Condemnation

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Condemnation
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	268 times *
Total live performances	277 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.

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.

• Play 1993 Devotional Tour: 1993-07-31 Crystal Palace Sports Ground, London, England, UK
• Play 1994 Exotic Tour (Dave Vocals): 1994-02-14 Standard Bank, Johannesburg, South Africa
• Play 1994 Exotic Tour (Martin Vocals): 1994-05-14 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountainview, San Francisco, CA, USA
• Play 1998 The Singles Tour: 1998-12-18 Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA
• Play 2001 Exciter Tour (Martin Vocals): 2001-08-19 Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, CA, USA
• Play 2001 Exciter Tour (Dave Vocals): 2001-11-05 Maimarkthalle, Mannheim, Germany
• Play 2003 A Night With Martin L. Gore: 2003-04-26 Docks, Hamburg, Germany
• Play 2015 Angels and Ghosts Tour: 2015-10-19 The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Los Angeles, CA, USA
• Play 2023-2024 Memento Mori Tour: 2023-04-14 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA

Trivia

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

Depeche Mode songs released as singles 1981-1985: Dreaming Of Me • New Life • Just Can't Get Enough • See You • The Meaning Of Love • Leave In Silence • Get The Balance Right • Everything Counts • Love In Itself • People Are People • Master And Servant • Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody • Shake The Disease • It's Called A Heart 1986-1989: Stripped • But Not Tonight • A Question Of Lust • A Question Of Time • Strangelove • Never Let Me Down Again • Behind The Wheel • Little 15 • Personal Jesus 1990-1998: Enjoy The Silence • Policy Of Truth • World In My Eyes • I Feel You • Walking In My Shoes • Condemnation • In Your Room • Barrel Of A Gun • It's No Good • Home • Useless • Only When I Lose Myself 2001-2009: Dream On • I Feel Loved • Freelove • Goodnight Lovers • Precious • A Pain That I'm Used To • Suffer Well • John The Revelator / Lilian • Martyr • Wrong • Peace • Fragile Tension / Hole To Feed 2013-2017: Heaven • Soothe My Soul • Should Be Higher • Where's The Revolution • Going Backwards • Cover Me 2023: Ghosts Again Recoil songs released as singles 1992-1998: Faith Healer • Drifting • Stalker / Missing Piece 2000-2008: Strange Hours • Jezebel • Prey • Allelujah Dave Gahan songs released as singles 2003-2008: Dirty Sticky Floors • I Need You • Bottle Living / Hold On • A Little Piece • Kingdom • Saw Something / Deeper And Deeper 2012-2015: Longest Day • Take Me Back Home • All Of This And Nothing • Shine Martin Gore solo songs released as singles 1989-2003: Compulsion • Stardust • Loverman 2012-2015: Spock • Single Blip • Aftermaths • Europa Hymn • "Pinking" (Christoffer Berg Remix) Official releases Studio albums • Live albums • Compilation albums • Video albums • Singles