The Bottom Line

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The Bottom Line
Song	The Bottom Line
By	Depeche Mode
Songwriter	Martin L. Gore
Produced by	Depeche Mode Tim Simenon
Recorded at	Abbey Road Eastcote Westside Strongroom RAK (London) Electric Lady (New York City) Larrabee West (Los Angeles)
Length (mm:ss)	4:26
Tempo	134 BPM
Time signature	4 4
Key	D♭ 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
Pedal steel guitar	B.J. Cole
Vocal coach	Evelyn Halus
Art direction	Anton Corbijn
Colour prints	Brian Dowling
Sleeve design	Area
Recorded	January, 1996 - February, 1997
Originally released	14 April 1997
Live performances as Depeche Mode	22 times *
Total live performances	22 times *

"The Bottom Line" is a song from the 1997 album Ultra by Depeche Mode.

Lyrics

The Bottom Line

Like a cat dragged in from the rain

Who goes straight back out

To do it all over again

I'll be back for more

It's something that is out of our hands

Something we will never understand

It's a hidden law

The apple falls

Destiny calls

I follow you

Like a pawn on the eternal board

Who's never quite sure

What he's moved towards

I walk blindly on

And heaven is in front of me

Your heaven beckons me enticingly

When I arrive, it's gone

The river flows

The wise man knows

I follow you

I'm yearning

I'm burning

I feel love's wheels turning

Like a moth on love's bright light

I will get burned each and every night

I'm dying to

The sun will shine

The bottom line

I follow you

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

Dates with available recordings of The Bottom Line

There are currently 23 recordings of The Bottom Line available.

• 2001-06-11 Colisee Pepsi Arena, Quebec City, QC, Canada/Source 1
• 2001-06-13 Corel Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada/Source 1
• 2001-06-15 Molson Centre, Montréal, PQ, Canada/Source 1
• 2001-06-16 Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ON, Canada/Source 1
• 2001-06-16 Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ON, Canada/Source 2
• 2001-06-19 XCEL Energy Center, St. Paul, MN, USA/Source 1
• 2001-06-20 Marcus Amphitheatre, Milwaukee, WI, USA/Source 1
• 2001-06-22 World Music Theatre, Chicago, IL, USA/Source 1
• 2001-06-23 DTE Energy Music Theater, Detroit, MI, USA/Source 1
• 2001-06-23 DTE Energy Music Theater, Detroit, MI, USA/Source 2
• 2001-06-24 Blossom Music Center, Cleveland, OH, USA/Source 1
• 2001-06-27 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, USA/Source 1
• 2001-06-30 First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA/Source 1
• 2001-07-01 Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts, Boston, MA, USA/Source 1
• 2001-07-01 Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts, Boston, MA, USA/Source 2
• 2001-07-05 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD, USA/Source 1
• 2001-07-07 National Car Rental Center, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA/Source 1
• 2001-07-07 National Car Rental Center, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA/Source 2
• 2001-07-08 Ice Palace, Tampa, FL, USA/Source 1
• 2001-07-13 UNO Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, LA, USA/Source 1
• 2001-07-14 Cynthia Wood Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX, USA/Source 1
• 2001-07-29 Gorge Amphitheatre, Seattle, WA, USA/Source 2
• 2001-09-30 Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany/Source 1

Dates where The Bottom Line was played

2001 Exciter Tour

The Bottom Line was played 22 times during this tour.

• 2001-05-30 Exciter Tour Rehearsals, Sound Design Studios, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
• 2001-06-01 Exciter Tour Rehearsals, Sound Design Studios, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
• 2001-06-04 The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA, USA
• 2001-06-11 Colisee Pepsi Arena, Quebec City, QC, Canada
• 2001-06-13 Corel Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
• 2001-06-15 Molson Centre, Montréal, PQ, Canada
• 2001-06-16 Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2001-06-19 XCEL Energy Center, St. Paul, MN, USA
• 2001-06-20 Marcus Amphitheatre, Milwaukee, WI, USA
• 2001-06-22 World Music Theatre, Chicago, IL, USA
• 2001-06-23 DTE Energy Music Theater, Detroit, MI, USA
• 2001-06-24 Blossom Music Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
• 2001-06-27 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, USA
• 2001-06-30 First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
• 2001-07-01 Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts, Boston, MA, USA
• 2001-07-05 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD, USA
• 2001-07-07 National Car Rental Center, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
• 2001-07-08 Ice Palace, Tampa, FL, USA
• 2001-07-09 Hi Fi Buys Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA, USA
• 2001-07-13 UNO Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, LA, USA
• 2001-07-14 Cynthia Wood Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX, USA
• 2001-09-30 Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany

2003 Paper Monsters Tour (Dave Gahan solo)

• The Bottom Line was not played during this tour.

2003 "A Night With Martin L. Gore" (Martin L. Gore solo)

• The Bottom Line was not played during this tour.

2005-2006 Touring The Angel

• The Bottom Line was not played during this tour.

2009-2010 Tour Of The Universe

• The Bottom Line was not played during this tour.

2013-2014 Delta Machine Tour

• The Bottom Line was not played during this tour.

2017-2018 Global Spirit Tour

• The Bottom Line was not played during this tour.