Barrel Of A Gun

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Barrel Of A Gun
Song	Barrel Of A Gun
By	Depeche Mode
Songwriter	Martin L. Gore
Produced by	Depeche Mode Tim Simenon
Recorded at	Abbey Road Eastcote Strongroom RAK (London) Larrabee West (Los Angeles)
Length (mm:ss)	5:35 (album version) 5:29 (single version) 4:00 (radio edit)
Tempo	166 BPM
Time signature	4 4
Key	E Major
Programmed by	Kerry Hopwood
Engineered by	Q
Engineering assistance	Paul Hicks Guy Massey Lee Fitzgerald Tom Rixton Gary Forde Lee Phillips Jamie Campbell Jim Greg Audie Chamberlain Robbie Kazandjian
Mixed by	Tim Simenon Q
Mastered by	Mike Marsh
Keyboards	Dave Clayton
Percussion	Victor Indrizzo
Vocal coach	Evelyn Halus
Art direction	Anton Corbijn
Colour prints	Brian Dowling
Sleeve design	Area
Recorded	1996
Originally released	3 February 1997
Live performances as Depeche Mode	247 times *
Total live performances	247 times *

"Barrel Of A Gun" is a song from the 1997 album Ultra by Depeche Mode. It was released as a lead single on 3 February 1997.

Notes

Martin Gore explained the lyrics in the 1997-01-25 issue of NME:

"'Barrel Of A Gun' is about understanding what you're about and realising that you don't necessarily fit into somebody else's scheme of things. You can have slight diversions from your path, but I think there is something that is written for us, that is meant to be. I'm not being totally fatalistic. I think that we do have a say in things, but I don't think that say is very strong."

Dave Gahan told South African magazine Top 40 in 1997:

"'Barrel Of A Gun' for me is more a figurative speaking [song], it's [about] not having much choice to make decisions. I think we are all born with genetic lineage, which means we can stray from it, but we can only stray slightly. There is also your whole social background. We all have certain cages, and that's what the song is about. I didn't have too many choices when I was in the position I was in, so [the song] not particularly about death. The rest of [the songs] are though. [laughs]"

According to Tim Simenon in the 2019-08-01 Depeche Mode special by Classic Pop Magazine, 'Barrel Of A Gun' was written by Martin Gore during the three-month break from mid-May 1996 till mid-August 1996. He also said about the song:

"'Barrel Of A Gun' was little difficult in the timing of the vocals. It's rap inspired, which Depeche hadn't done before, so that was a struggle sometimes, but that made it really interesting."

Martin Gore in the July 1997 issue of Keyboard Magazine:

'Barrel Of A Gun' was one [song of Ultra] that remained very similar to the original demo. All the parts were basically there, so it was just a question of bettering the sounds and making it a bit harder. But that was probably one of the most similar demos to the finished version. I think we originally started off with loops [for the intro], and then tried to recreate them. It's very hard sometimes because a loop has an immediate atmosphere, but you don't always want to use a loop. So in this case it was a matter of recreating it by cutting up various loops to get snares and bass drum sounds.

'Ultra' programmer Dave Clayton in the same magazine issue:

"['Barrel Of A Gun'] started off with a very strong melody, and the lyrics were there. [Martin] had a little loop on the demo, a bass, a pad, and a couple of guitar lines. It was very sparse. Even though we basically started over from scratch, we tried not to lose the essence of the demo. [The drum pattern was] a combination of a cut-up loop, just the top end of it, and single shots of bass drum, snare, and so forth. It's not a loop, per se. It's a pattern, but I think it has a feel of a loop. [The sequencing was done on] an old Atari with Notator. I've tried everything else, but the ST seems to have the best feel. [The sounds in the intro] came from a combination patch made on a Waldorf Wave, and a Korg Trinity Plus and M1R. A lot of people thinks [the M1R] just a preset synth but once you get into it, there's a lot to be had. [The bass line was recorded on a PPG Wave 2.3 which crashed prior to printing it to tape but] fortunately, I got it back, but it gave me quite a scare."

Martin Gore in Bong issue no. 37, 1998:

"I think that after Alan left the band, and after an absence of four years, we all individually came to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to release something that was a bit more of a challenge, something that wasn’t necessarily so Depeche Mode-like. We felt that “Barrel Of A Gun” was probably about the furthest from what we’ve done in the past. I think it was me who first tentatively suggested that maybe 'Barrel Of A Gun' should be released as a single. I expected a lot of resistance and expected all the others to be arguing for days, saying ‘you must be mad’, but immediately they said ‘we’ve actually been thinking the same’ – so it was such an easy decision to make. I think we’re all really pleased we took that route, and didn’t release “It’s No Good” as the first single."

Dave Gahan told Entertainment Weekly in 2017:

[Ultra] is one of my favourites, 'Barrel of a Gun' in particular, because I think Martin was also playing with this imagery as well, sort of pointing the finger at me. When I perform that song now, it really describes the way I felt at that time: This creature that was barely existing, but somehow still thought he had it going on [laughs]. Martin was spot-on with his lyrics. I mean, I don’t even know if the song was written about me, or for me, or poking at me to say "For f–k’s sake, get your s–t together!" But it worked. I liked it."

Rough Mix

This version of Barrel Of A Gun is strikingly similar to the final album version, but has Martin singing lead vocals. This version was probably created as a vocal guide. There is also an instrumental break in the middle of the song not found in the album version. Martin sings "everything I've done" instead of "when everything that I've done" as on the album version.

Live versions

This section provides an example of a live version of Barrel Of A Gun from each tour that it was played.

• Play 1997 "Ultra Parties": 1997-05-16 Shrine Exposition Hall, Los Angeles, CA, USA
• Play 1998 "The Singles" Tour: 1998-12-19 Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA
• Play 2013 - 2014 "Delta Machine" Tour: 2013-07-11 BBK Festival, Bilbao, Spain
• Play 2017 - 2018 "Global Spirit" Tour: 2017-03-26 BBC 6 Music Festival, Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Lyrics

Barrel Of A Gun

Do you mean this horny creep

Set upon weary feet

Who looks in need of sleep

That doesn't come

This twisted, tortured mess

This bed of sinfulness

Who's longing for some rest

And feeling numb

What do you expect of me

What is it you want

Whatever you've planned for me

I'm not the one

A vicious appetite

Visits me each night

And won't be satisfied

Won't be denied

An unbearable pain

A beating in my brain

That leaves the mark of Cain

Right here inside

What am I supposed to do

When everything that I've done

Is leading me to conclude

I'm not the one

Whatever I've done

I've been staring down the barrel of a gun

Is there something you need from me

Are you having your fun

I never agreed to be

Your holy one

Whatever I've done

I've been staring down the barrel of a gun

Songwriter: Martin L. Gore
Publishing Information: ©1997 Grabbing Hands Music Ltd/EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Live performances

Main article: Available recordings of "Barrel Of A Gun"

Main article: List of dates where "Barrel Of A Gun" 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