Lyric differences

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This page lists lyrical differences between album, demo, and live versions. Some lyrical oddities on the remaster releases are also described.

Many lyrical errors / mistakes / transposition of verses, etc. during live concerts are represented in the "Something Went Wrong" compilation, and don't qualify for inclusion on this page.

Live, bare, and demo differences

Album version[2] 1980 live version
Dancing with you all the time, and don't you think that it's a crime Dancing with you all the time, and don't you think that it's a crime
Album version[2] 1980 live version
I know where you go And I know where to go
Album version[2] 1980 live version
You say that it's from above, and I say this is modern love You say that it's from above, and I say this is modern love

Furthermore, in all live versions of the song currently available from both 1980 and 1981, there is one additional difference compared to the album version:

Album version[2] 1980 and 1981 live version
Just for me and you Just like me and you
  • Minor differences on Vince Clarke's original demo for Television Set compared to later live versions:
    • "I'm just a mass of communication" (live versions all say "for communication")
    • The final "a" in the chorus line "I'm just a television set" is not sung at the end of the demo snippet.
  • On all live versions of Dreaming Of Me, "filming the screening" is sung instead of the single version's "filming and screening".
Bong Magazine Issue 24, Page 18, with Vince Clarke's original lyrics for Just Can't Get Enough.
  • All live cover versions of I Like It have one verse unsung compared to Gerry & The Pacemakers' original version, and there are a few other minor lyrical differences. Lyrics of Depeche Mode's rendition is available on the song's page.
  • The bare studio session for Stories Of Old omits the first verse entirely.
  • The demo for If You Want has a very minor word transposition; in the final line of the song, the demo says "even though you still may not want to", while the album and live versions say "even though you may still not want to". Oddly, the demo lyric is reflected on the 2006 remaster artwork and also on depechemode.com's archive section.[3] The error on the official site archives is not correctable because the site must match the latest official release's artwork, even if it is inaccurate. You can listen to the demo on the song's page.
  • After 1986 "Black Celebration" Tour, during A Question Of Time live, Dave sings "I know my kind / What goes on in their minds" compared to "What goes on in our minds" of the album version.[4] "Their" is also grammatically incorrect following "I know my kind".

"Perversion" demo tape differences

Thanks to an anonymous ex-label employee, several songs' lyrical changes found on the "Perversion" demo tape are now known. Differences to the album version are emphasized in bold.

World In My Eyes

Album version[5] "Perversion" demo
That's all there is
Nothing more than you can feel now
That's all there is
That's all there is
I don't mean to drag you down
But that's all there is
Album version[5] "Perversion" demo
Let me put you on a ship
On a long, long trip
Your lips close to my lips
Let me put you on a ship
On a long, long trip
And you won't be feeling seasick

Waiting For The Night

Album version[6] "Perversion" demo
I press my hands to my ears
It's easier here just to forget fear
I put my hands to my ears
I've soon forgotten all my fears

Blue Dress

Album version[7] "Perversion" demo
Please don't question why Don't you question why

Sea Of Sin

Album version[8] "Perversion" demo
My mind's in need
So my body feeds
And it quenches my thirst
My mind's in need
And my body feeds
So I'm never alone
Album version[8] "Perversion" demo
As it gets wetter and wetter As we get wetter and wetter
Album version[8] "Perversion" demo
As we sink deeper and deeper As we go deeper and deeper
Album version[8] "Perversion" demo
Here under God's sky
His watchful eye
And all of the lies
My consolation prize
Why save it for a rainy day?
When we've got here and now
Why save it for a rainy day?
Anyhow

  • Two lines are dropped during Rush as performed on the 1993 "Devotional" Tour and the 1994 "Exotic" Tour; see the changes below.[10] On the album version, those lines have some overlap with the previous line, so it was probably infeasible for Dave to sing those line lives as a result.
1993-05-19 Lille through 1993-07-31 London:
Second verse Fourth verse
Open your sensitive mouth
Hold out your delicate hands
With such a sensitive mouth
I'm easy to see through
Seen the tears in my eyes
Heard my truth turn to lies
Seen the tears in my eyes
I'm not proud of what I do
1993-09-07 Quebec (unconfirmed, no recording available), but definitely from 1993-09-15 Toronto and on:
Second verse Fourth verse
Open your sensitive mouth
Hold out your delicate hands
With such a sensitive mouth
I'm easy to see through
Seen the tears in my eyes
Heard my truth turn to lies
Seen the tears in my eyes
I'm not proud of what I do
  • The demo, bare, and live versions of Nothing's Impossible have the lyrics "how did we get to be this far apart / let's take a chance, go back to the start", whereas the album version has "how did we get to be this far apart" repeated.[14]

Remaster oddities

  • In the SACD and DTS 5.1 versions of Two Minute Warning, "and you and I go hand in hand" is sung instead of the original version, stereo remaster, and live lyric of "while you and I go hand in hand".[18] A different vocal take must have been accidentally used in this particular instance.
    • Also in the multichannel version, the vocoded backing vocals for the lines "No radio, no sound, no sin, no sanctuary / So welcome to your last" as well as the later lines "The sun, the solitude, the cemetery / So welcome to your last" are erroneously not present.
  • In the SACD and DTS 5.1 versions of Here Is The House, Dave sings the first "and as it happens, it happens here in this house" along with Martin, and the vocals seem to be slightly out of sync. The second "and as it happens..." is Martin only. On the original version and the stereo remaster, only Martin sings in both instances. During the full-band performance of the track from 1986-03-31 New Conference Centre, Brighton, England, UK, both Dave and Martin sing the line both times.

References