Policy Of Truth

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Policy Of Truth
Song	Policy Of Truth
By	Depeche Mode
Songwriter	Martin L. Gore
Produced by	Depeche Mode Flood
Recorded at	Puk Studios, Denmark The Church, London Axis, New York
Length (mm:ss)	4:55 (album version) 5:09 (single version)
Tempo	114 BPM
Time signature	4 4
Key	A♭ Major
Engineered by	Pino Pischetola Peter Iversen Steve Lyon Goh Hotoda Alan Gregorie Dennis Mitchell Phil Legg
Engineering assistance	Daryl Bamonte Dick Meaney David Browne Mark Flannery
Mixed by	François Kevorkian
Design	Anton Corbijn Area
Recorded	May 1989 – January 1990
Originally released	7 May 1990
Live performances as Depeche Mode	615 times *
Total live performances	677 times *

"Policy Of Truth" is a song from the 1990 album Violator by Depeche Mode. It was released as a single on 7 May 1990.

Notes

Martin Gore in BONG magazine issue no. 37, 1998:

"It has been one of my all time favourite songs that we've ever recorded. I really like the words to it and the whole concept of having to lie to keep up appearances — maybe it's better to do that. I just really like the whole subject matter of the song. I like the Terry Hoax version or the one by Dishwalla from the tribute album [For The Masses], which is another rock version. I just like the fact that, sometimes the potential of the songs is seen when they are performed in a more conventional format. I think a lot of the time, the songs are overlooked, disregarded or not taken seriously because of the instrumentation we've used."

Alan Wilder explains the creation process of the intro melody of the song on Shunt:

How did you create the intro melody sound of 'Policy Of Truth' (also used on 'Halo', if I'm not mad...)?

Wilder: It's a single note sampled from a guitar and then looped and played from a keyboard. The loop is what gives it the vibrato effect.

Wilder also says:

"With 'Policy [Of Truth]' it took forever to find a lead riff sound which worked. We even tried a flute at one point!"

He elaborated on it in his '86–98' editorial (archived):

Recorded initially during the Puk sessions, 'Policy' went through many changes before being almost completely re-recorded at The Church.

"Usually this would signify problems with a song although in this case we knew it was a strong track, not least a potential single. The main riff of the song proved such a problem to get a sound for and we must have tried 100 different variations before settling on what had become perhaps the sound of the album — slide guitar."

He continues:

"The Puk period was much more prolific and although some tracks like 'Clean' and 'Policy Of Truth' went through many guises before the final versions were settled upon, we had the most productive and enjoyable time."

Lyrics

Policy Of Truth

You had something to hide

Should have hidden it, shouldn't you

Now you're not satisfied

With what you're being put through

It's just time to pay the price

For not listening to advice

And deciding in your youth

On the policy of truth

Things could be so different now

It used to be so civilised

You will always wonder how

It could have been if you only lied

It's too late to change events

It's time to face the consequence

For delivering the proof

In the policy of truth

Never again is what you swore

The time before

Never again is what you swore

The time before

Now you're standing there tongue tied

You'd better learn your lesson well

Hide what you have to hide

And tell what you have to tell

You'll see your problems multiplied

If you continually decide

To faithfully pursue

The policy of truth

Never again is what you swore

The time before

Never again is what you swore

The time before

Songwriter: Martin L. Gore
Publishing Information: ©1990 Grabbing Hands Music Ltd/EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Composition

