The meaning of the song is not subtle, which is almost refreshing considering Depeche Mode's lyrical history. A child, guilty of leaving family back home, dies just as his parents did and 'comes home.' ("I've been away too long, I know that it was wrong.")
I am sorry that I cannot remember a source to cite, but I always heard that the only live version of it exists as Dave Gahan had a medical emergency during/just before a concert of theirs, and Martin, Andy, and Alan chose to play this song with him in mind. (He was "knocking on death's door" through his addiction.) However, I cannot find other evidence to back this up, so it may be incorrect and/or a misinterpretation.
The meaning of the song is not subtle, which is almost refreshing considering Depeche Mode's lyrical history. A child, guilty of leaving family back home, dies just as his parents did and 'comes home.' ("I've been away too long, I know that it was wrong.")
I am sorry that I cannot remember a source to cite, but I always heard that the only live version of it exists as Dave Gahan had a medical emergency during/just before a concert of theirs, and Martin, Andy, and Alan chose to play this song with him in mind. (He was "knocking on death's door" through his addiction.) However, I cannot find other evidence to back this up, so it may be incorrect and/or a misinterpretation.