Even the songwriter doesn’t like that song. From Wikipedia:
Martin Gore considers it one of his least favourite songs. He prefers his songs to have subtle metaphors to allow people to find their own meanings to his songs, and feels “People Are People” does not fit that description. In 1990, he listed the song among some of the music he “regrets”, calling “People Are People” “too nice, too commercial.” It has not been played live since 1988.
