Walking In My Shoes

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1. I Feel You
2. Walking In My Shoes
List of Songs of Faith and Devotion songs
3. Condemnation
Walking In My Shoes
Single-WIMS.jpg
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 891 times *
Total live performances 977 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.[1]

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 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.

Music video

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.

References

  1. "Flood Answers the Question [Soundedit 2011]." youtube.com, uploaded by de-mo ralizacja, 11 Nov. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY9XnNJWEh8. Accessed 14 July 2023.


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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
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