Policy Of Truth

From DM Live - the Depeche Mode live encyclopedia for the masses
Jump to navigationJump to search
6. Enjoy The Silence
7. Policy Of Truth
List of Violator songs
8. Blue Dress
Policy Of Truth
Single-POT.jpg
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
Engineering assistance Daryl Bamonte
Dick Meaney
David Browne
Mark Flannery
Mixed by François Kevorkian
Recorded 1989 – 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 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, 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."

Q&A from Alan Wilder's Shunt:

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

A: 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.

Alan Wilder also says on Shunt:

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:

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."

Live versions

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

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.

Music video

Live performances

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

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

.


1981-1985: Dreaming Of MeNew LifeJust Can't Get EnoughSee YouThe Meaning Of Love
Leave In SilenceGet The Balance RightEverything CountsLove In ItselfPeople Are PeopleMaster And ServantBlasphemous Rumours / SomebodyShake The DiseaseIt's Called A Heart
1986-1989: StrippedBut Not TonightA Question Of LustA Question Of TimeStrangelove
Never Let Me Down AgainBehind The WheelLittle 15Personal Jesus
1990-1998: Enjoy The SilencePolicy Of TruthWorld In My EyesI Feel YouWalking In My ShoesCondemnationIn Your RoomBarrel Of A GunIt's No GoodHomeUseless
Only When I Lose Myself
2001-2009: Dream OnI Feel LovedFreeloveGoodnight LoversPreciousA Pain That I'm Used To
Suffer WellJohn The Revelator / LilianMartyrWrongPeaceFragile Tension / Hole To Feed
2013-2017: HeavenSoothe My SoulShould Be HigherWhere's The RevolutionGoing Backwards
Cover Me
2023: Ghosts Again
1992-1998: Faith HealerDriftingStalker / Missing Piece
2000-2008: Strange HoursJezebelPreyAllelujah
2003-2008: Dirty Sticky FloorsI Need YouBottle Living / Hold OnA Little PieceKingdomSaw Something / Deeper And Deeper
2012-2015: Longest DayTake Me Back HomeAll Of This And NothingShine
1989-2003: CompulsionStardustLoverman
2012-2015: SpockSingle BlipAftermathsEuropa Hymn • "Pinking" (Christoffer Berg Remix)
Official releases