Walking In My Shoes

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Walking In My Shoes
Song	Walking In My Shoes
By	Depeche Mode
Songwriter	Martin L. Gore
Produced by	Depeche Mode Flood
Recorded at	Madrid, Spain Chateau du Pape, Hamburg, Germany
Length (mm:ss)	5:35 (album version) 4:59 (single version)
Tempo	93 BPM
Time signature	4 4
Key	D Minor
Design	Anton Corbijn Area
Recorded	February 1992 – January 1993
Originally released	26 April 1993
Live performances as Depeche Mode	900 times *
Total live performances	986 times *

"Walking In My Shoes" is a song from the 1993 album Songs Of Faith And Devotion by Depeche Mode. It was released as a single on 26 April 1993.

Notes

Martin Gore in Bong issue no. 37, 1998:

If I really had to stick my neck out and choose my all time favourite song, it would probably be "Walking In My Shoes". I think it has a great melody—the words and the subject matter really complement each other perfectly. The instrumentation is also interesting.

As part of a programme of talks and films at the Mute Short Circuit event in May 2011, producer Flood delivered a presentation discussing the production of several Depeche Mode tracks, including "Walking In My Shoes":

[If] I'm being honest, the track that I was most disappointed by—I mean, I say "most disappointed"—but it was "Walking In My Shoes", because I never felt that the recorded version lived up to the way I imagined the song could be. I know I'm probably the only person in the universe who thinks like that, but I felt that the original demo—the potential wasn't realized, so.

Q&A from Alan Wilder's Shunt:

Xavi Martí: I'm fascinated with the darker-pretty-magical-elegant-emotive-cleanest-perfect sound of the DM song 'Walking In My Shoes'. What was the process you used to construct this song?

A: It was constructed using an unusual method for us, i.e. jamming together. Martin played the guitar, I played bass and we ran a rhythm machine—this was just to get the basic feel for the track—and after much trial and error, the chorus bass line and guitar pattern fell into place. From that point onwards, Flood and I began to construct the various drum loops, the string arrangements, the main riff (which combined a piano and harpsichord through a distorted guitar amp) and all the other bits and pieces. By contrast, the bass line for the verses was much more problematic and in fact didn't get written until the very last moment.

Alan Wilder also told author Jonathan Miller for his book Stripped:

"One of the first Songs Of Faith And Devotion tracks to be recorded, and one that went through many incarnations. [It] is probably the best example of the new multi-layered DM sound. The more organic feel was created with the use of live bass and guitar, plus a dynamic string arrangement and a series of different drum loops, blended with both old and new Mode techniques. The e-bow guitar (playing the end melody) endowed the track with a haunting quality, which was also evident in Dave's voice mirroring the distorted piano and harpsichord riff. Electro elements were still present, but their role had shifted and they were used more in the form of bubbling synth parts to provide atmospherics, rather than to carry lead melodies. The result was a unique emotional experience.”

Alan Wilder said in the May 1993 issue of Keyboard magazine:

"The piano part at the beginning of 'Walking In My Shoes' was put through a guitar processor, which distorted it and made it more edgy. We added a harpsichord sample on top of that."

Lyrics

Walking In My Shoes

I would tell you about the things they put me through

The pain I've been subjected to

But the Lord himself would blush

The countless feasts laid at my feet

Forbidden fruits for me to eat

But I think your pulse would start to rush

Now I'm not looking for absolution

Forgiveness for the things I do

But before you come to any conclusions

Try walking in my shoes

Try walking in my shoes

You'll stumble in my footsteps

Keep the same appointments I kept

If you try walking in my shoes

If you try walking in my shoes

Morality would frown upon

Decency look down upon

The scapegoat fate's made of me

But I promise now, my judge and jurors

My intentions couldn't have been purer

My case is easy to see

I'm not looking for a clearer conscience

Peace of mind after what I've been through

And before we talk of any repentance

Try walking in my shoes

Try walking in my shoes

You'll stumble in my footsteps

Keep the same appointments I kept

If you try walking in my shoes

If you try walking in my shoes

Try walking in my shoes

Now I'm not looking for absolution

Forgiveness for the things I do

But before you come to any conclusions

Try walking in my shoes

Try walking in my shoes

You'll stumble in my footsteps

Keep the same appointments I kept

If you try walking in my shoes

You'll stumble in my footsteps

Keep the same appointments I kept

If you try walking in my shoes

Try walking in my shoes

If you try walking in my shoes

Try walking in my shoes

Songwriter: Martin L. Gore
Publishing Information: ©1992 Grabbing Hands Music Overseas/EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Live performances

Main article: Available recordings of "Walking In My Shoes"

Main article: List of dates where "Walking In My Shoes" was played

Live versions

This section provides an example of a live version of Walking In My Shoes from each tour that it was played.

• Play 1993 Devotional Tour: 1993-07-31 Crystal Palace Sports Ground, London, England, UK
• Play 1994 Exotic Tour: 1994-05-14 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountainview, San Francisco, CA, USA
• Play 1998 The Singles Tour: 1998-12-12 KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA, USA
• Play 2001 Exciter Tour: 2001-10-11 Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
• Play 2003 A Night With Martin L. Gore: 2003-05-06 Mayan Theater, Los Angeles, CA, USA
• Play 2003 Paper Monsters Tour: 2003-06-12 Hultsfred Festival, Hultsfred, Sweden
• Play 2005-2006 Touring The Angel (Regular): 2006-06-04 Rock Am Ring, Nurburgring, Germany
• Play 2005-2006 Touring The Angel (Acoustic): 2005-12-11 KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas, Gibson Amphitheatre, Universal City, CA, USA
• Play 2009-2010 Tour Of The Universe: 2009-04-xx Tour Of The Universe Tour Rehearsals
• Play 2013-2014 Delta Machine Tour: 2013-10-11 Austin City Limits Festival, Austin, TX, USA
• Play 2015 Angels and Ghosts Tour: 2015-10-19 The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Los Angeles, CA, USA
• Play 2017-2018 Global Spirit Tour: 2018-06-26 Volt Festival, Sopron, Hungary
• Play 2023-2024 Memento Mori Tour (Regular): 2023-04-14 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA
• Play 2023-2024 Memento Mori Tour (Orchestral): 2023-02-16 BBC Radio 2's Piano Room, BBC Maida Vale Studios, London, England, UK

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