Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Edge's chugging rhythm guitar work -- much folkier and janglier than usual -- is one of the highlights of the track. It's very different from what we usually hear from him, but I think it serves the song great.
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U2 - Community rankings - FIN - #4 Sunday Bloody Sunday, #3 - One, #2 - Bad, #1 - Where the Streets Have No Name -Spotify links, thanks to Krista4 (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter John Maddens Lunchbox
- Start date
Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfact:
While the 1st release was the B-side of Unforgettable Fire single.....I think the most people might have been introduced to this song when it appeared on the U2 EP Wide Awake in America which featured: Bad, A Sort of Home Coming, The Three Sunrises, & Love Comes Tumbling. (Wide Awake was originally released for North America & Japan in 1985 but the EP became a cult favorite among fans & led to a UK release in 1987.)
Did you know? There were 2 or 3 versions of Love Comes Tumbling (depending on the time length):
The original is called "Studio Version - False Start" and is timed at ~4:52
The other versions are called: "Studio Version - No False Start" and is timed at ~4:46. (This version is a few seconds shorter, due to a number of beats being cut out of the introduction to the song after the false start.)
Here is a link to one of the False Start versions: Link (When i heard this, I remembered this.....anyone else remember?)
Personally, i've always liked this song when i heard it on the Wide Awake in America EP. With its driving bassline, wish they had included it on the TUF album.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
The Wide Awake in America EP sold pretty well, off the strength of the live version of Bad.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfact:
“Another Day" was U2’s 2nd single in FEB 1980,......the follow up to “U2 Three".
U2 recorded this in CBS Studios in London. However, since the band only had a contract with CBS Ireland, it was only released by CBS Records in Ireland on 7-inch vinyl.
The release of “Another Day” was timed to coincide with a concert at Dublin Stadium on February 26, 1980, that was broadcast on RTE2 radio. While introducing the song during the show, Bono mentioned that the single was out on CBS, but predicted that it would not be out on that label for long. The song did well in Ireland after that concert, & as a result U2 signed their international contract w Island Records, making “Another Day” the final single to be released only on CBS in Ireland.
Bono is credited to have created the sleeve artwork with Steve Averill Link Link 2
The song didn't appear on an album until 2008, when it showed up on the remastered edition of their debut album, Boy.
“Another Day” did not remain in the band’s live set for long, & in fact disappeared entirely by mid-1980. It has not been revisited on any tour since that time.
Bono said in the book Race Of Angels: "I remember getting Edge an echo unit & saying, 'Use this, because this will get us to another place. This will get us outside of the concrete - into the abstract.' I just knew that the echo unit would do that.
The B-side of the single contained an early version of "Twilight," a song that later appeared on Boy.
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Ghost Rider
Footballguy
Works for me. I am trying to hold off mentioning as-yet-to-be featured songs by name, as I feel it is a bit of a jerk move to do to the thread runner, but I am down for that convo once this gets wrapped up.
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John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
#115 - Helter Skelter (1988)
Highest Rank - 46
Lowest Rank - 217
Where to Find it - Rattle and Hum LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment - Not ranked
Comment - This is the halfway point. Enjoyable, but doesnt really offer anything apart from "stealing it back". I think we know who the highest ranker is. The next two rankings, including mine, are roughly where it lands and then we have the lowest 100 behind.
Next up, we begin the top half with another forgotten single.
Highest Rank - 46
Lowest Rank - 217
Where to Find it - Rattle and Hum LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment - Not ranked
Comment - This is the halfway point. Enjoyable, but doesnt really offer anything apart from "stealing it back". I think we know who the highest ranker is. The next two rankings, including mine, are roughly where it lands and then we have the lowest 100 behind.
Next up, we begin the top half with another forgotten single.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
#114 - Fire (1981)
Highest Rank - 44
Lowest Rank - 193
Where to Find it - October LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -135/218 - “Fire” got U2 their first U.K. chart success, but it’s hard to understand how. The track has some solid moments, mostly thanks to the Edge pulling a sinuous guitar line out of the mess of a song. It sounds like U2 trying too hard to to do U2-type things in a U2-type song. Bono himself later said, “‘Fire’ was not a good song. I always had the faith that we could make it up as we went along, but sometimes we couldn’t, and that was a case in point.”
Comment - I have a soft spot for this song. Doesn’t really fit the October LP, but the Edges guitar is starting to form on this track. Underrated. It’s an excellent development song for where the band ends up. The band are too harsh on this.