Sample sources

"Policy Of Truth" Depeche Mode 1990	Self-made samples
	Sample	Notes			Audio
	Guitar elements	The guitar rhythm prominently used during the first two verses is produced by a single note played from a guitar, which is processed and looped to provide a built-in vibrato effect. The sample is then allocated across the keyboard for playback. Though unconfirmed, a second sample is likely used to produce the faux guitar lick-esque stab with an ascending pitch bend heard on every other bar. Wilder recalled in a Q&A on Shunt, the official Recoil website: "It's a single note sampled from a guitar and then looped and played from a keyboard. The loop is what gives it the vibrato effect."			✖
	Hi-hat elements	"Policy Of Truth" employs sampled hi-hat rhythms sequenced in an alternating pattern to form dynamic loops. Wilder explains the benefits of using loops over one-shot samples in a Q&A on Shunt, the official Recoil website: [...] No two snare beats sound the same when played by a drummer - I like that. That's why I prefer to use lots of drum loops with all the feel (and flaws) of the original performance. Most of the drum sounds on Violator were sampled (apart from obvious electro sounds) but the rhythms were still programmed. Some hi-hat patterns ("[Policy Of Truth]" for example) were played and sampled as loops and in the case of "Halo" and "Clean" it's all loops. Again, I prefer the looped parts because of the performance element.			✖
	Vocal elements	The lead melody of "Policy Of Truth" is comprised of a series of layered sounds, one of which is a repurposed "ahh" vocal sample most clearly heard during the outro of "Enjoy The Silence".			✖
	Orchestral elements	A processed orchestral element originally recorded for use in the outro of "Stjärna" is utilised during the refrain sections of "Policy Of Truth".			✖
	Sample sources
	Sample	Source	Status	Notes	Audio
	Guitar elements	Toni Halliday - Hearts And Handshakes - "Time Turns Around" - 1989	Confirmed	A series of guitar elements originally recorded for Toni Halliday's "Time Turns Around" are re-purposed for use within the chorus and outro sections of "Policy Of Truth".	Click to display/hide audio example
	Vocal elements	Hildegard of Bingen, Gothic Voices, Emma Kirkby, Christopher Page - A Feather on the Breath of God - "Columba aspexit" - April 1985 (recorded 14 September 1981)	Confirmed	A sample of an operatic vocal derived from a September 1981 performance of "Columba aspexit", a piece of sacred vocal music written in the 12th century by German abbess Hildegard of Bingen originally featured throughout Depeche Mode's 1986 instrumental "Christmas Island" and as a layer in the outro of "Stripped". Performed by the British vocal ensemble Gothic Voices with soprano Emma Kirkby, the sampled performance is re-purposed as a layer with one or more sounds to form a synth string pad heard throughout the chorus sections of "Policy Of Truth".	✖
	Drum elements, snare drum	Tone Lōc - Lōc-ed After Dark - "Funky Cold Medina" - March 1989	Confirmed	A snare fill derived from "Funky Cold Medina", the second single from American rapper Tone Lōc's debut album Lōc-ed After Dark, is used following the first chorus and leading up to the outro of the "Policy Of Truth (7" Version)" remix.	✖
	Organ elements	Emulator II factory library disk #38: Pipe Organ - Preset #1: "Pipe Organ"	Confirmed	Emulator II factory library disk #38 "Pipe Organ" is used to play a series of ascending pipe organ pads during the chorus sections of "Policy Of Truth".	Click to display/hide audio example Note: In this example, chords played using the Emulator II factory disk #38 "Pipe Organ" are compared to the equivalent audio heard during the second chorus of "Policy Of Truth" derived from the center channel of the 2006 Violator 5.1 reissue.
	Bass guitar, piano elements	Optical Media International (OMI) - Emulator III Universe of Sounds Master Studio Collection Volume 1 - Funk Bass - "Funk Bass E1", "Funk Bass G1", "Funk Bass A1", "Funk Bass C2", "Funk Bass D2", "Funk Bass F2"	Confirmed	A dark piano/bass guitar stab heard throughout the chorus sections of "Policy Of Truth" is partly comprised of a series of bass guitar samples derived from the Emulator III Universe Of Sounds Volume 1 voice "Funk Bass".	Click to display/hide audio example Note: In this example, the raw samples are played. The samples are then layered and finally detuned.
	Ambient elements	Optical Media International (OMI) - Emulator III Universe of Sounds Master Studio Collection Volume 1 - Bowed Psaltery - "PSALTERY B3" and Emulator III OMI Universe of Sounds - Rebel Victory - "GIANT 5"	Confirmed	A series of samples derived from the "Bowed Psaltery" and "Rebel Victory" voices featured in Emulator III OMI Universe of Sounds are combined to form a processed pad audible throughout the chorus sections of "Policy Of Truth".	Click to display/hide audio example Note: In this example, two samples derived from Emulator III OMI Universe of Sounds voices "Bowed Psaltery" and "Rebel Victory" are layered and played back via a sampling keyboard. The result is then compared to a selection of live audio from the first chorus section of "Policy Of Truth" as heard in the Devotional video release (played out of phase to more clearly expose the relevant sound).
	Drum elements, snare drum	Akai - S1000 MIDI Stereo Digital Sampler - SL601 SAMBA SET - SN-HI3 and S1000 - SL602 AMBIENCE SET - SN HIGATE - June 1988	Confirmed	A manipulated, processed composite snare drum sound comprised of samples derived from the Akai S1000 diskettes SL601 "Samba Set" and SL602 "Ambience Set" is utilised throughout "Policy Of Truth". Notably, this composite snare sound would also see use sporadically throughout "Personal Jesus".	Click to display/hide audio example
	Drum elements, tambourine	Akai - S1000 MIDI Stereo Digital Sampler - SL630 BRUSHES - TAMBO - ?	Confirmed	A manipulated tambourine drum sound derived from Akai S1000 diskette SL630 "Brushes" is utilised throughout "Policy Of Truth".	✖
	Melodic elements	Unknown Asian instrument sample library CD	Unknown	During a 2016 podcast with author Rob Bell, Martin Gore was asked about the origin of this sound: Martin Gore: I think it's more organic than that. I think part of the sounds that you're talking about are samples that we... even during Violator we were doing quite a bit of sampling, so it probably came from some weird Asian instrument sample CD or a classical Asian music CD, with a [pitch] bend in it.	✖

