John The Revelator

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John The Revelator
Song	John The Revelator
By	Depeche Mode
Songwriter	Martin L. Gore
Produced by	Ben Hillier
Recorded at	Sound Design (Santa Barbara)
Length (mm:ss)	3:14
Tempo	130 BPM
Time signature	4 4
Key	F♯ Minor
Programmed by	Dave McCracken Richard Morris
Engineered by	Ben Hillier Richard Morris
Mixing assistance	Devin Workman Kt Rangnick
Mastered by	Emily Lazar
Mastering assistance	Sarah Register
Recording assistance	Nick Sevilla Arjun Agerwala Rudyard Lee Cullers Devin Workman Kt Rangnick
Art direction	Anton Corbijn
Design	Anton Corbijn Four5one.com
Photography	Anton Corbijn
Recorded	January - July 2005
Originally released	5 June 2006
Live performances as Depeche Mode	225 times *
Total live performances	230 times *

"John The Revelator" is a song from the 2005 album Playing The Angel by Depeche Mode. It was released as a double A-side single alongside "Lilian" on 5 June 2006.

Notes

Martin Gore told La Libre newspaper (translated from French):

This song is inspired by a traditional tune. It talks about faith in God, no matter what. It also denounces the belief in a God who punishes and damns. In the 'Book of Revelation,' John describes his visions of these seven angels descending, blowing into their seven trumpets and causing plagues, epidemics, and floods that gradually exterminate a large part of humanity. Only the true believers remain. I do not believe in all that.

Martin Gore told WAMS magazine (translated from German):

"'John the Relevator' is a cover of a song by Blues singer Son House. I own an old Shellac single from the 1930s with the original song on it."

Martin Gore told the November 2005 of Keyboard magazine:

"I've been listening a great deal to a six-CD set of traditional gospel music called Goodbye Babylon, which is just phenomenal. 'John the Revelator' is a heavily re-interpreted old gospel tune about the author of the Book of Revelation, but our lyrical take on it is, “Armageddon? Gee, thanks.”"

Ben Hillier told the same magazine:

"[The high, random-ish arpeggios at the beginning and end of 'John The Revelator' were] a VCS-3 simulated by [Native Instruments] Reaktor, combined with this cool ring mod Martin cooked up on his Nord Lead 2. Other software that saw a lot of use included their Pro-53 and [Way Out Ware] TimewARP 2600."

Dave Gahan told Rolling Stone Magazine:

"Martin [Gore] brought it in, and at first we were like, "Is it the same as [bluesman] Son House's version?" Son House is kind of quoting Revelation, and we're doing the opposite: We're saying we don't buy into that idea."

Martin said at a press conference in Milan in 2005:

"It's only inspired by the blues classic. There's only one line from the song. All of the rest of the words and music have got nothing to with the original version."

Martin Gore told Swedish newspaper "DN" in 2005 (translated from Swedish):

MG: "I told Andy [Fletcher] that Christians will demonstrate outside of our concerts. He didn't agree. He thinks it's a positive and uplifting song. It's not critical towards God, just towards John. If God does exist I don't think he's punishing and judgmental. I don't think he sends plagues that wipe out a third of humanity. I don't think he's got seven angels blowing in seven trumpets and causing disasters."

DN: "But isn't God acting exactly like he does in the Book of Revelation when he sends a tsunami on people?"

MG: "I didn't hear any trumpets."

From an interview with programmer Dave McCracken for Home:

"Martin says he can't just sit down and write songs, it's all got to come his head, and then he can write a song in 20 minutes. I didn't really understand this until I saw how he did it. 'John The Revelator' took 6 hours to record and finish it, it's really quick, it just all came. So I now understand where he's coming from."

Lyrics

John The Revelator

John the Revelator

Put him in an elevator

Take him up to the highest high

Take him up to the top

Where the mountains stop

Let him tell his book of lies

John the Revelator

He's a smooth operator

It's time we cut him down to size

Take him by the hand

And put him on the stand

Let us hear his alibis

By claiming God

As his holy right

He's stealing a God

From the Israelites

Stealing a God

From the Muslim too

There is only one God

Through and through

Seven lies multiplied by seven

Multiplied by seven again

Seven angels with seven trumpets

Send them home on the morning train

Well who's that shouting

John the Revelator

All he ever gives us is pain

Well who's that shouting

John the Revelator

He should bow his head in shame

By and By

By and By

By and By

By and By

Seven lies multiplied by seven

Multiplied by seven again

Seven angels with seven trumpets

Send them home on the morning train

Well who's that shouting

John the Revelator

All he ever gives us is pain

Well who's that shouting

John the Revelator

He should bow his head in shame

By and By

By and By

John the Revelator

By and By

John the Revelator

By and By

John the Revelator

Songwriter: Martin L. Gore
Publishing Information: ©2005 EMI Music Publishing Ltd., Assigned by Grabbing Hands Music Overseas Ltd. All rights reserved.

Live performances

Main article: Available recordings of "John The Revelator"

Main article: List of dates where "John The Revelator" was played

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