One Caress

← 8. Rush

9. One Caress List of Songs of Faith and Devotion songs

10. Higher Love →

One Caress
Song	One Caress
By	Depeche Mode
Songwriter	Martin L. Gore
Produced by	Depeche Mode Flood
Recorded at	Madrid, Spain Chateau du Pape (Hamburg, Germany)
Length (mm:ss)	3:32
Tempo	100 BPM
Time signature	3 4
Key	A Minor
Recorded	February 1992 – January 1993
Originally released	22 March 1993
Live performances as Depeche Mode	73 times *
Total live performances	73 times *

"One Caress" is a song from the 1993 album Songs Of Faith And Devotion by Depeche Mode.

Notes

Alan Wilder on the recording of One Caress:

Once we decided we wanted "real" strings, there was only really one or two choices as to who should arrange them. Will Malone arranged the strings for Massive Attack's 'Unfinished Sympathy', a particular favourite of both myself and Martin Gore. The strings were recorded at Olympic Studios in London, using a 28 piece sting section, to which Martin sang the vocal "live" - thus equalling the fastest ever recording of any one Depeche Mode track, the other being Somebody.

Andrew Fletcher told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

"That was meant to be just a B-side, but it turned out so well we thought we'd put it on the album."

Martin Gore told Swedish magazine "POP" in 1993 (translated from Swedish):

"The best thing about it was that it was so spontaneous. [The string quartet] came in and played and I sang with them live. We recorded the song in three hours, usually every song takes about a month. I don’t share the belief that synthesizers and samplers aren’t real instruments, but there’s something special with musicians, real string players. They’ve studied many years to play their instruments. I felt within me that my music was suddenly taken more seriously. I know I shouldn’t feel that way. But however stupid it might sound, suddenly hearing ”real” musicians who have studied music for years performing your song makes it, in a way, come off as more serious. It’s just a feeling, and a false one. But it’s there."

During the 1993 Devotional Tour and the 2009-2010 Tour Of The Universe, One Caress was performed with additional live strings on stage on the following dates:

• 1993-06-14 Westfallenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
• 1993-06-29 Palais Omnisport De Paris Bercy, Paris, France
• 1993-07-31 Crystal Palace Sports Ground, London, England, UK
• 1993-10-11 The Summit, Houston, TX, USA
• 1993-10-20 Assembly Hall, Champaign, IL, USA
• 1993-12-20 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK
• 2010-02-17 Royal Albert Hall, London, England, UK

Lyrics

One Caress

Well I'm down on my knees again

And I pray to the only one

Who has the strength

To bear the pain

To forgive all the things that I've done

Oh girl

Lead me into your darkness

When this world is trying it's hardest

To leave me unimpressed

Just one caress

From you and I'm blessed

When you think you've tried every road

Every avenue

Take one more look

At what you found old

And in it you'll find something new

I'm shying from the light

I always loved the night

And now you offer me eternal darkness

I have to believe that sin

Can make a better man

It's the mood that I am in

That's left us back where we began

Oh girl

Lead me into your darkness

When this world is trying it's hardest

To leave me unimpressed

Just one caress

From you and I'm blessed

Oh girl

Lead me into your darkness

When this world is trying it's hardest

To leave me unimpressed

Just one caress

From you and I'm blessed

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 "One Caress"

Main article: List of dates where "One Caress" was played

Live versions

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

• Play 1993 Devotional Tour (Regular): 1993-10-19 Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA
• Play 1993 Devotional Tour (Additional live strings): 1993-12-20 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK
• Play 1994 Exotic Tour: 1994-03-08 Tennis Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• Play 2009-2010 Tour Of The Universe (Regular): 2009-11-23 Tony Garnier, Lyon, France
• Play 2009-2010 Tour Of The Universe (Additional live strings): 2010-02-17 Royal Albert Hall, London, England, UK