Live performances

Main article: Available recordings of "Policy Of Truth"

Main article: List of dates where "Policy Of Truth" was played

Live versions

This section provides an example of a live version of Policy Of Truth from each tour that it was played.

• Play 1990 World Violation Tour: 1990-08-04 Dodgers Stadium, Los Angeles, CA, USA
• Play 1993 Devotional Tour: 1993-07-31 Crystal Palace Sports Ground, London, England, UK
• Play 1994 Exotic Tour: 1994-03-26 Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI, USA
• Play 1998 The Singles Tour: 1998-12-12 KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA, USA
• Play 2005–2006 Touring The Angel: 2005-11-18 HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA, USA
• Play 2009–2010 Tour Of The Universe: 2009-11-23 Tony Garnier, Lyon, France
• Play 2013–2014 Delta Machine Tour: 2013-07-11 BBK Festival, Bilbao, Spain
• Play 2017–2018 Global Spirit Tour: 2017-09-11 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA
• Play 2023-2024 Memento Mori Tour: 2023-10-28 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA

Trivia

• 'Policy Of Truth' has been covered by Terry Hoax (1992), Mog Stunt Team (1996), Dishwalla (1998), Rémember (2001), Hineon (2002), Vincent Venet (2002), Pat MacDonald (2003), The Pathfinder (2003), St. Petersburg Ska-Jazz Review (2005), 16Stitch (2005), Sylvain Chauveau and Ensemble Nocturne (2005), Yeah! (2005), Disown (2005), Diefenbach (2006), Path of Resistance (2007), Automob (2008), AK47 (Steven Rowe) feat. Angie Soft (2009), Brixtonboogie (2009), Trapt (2012), Rockabye Baby! (2012), Matt Nida feat. Lisa Schumann (2014), Music Box Mania (2014), and Chateau Pop (2017).
• 'Policy Of Truth' has been sampled in the following songs and remixes by Depeche Mode and other artists:
  • 'Useless (The Kruder + Dorfmeister Session)' – Depeche Mode (1997)
  • 'Going for Broke' – Coach Roebuck (2011)
• A version of the track was featured in a trailer for the 2022 film adaptation of Death on the Nile.

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