Next up, another song from Boy
Highest Rank - 44
Lowest Rank - 193
Where to Find it - October LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -135/218 - “Fire” got U2 their first U.K. chart success, but it’s hard to understand how. The track has some solid moments, mostly thanks to the Edge pulling a sinuous guitar line out of the mess of a song. It sounds like U2 trying too hard to to do U2-type things in a U2-type song. Bono himself later said, “‘Fire’ was not a good song. I always had the faith that we could make it up as we went along, but sometimes we couldn’t, and that was a case in point.”
Comment - I have a soft spot for this song. Doesn’t really fit the October LP, but the Edges guitar is starting to form on this track. Underrated. It’s an excellent development song for where the band ends up. The band are too harsh on this.
Next up, another song from Boy
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
#113 - Twilight (1980)
Highest Rank - 77
Lowest Rank - 164
Where to Find it - Boy LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment - 97/218 - The road from the B-side of “Another Day,” the first U2 single, to track two on Boy, is astonishing. The single had that kernel of something else that the band themselves probably weren’t aware of, but they were able to hone and polish it from breathless clamor into this tale of darkness and light and the shadows in between. It’s a respite from “I Will Follow,” but not by much, as the last chorus winds up dramatic tension vocally from Bono before he passes it over to Edge for a taut, compact refrain.
Comment - Bonos occasional out of control vocals thankfully would get stomped on by Eno and Lanois, but early on not so much. I think ive said that before.
Next up, the song with the biggest gap in rankings. We have a #10 ranking and a #210 Ranking. From Unforgettable Fire.
Highest Rank - 77
Lowest Rank - 164
Where to Find it - Boy LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment - 97/218 - The road from the B-side of “Another Day,” the first U2 single, to track two on Boy, is astonishing. The single had that kernel of something else that the band themselves probably weren’t aware of, but they were able to hone and polish it from breathless clamor into this tale of darkness and light and the shadows in between. It’s a respite from “I Will Follow,” but not by much, as the last chorus winds up dramatic tension vocally from Bono before he passes it over to Edge for a taut, compact refrain.
Comment - Bonos occasional out of control vocals thankfully would get stomped on by Eno and Lanois, but early on not so much. I think ive said that before.
Next up, the song with the biggest gap in rankings. We have a #10 ranking and a #210 Ranking. From Unforgettable Fire.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
The admin to Date with 116 songs listed
B-Sides = 40 (13 covers) - (14 tracks to go here and in Soundtracks etc)
Soundtracks/Special/Greatest Hits LPs - 13
Songs of Experience = (4 to go)
October = 8 (3 to go)
Songs of Innocence - 7 (5 to go)
Pop - 7 (5 to go)
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - 6 (6 to go)
No Line On The Horizon = 5 (6 to go)
Zooropa - 5 (5 to go)
All that you can’t leave behind - 4 (8 to go)
Boy - 4 (7 to go)
War - 3 (7 to go)
Rattle and Hum - 3 (10 to go)
The Unforgettable Fire - 1 (9 to go)
Achtung Baby - 0 (12 to go)
The Joshua Tree - 0 (11 to go)
B-Sides = 40 (13 covers) - (14 tracks to go here and in Soundtracks etc)
Soundtracks/Special/Greatest Hits LPs - 13
Songs of Experience = (4 to go)
October = 8 (3 to go)
Songs of Innocence - 7 (5 to go)
Pop - 7 (5 to go)
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - 6 (6 to go)
No Line On The Horizon = 5 (6 to go)
Zooropa - 5 (5 to go)
All that you can’t leave behind - 4 (8 to go)
Boy - 4 (7 to go)
War - 3 (7 to go)
Rattle and Hum - 3 (10 to go)
The Unforgettable Fire - 1 (9 to go)
Achtung Baby - 0 (12 to go)
The Joshua Tree - 0 (11 to go)
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
This is more pop friendly than the original version…..but the whole point of the original was McCartney trying to show up The Who. From Wikipedia:
“Umm, that came about just 'cause I'd read a review of a record which said, "and this group really got us wild, there's echo on everything, they're screaming their heads off." And I just remember thinking, "Oh, it'd be great to do one. Pity they've done it. Must be great – really screaming record." And then I heard their record and it was quite straight, and it was very sort of sophisticated. It wasn't rough and screaming and tape echo at all. So I thought, "Oh well, we'll do one like that, then." And I had this song called "Helter Skelter," which is just a ridiculous song. So we did it like that, 'cos I like noise.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helter_Skelter_(song)
The song wasn’t supposed to be refined and commercial and easily digestible. It was supposed to be loud and raw and obnoxious.
