New Dress Lyrics
Bomb blast victim fights for life
Girl Thirteen attacked with knife
Famine horror, millions die
Earthquake terror figures rise
But you can change the facts
And when you change the facts
You change points of view
If you change points of view
You may change a vote
And when you change a vote
You may change the world
Prospects better premier says
Within sight are golden days
But you can change the facts
And when you change the facts
You change points of view
If you change points of view
You may change a vote
And when you change a vote
You may change the world
This is one of my top ten fav DM songs. It's talking about how people focus on stupid things like Princess Di's new dress instead of real issues or more important news. And then the chorus explains the spin doctor tactic very well.
The lyrics to this song are fantastic! I do agree with the first commenter that it's about people focusing on mundane issues when there is much suffering going on. On a political standpoint, it reflects to me the people who are too preoccupied with small issues, that they can't focus on more important issues and actually trying to do something for the world.
I worked for the Daily Mail for a short time a few years ago. At the morning editorial meeting there would be a round-up of the big news stories - bomb blast in Baghdad, NHS hospital in crisis, Pope dies etc. We'd run with the headline 'Jennifer Aniston gets new hairdo' or similar. Reminded me of this song every time.
It's crazy that over 25 years on, nothing has changed at all. In fact, it's much worse. It's a very similar message to Panic by The Smiths.
This song is fantastic. It really makes you realize that gossip is so much bs and the world has much bigger problems to deal with. Really cool song. One of my DM favorites.
As per my understanding, this song is about how the media was using the fact that Princess Di was updating her wardrobe and running that as headlines rather than actual news.
I bought a "best of" depeche mode album a few years ago and it just became part of my collection. I then played it when I had some friends around and realised what I had been missing so I bought further albums which is when I stumbled accross this song. I'm saying all this because I think this song is amazing and is so apt today it is unbelievable. I think everyone has covered what the song means I just wanted to put my personal feeling down.
I think there is more to this than DM lambasting the media for giving the public 'bread and circuses' (and the public's eager acceptance of same). Yes, there is plenty of 'Which star has celulite' and 'Which Royal was behaving badly' and all of that crap, but Diana used that attention for charities like landmine removal, starving children, and AIDS awareness. She used the existing machinery that works to create more and more fluff to create somthing of substance. You can't change the world, but she was able to start changing the facts, which ultimately did change the world in some lasting ways.
It might be about pop culture, and how all people care about is what the most popular or well loved person is wearing, like in this time in Britain, was Princess Di.
And still, these days people are more fascinated with what Meghan Markle or Kate Middleton are wearing, versus famine, disease, or heck, even any of their accomplishments. Same with actors, people care more about the shallow and superficial, like their dress and its cost, than the substance and achievements of the person. The world could be falling apart, everything going to hell in a hand basket, but people would only notice and focus on someone's appearance or gossip, nothing else would matter!