The Worst Crime

“The Worst Crime”, the third track on the Spirit album, is the end of mankind. The song is creating images of a lynching and people taking revenge on the ones responsible for such a crime.

Dave Gahan on Rolling Stone:"The lyrics to ‘Poison Heart’ are more of an internal dialogue, but ‘Worst Crime’ is looking outward. It’s bringing about the change. You’ve got to do something different or act differently. We can all talk about whatever is going on until we’re blue in the face but you have to take real action, and sometimes we don’t know what that looks like. Individually, I believe people are inherently good, but we’re really distorted by the information we get and we act out on that information out of fear."

Lyrics
There's a lynching in the square You will have to join us Everyone's going to be there We're setting up the truss Once there were solutions Now we have no excuses They got lost in confusion So we're preparing the nooses

And oh we had so much time How could we commit the worst crime?

Blame misinformation Misguided leaders Apathetic hesitation Uneducated readers For whatever reason We now find ourselves in this We are all charged with treason There is no one left to hiss

And oh we had so much time How could we commit the worst crime?

We're the judge and the jury The hangman, the convict It's too late for fury Our indictment was handpicked So step up to the gallows And accept your sentence For being so shallow You must pay your penance

And oh we had so much time How could we commit the worst crime?