Anyway, the cover is a really good rendition. I love listening to it, singing along, etc. But the original is superior because it serves a purpose IMO, and U2 ignores that purpose.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Boring. It’s fine, it’s solid, but U2 themselves say it isn’t a good song. It sounds like a Boy reject — I pretty much prefer every single track on Boy to this one. Oh, and too much Bono yodeling. But again, as JML notes it is a good development song where Edge and others start to show promise.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Great song. Not in my top-50, because the pieces still haven’t all come together at this point (eg some of the guitar doesn’t fit the overall feel of the song, Bono yodels in the wrong moments, Yadda yadda yadda). I would listen to this 10x in a row before listening to Fire.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Admittedly it's not The Beatles version, but I have a hard time listening to the original. It's busy, noisy, and a bit all over the place. Plenty of bands have taken a stab at Helter Skelter . . . Aerosmith, Motley Crew, Oasis, Marilyn Manson, Pat Benatar, etc., with varying degrees of success.
U2's version at the very least feels like an actual song, not quite a musical explosion of dissonant sounds, effects, and random instruments. So to me, it's fun, it's enjoyable, and it's easier to listen to. Is it the best song ever recorded? Of course not.
I still find it bizarre that U2 didn't release any covers early in their career and then went cover crazy . . . at the peak of their career when they wrote the chunk of their best material. If they needed B sides, they had plenty of other tracks and leftovers to chose from.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
The original was supposed to be busy, noisy, all over the place, obnoxious. Agree that it isn’t an easy listen. I like the U2 cover. It’s not true to the original, but it IS a good version that is more pop, more digestible.
Great observation on U2 and b-sides. Maybe they just like playing songs of bands that resonate with them? And if they have a good cover version….why not record and release it?
Brony
Footballguy
You're ### damn right I put it at 217. In defense of U2's version, it's not as bad as the Brady Bunch version of American Pie; also featuring the lyric Helter Skelter.
Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfact:
Cover of the 1968 Beatles song. U2 recorded it live at McNichols arena in Denver on November 8, 1987.
Helter Skelter represented how they felt towards the end of their JT tour. The demands of the film crews following them for the Rattle And Hum documentary & the rigors of the tour were wearing them down.
Charles Manson had claimed "Helter Skelter" as an influence on his killing spree. In 1989, U2's song "Exit" was cited by stalker Robert John Bardo as inciting him to kill actress Rebecca Schaeffer.
In March 2008, Rolling Stone Magazine voted Helter Skelter by U2 to be the best Beatles cover ever.
The original song was really about a roller coaster at a popular British amusement park in the late 60's called "The Helter Skelter". U2 makes it seem less about the ride & more about race war, drugs, etc. by omitting the line "Where i stop & i turn & i go for a ride" & adding "And i know, as i can, that i never get high".
Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfacts:
U2 recorded this in the Bahamas in 1981 while on a break from their US tour of Boy. It was the only track on October not recorded in Dublin.
"Fire" was released as a single 3 mths before U2's 2nd album, October, came out. It was the 1st U2 song to chart, peaking at #35 in the UK. It was produced by Steve Lillywhite, who helmed the 1st 3 U2 albums.
The single was not released in North America.
The lyrics contain apocalyptic, biblical themes. Bono has always worked a lot of religious imagery into his lyrics, but he's rarely this dire, singing about the "sun burning black" & "stars falling down."
In their autobiography U2 by U2, the band calls this one of their least favorite songs, w the Edge noting, "The problem was it was high in potential but actually not very high on content."
U2 performed this on their first appearance on British TV show Top Of The Pops. (The link provided by JML)
Some vinyl & cassette versions of U2's debut album Boy included a 30-second instrumental hidden track after the album's closer, "Shadows & Tall Trees." This track featured the same guitar riff as the one from "Fire." It was not until the release of the 2008 Deluxe Edition of Boy & its bonus CD that this track was shown to be "Saturday Night," a previously unreleased song that featured the same guitar riff from "Fire" & almost the same instrumentation, but w different lyrics. "Saturday Night" was eventually rewritten into what became "Fire."
Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfact:
The line, "In the shadow boy meets man" was interpreted by some fans to be about homosexuality. While U2 did not intend it that way, songs like "Twilight" & "Stories For Boys" earned them a large gay following.
