Black And Blue Again

Notes

Dave Gahan told the Daily Mail:

"[My wife and I] had a huge fight, and I walked out of our apartment. I was on my way to the studio when it suddenly dawned on me that I was the one in the wrong. That song is basically me admitting that I'm not always a very nice person. I realised that relationships weren't easy, and I had to change."

Dave Gahan also said in the Electronic Press Kit for Paper Monsters:

"Probably 'Black And Blue Again' [was the most emotionally intense to write], which came from... I wrote all those words in a cab, along the way from a big fight with my wife. To me it's like a boxing match and I wrote these words like I was fighting and there's a lot in there – we're back in the ring fighting again. And it's fighting with myself, and it's struggling to be in a relationship rather than dictate how the relationship should be, that's always been my downfall. And that song was hard to... because I really wanted to be honest about it [laughs]. I wanted to tell it exactly as it was – this fight – and really admit to myself that I'm not a very nice person and I really felt that at the time. I realised at the time that I really wasn't very nice. Hence the song title 'Black And Blue Again': just beating myself up – I do a much better job of doing that than anybody else anyway."

Live performances

Main article: Available recordings of "Black And Blue Again"

Main article: List of dates where "Black And Blue Again" was played