"Policy of Truth" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 7 May 1990 as the third single from their seventh studio album Violator (1990). It is the only Depeche Mode single to chart higher on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart (number 15) than on the UK Singles Chart (number 16), and it became the band's second chart-topper on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Critical reception

Jon Wilde from Melody Maker wrote "Depeche has never sounded so cute as they did on their recent hit "Enjoy the Silence". Then again, they have rarely sounded quite as ineffectual as this, not since the days when they were busy composing jingles for the mix 'n' match department of Woolworths (Basildon)."

Remixes

François Kevorkian mixed a new single version for the release, extending it slightly while lowering the tempo, and also making Dave Gahan's vocals more prominent. He also mixed the Beat Box Mix (the 12-inch version of the single mix) and the Pavlov's dub. The "Trancentral" mix is by the KLF, a popular acid house band at that time that only did remix work for other artists on 3 occasions (the others being "So Hard" and its B-side "It Must Be Obvious" by the Pet Shop Boys and "What Is Dub?" by Moody Boys). The "Capitol" mix uses the sample "I want to tell you my side of the case" from the Checkers speech by Richard Nixon. A version of "Kaleid" was used as intro music for Depeche Mode's World Violation Tour in 1990.

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Policy of Truth" is directed by Anton Corbijn and appears on the VHS collection Strange Too.

Track listings

All songs were written by Martin L. Gore. UK 7-inch and cassette single UK 12-inch single UK limited-edition 12-inch single UK CD single UK limited-edition CD single US 12-inch single US maxi-CD single US maxi-cassette single Japanese CD EP

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history