It's Called A Heart

"A Depeche Mode fan is anyone who still gives us the time of day after having heard 'It's Called A Heart (Slow Mix)'."
— Alan Wilder, BONG 52

It's Called A Heart
Song	It's Called A Heart
By	Depeche Mode
Songwriter	Martin L. Gore
Produced by	Depeche Mode Daniel Miller Gareth Jones
Recorded at	Hansa Mischraum (Berlin)
Length (mm:ss)	3:48 (7"/single/album version) 7:19 (12" version)
Time signature	4 4
Recorded	July 1985
Originally released	16 September 1985
Live performances as Depeche Mode	76 times *
Total live performances	76 times *

"It's Called A Heart" is a song from the 1985 compilation album The Singles 81→85 by Depeche Mode. It was released as a single on 16 September 1985.

Notes

Dave Gahan and Andrew Fletcher appeared on 'Saturday Picture Show: Pop Profile' in September 1985, and they took a note from Martin Gore with them on which Gore wrote the meaning of 'It's Called A Heart':

Interviewer: Now, your new single is called...?
Gahan: 'It's Called A Heart'.
Interviewer: Thank you. And what's that about?
Gahan: (nods towards Fletch)
Fletcher: Well basically... let me get my instructions out from the songwriter!
Gahan: Andy phoned up Martin this morning, let's find out about it.
Fletcher: Basically, the heart, Martin thought it was quite a mystical thing and the centre where good and evil were supposed to stem from...
Gahan: (opens a note, hands the note to Fletch)
Fletcher: ...that's right, yeah, where good and evil are supposed to stem from, yeah that's what the song is about.

Martin Gore says in the November 1985 issue of Popcorn magazine (translated from German):

"The text deals with the dangers within a romantic relationship, but even more clearly than our last hit 'Shake The Disease' in which it was especially about mutual ache through words. In the new song, it's about feelings in general — how they arise, how to keep them and how to deal with it. There is a line in there that says "I'll lend it to you if you treat it tenderly" — that should mean: you should not play with love and expressions of love, because the heart of every human being is their most vulnerable part. You cannot run away immediately when something is not quite working well in a relationship. I am someone who is very much into long-term relationships. Crises are actually good for couples. With them, you get to know each other better and you must pull through together. And what's also very important to me: two people who love each other must avoid exploiting the psychological weaknesses of the other. When that happens, I think something is not right anyway."

He also says in the 1985-10-23 issue of Mädchen magazine (translated from German):

"Anyone who loves, surrenders themself[sic] to the other. One who plays with the feelings of the other and even exploits them, commits an unforgivable cruelty."

Dave said in the 1985-10-26 issue of Melody Maker:

"This one was chosen a bit in desperation because we needed a dance track. The last single didn't do as well in the UK as in the rest of the world, so we were pressured a little. We'll just have to see how well it does."

Quotes from the documentary on the DVD of the Black Celebration remaster from 2006:

Gore: "We just didn't have a song that was good and suitable to go on that compilation at that time, and we ended up recording 'It's Called A Heart', which is probably my least favourite track that we ever released."

Alan Wilder: "I remember I was vehemently against it, because I felt it was really going backwards, it was so poppy and trite, and he had other songs that were much better, like 'Fly On The Windscreen', because that was the B-side. It was a much, much stronger song, and I tried to argue to get it flipped over to become the A-side, but I think the first word is "death", and Neil Ferris said "NO". And I was outvoted, really, but I wasn't happy about it, and I sulked for a long time."

Gahan discussed 'It's Called A Heart' in an October 1985 interview with British magazine No. 1:

Gahan: "Our latest. I do find it very hard to enjoy singles until a good while after they've been out. At the time there are just too many other things to do to sit back and think about the single."
Interviewer: Why have the singles compilation?
Gahan: "It's the end of a period for us. We need to start afresh on the new LP and this will give us enthusiasm."

After the 2003-04-22 Nalen, Stockholm concert, Martin is hanging out with fans at the piano at the Grand Hotel, and a fan named Elin reported:

"Martin told us and showed us the inspiration of 'It's Called A Heart'. First he played some of 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine', then 'It's Called A Heart' again, then "...Grapevine" again. "Can you hear it?", he laughed. "You hear?""

Lyrics

It's Called A Heart

There's something beating here inside my body

And it's called a heart

You know how easy it is

To tear it apart

If I lend it to you

Will you keep it safe for me

I'll lend it to you

If you treat it tenderly

There's something beating here inside my body

And it's called a heart

There's a sun shining in the sky

But that's not the reason why

I'm feeling warm inside

The answer isn't classified, it's my heart

From the moment I started

I tried to be goodhearted

Yes I tried my best

And more or less

I spoke from my heart

There's a lot to be learned

And you learn when your heart gets burned

Hearts could never be owned

Hearts only come on loan

If I want it back

I will take it back, I'll take my heart

But I will try my best and more or less

I will speak from my heart

Yes I will speak from my heart

Speak from my heart

Songwriter: Martin L. Gore
Publishing Information: ©1985 Grabbing Hands Music Ltd/EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Music video

The music video for 'It's Called A Heart' was directed by Peter Care.

According to an email received on 28 June 2022 by DM Live from Phil Ball, who was present for the video shoot, "the video was shot in a reed bed at the northern end of White Swan Lake in Dinton Pastures Country Park, Winnersh". He further added, "The opening sequence is shot from a boat on the lake being pushed by myself after the outboard which had worked fine throughout the night during filming failed just as dawn was breaking!"

Live performances

Main article: Available recordings of "It's Called A Heart"

Main article: List of dates where "It's Called A Heart" was played

References

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