Hole To Feed

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1. In Chains
2. Hole To Feed
List of Sounds Of The Universe songs
3. Wrong
Hole To Feed
Single-Tension.jpg
Song Hole To Feed
By Depeche Mode
Songwriter Dave Gahan
Christian Eigner
Andrew Phillpott
Produced by Ben Hillier
Recorded at Sound Design (Santa Barbara)
Chung King (New York)
Length (mm:ss) 3:59 (album version)
3:27 (radio mix)
Tempo 110 BPM
Time signature 4
4
Key D Major
Programmed by Luke Smith
Original programming Christian Eigner
Andrew Phillpott
Engineered by Ferg Peterkin
Engineering assistance Josh Garcia
Jesse Gladstone
Anthony Palazzole
Pre-production assistance Sie Medway-Smith
Mastered by Stephen Marcussen
Drums Christian Eigner
Art direction Anton Corbijn
Design ShaughnessyWorks
Tea Design
Recorded May - December, 2008
Originally released 7 December 2009
Live performances as Depeche Mode 103 times *
Total live performances 103 times *

"Hole To Feed" is a song written by Dave Gahan for the 2009 album Sounds Of The Universe by Depeche Mode. It was released as a double A-side single alongside "Fragile Tension" on 7 December 2009.

Notes

Dave Gahan told The Guardian in 2009:

"This is one of the songs I wrote on the album, a very cynical song about wanting to fill a gaping hole but not knowing what to fill it with. About sometimes the idea having a hole to feed all being a figment of my imagination when I'm actually fine."

He explained it in more detail in a syndicated interview by Steffen Rüth (translated from German):

"It is about the fact that I am always thinking that there is something else out there - a person, a relationship, a drug, an adventure, whatever - that can finally fulfill my needs. Well, then you give into this stuff or person, with which you were so obsessed - and then you're disappointed. That's how it always goes. No matter what it is, no matter how great I am doing or how happy I am: I will never get into the state that I want to reach. My cynical self will appear in such moments. And I actually don't like this part of my character anymore. But it simply cannot be turned off easily. But I am pressing the pause button more frequently than ever anyway."

Dave Gahan also told Interia.pl (translated from Polish):

"In the studio, when working on songs, there is a collective effort. The composition of 'Hole to Feed' has ended up becoming something more rhythmic and lyrically cynical than its original version. Once we had developed the rhythmic structure of this song, Martin played the guitar with some great parts, and the transition gave the song a completely different atmosphere. At the beginning of the recording, we worked on the arrangement of the song, and in a way we tore apart the demo version of the song, looking for its strengths. And sometimes the drive of a composition is hidden in the shadows, it's not necessarily the most obvious element. This song has become much more twisted and faster than the demo version. Originally, this track had a spatial atmosphere, but Ben [Hillier] decided to give it a rhythm and build the rest of the composition around it."

Lyrics


Hole To Feed

We are here

We can love

We share something

I'm sure that you mean the world to me


Your name was the one

That was always chosen

Your words and their kindness

Have set me free


Shame has a hold

That's kept us frozen

You opened my eyes to a world

That I could believe


Words can leave you

Broken inside

You'll have to decide

I'm hanging on to my pride


We are here

We can love

We share something

I'm sure that you mean the world to me

When you get what you need

There's no way of knowing

What you'll have

Is another hole to feed


The games that were played

Have left us hoping

The gift that we have - the life

That we breathe


This world can leave you

Broken inside

With nowhere to hide

I'm hanging on to my pride


We are here

We've been chosen

We've been blessed with a place

We need to find and then open


We are here

We can love

We share something

I'm sure that you mean the world to me

When you get what you need

There's no way of knowing

What you'll have

Is another hole to feed


Songwriter: Dave Gahan, Christian Eigner, Andrew Phillpott
Publishing Information: ©2009 Published by EMI Music Publishing Ltd licensed by JJSR Productions Inc. All rights reserved.

Music video

Live performances

Main article: Available recordings of "Hole To Feed"
Main article: List of dates where "Hole To Feed" was played


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
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Official releases