
Official releases