I Feel Loved

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I Feel Loved
Song	I Feel Loved
By	Depeche Mode
Songwriter	Martin L. Gore
Produced by	Depeche Mode Mark Bell
Recorded at	RAK and Sarm West (London) Sound Design (Santa Barbara) Electric Lady Sony (New York City)
Length (mm:ss)	4:20 (album version) 3:41 (single version)
Tempo	128 BPM
Time signature	4 4
Key	B♭ Major
Engineered by	Gareth Jones
Engineering assistance	Boris Aldridge Andrew Davies Andrew Griffiths Nick Sevilla Lisa Butterworth Jonathan Adler Alissa Myhowich James Chang
Pre-production	Gareth Jones
Additional production	Gareth Jones
Mixed by	Steve Fitzmaurice
Mastered by	Mike Marsh
Percussion	Airto Moreira
Art direction	Anton Corbijn
Photography	Anton Corbijn
Sleeve design	Form
Recorded	June 2000 - February 2001
Originally released	30 July 2001
Live performances as Depeche Mode	54 times *
Total live performances	54 times *

"I Feel Loved" is a song from the 2001 album Exciter by Depeche Mode. It was released as a single on 30 July 2001.

Notes

Martin Gore told MTV Europe:

"I'll try and explain [the lyrics] to you. Do you know... when you feel... absolutely like shit? And you feel the worst you've ever felt in your life? And then somehow you think: 'The universe must like me, for making me feel like this'?" [laughs]

Martin Gore said in the May 2001 issue of Keyboard Magazine:

"'I Feel Loved' had a dance theme to it. It was already hinting at a dance-floor thing. But when I actually did the demo, I think it was about 109 beats per minute, and Mark sped it up to 128. We got in a percussion player, and it ended up sounding like Hamilton Bohannon [laughs]. Even though the basic song is quite similar [to the demo], it's definitely taken on a different meaning. Apart from that, Mark added this really great [TC Works] Mercury. There are all these great virtual synths at the moment, but the Mercury is fantastic. Mark used it to get that aggressive, growly sound over the top, that really took it somewhere else."

Lyrics

I Feel Loved

It's the dark night of my soul

And temptation's taking hold

But through the pain and the suffering

Through the heartache and trembling

I feel loved

I feel loved

As the darkness closes in

In my head I hear whispering

Questioning and beckoning

But I'm not taken in

I feel loved

I feel loved

From the depths of my emptiness

Comes a feeling of inner bliss

I feel wanted, I feel desired

I can feel my soul on fire

I feel loved

I feel loved

Songwriter: Martin L. Gore
Publishing Information: ©2001 EMI Music Publishing Ltd. London WC2H 0EA. Assigned by Grabbing Hands Music Ltd. All rights Reserved.

Live performances

Main article: Available recordings of "I Feel Loved"

Main article: List of dates where "I Feel Loved" was played

Live versions

This section provides examples of live versions of I Feel Loved from each tour that it was played. The recording from 2001-06-30 Philadelphia is generally regarded as the best sounding version out of these examples.

2001 Exciter Tour

• Play 2001-05-30 Exciter Tour Rehearsals, Sound Design Studios, Santa Barbara, CA, USA (Soundboard)
• Play 2001-06-20 Marcus Amphitheatre, Milwaukee, WI, USA (Audience)
• Play 2001-06-30 First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA (FM broadcast)
• Play 2001-07-21 Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre, Denver, CO, USA (Audience)
• Play 2001-08-05 Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA, USA (Audience)

Trivia

• "I Feel Loved" is featured in season one episode four of The WB television series Charmed. "Dream On" also features in the same series, appearing in season three episode twenty-two.

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