The album shows a shirtless, 7-year-old boy on the cover. The American release had an alternate cover with a black and white photo of the band to avoid controversy.
An early version appears on the B-side of "Another Day," U2's second single, which was released only in Ireland.
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
I don't mind the U2 cover of Helter Skelter. In fact, that is the version of the song I am most likely to turn on, largely because the Beatles version annoys me (that guitar tone they used in the song is wretched). Not that I listen to the U2 version all that much, but it was always a nice little start before we got into the awesome first original track. 
Nemesis
Footballguy
new U2 song Released today (first new music since 2019):
U2 - Your Song Saved My Life (From Sing 2) - Official Audio
expected to be heard during the rolling of the end credits of the movie , Sing 2, set for release on Friday, December 17, 2021.
It's pretty much what I expected for a kid's animated movie.....who knows, maybe a new generation of U2 fans coming.
Bono "Sing 2"promotional poster (notice the shadow)
Making his animated film debut, the U2 frontman steps into the role of lion Calloway, the missing piece to Buster's big break.
U2 is one of the many musical acts featured in Sing 2; the list includes Billie Eilish, Drake, The Weeknd, Prince, Taylor Swift, BTS, Cardi B, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. A look at all 12 characters/actors
The soundtrack listing seems to indicate several U2 classics may be in the film: Streets, Still Haven't Found & Stuck in a Moment are all listed with ensemble performances. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) is also rumored
U2 - Your Song Saved My Life (From Sing 2) - Official Audio expected to be heard during the rolling of the end credits of the movie , Sing 2, set for release on Friday, December 17, 2021.
It's pretty much what I expected for a kid's animated movie.....who knows, maybe a new generation of U2 fans coming.
Bono "Sing 2"promotional poster (notice the shadow)
Making his animated film debut, the U2 frontman steps into the role of lion Calloway, the missing piece to Buster's big break.
U2 is one of the many musical acts featured in Sing 2; the list includes Billie Eilish, Drake, The Weeknd, Prince, Taylor Swift, BTS, Cardi B, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. A look at all 12 characters/actors
The soundtrack listing seems to indicate several U2 classics may be in the film: Streets, Still Haven't Found & Stuck in a Moment are all listed with ensemble performances. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) is also rumored
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John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
#112 - Elvis Presley and America (1984)
Highest Rank - 10
Lowest Rank - 210
Where to Find it - Unforgettable Fire LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -183/218 - If U2 had given this song any other title, it would have saved them from so much abuse. It’s easier to forgive this song as part of the experience of listening to the album in order. There, this fits into the abstract expressionism, the watercolors and charcoal sketches that coast you up to “Bad” and out to “MLK.” But the title gives the track airs it does not possess. “A jazzman could understand that piece,” Bono told Rolling Stone in 1987. No, a jazzman would ask how the hell they thought this should go on the record.
Comment - Just meanders along and feels like it goes on forever. The #10 ranking isn’t in isolation as another ranker has it at #61. Then two of us have it at #201 and #210. I am at 201. It’s just boring. Vulture says it well. We have over a dozen ranking differences of over 180, but this one is the widest. I would love to hear from the #61 and the #10 here.
Next up, another trip to Pop
Highest Rank - 10
Lowest Rank - 210
Where to Find it - Unforgettable Fire LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -183/218 - If U2 had given this song any other title, it would have saved them from so much abuse. It’s easier to forgive this song as part of the experience of listening to the album in order. There, this fits into the abstract expressionism, the watercolors and charcoal sketches that coast you up to “Bad” and out to “MLK.” But the title gives the track airs it does not possess. “A jazzman could understand that piece,” Bono told Rolling Stone in 1987. No, a jazzman would ask how the hell they thought this should go on the record.
Comment - Just meanders along and feels like it goes on forever. The #10 ranking isn’t in isolation as another ranker has it at #61. Then two of us have it at #201 and #210. I am at 201. It’s just boring. Vulture says it well. We have over a dozen ranking differences of over 180, but this one is the widest. I would love to hear from the #61 and the #10 here.
Next up, another trip to Pop
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
#111 - If you wear that Velvet Dress (1997)
Highest Rank - 29
Lowest Rank - 214
Where to Find it - Pop LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -98/218 - One of the more successful numbers on Pop, it’s full of simple but interesting textures; but like most of the songs on the album, it occupies a middle ground that’s vague and tentative. “It wanted to be a lounge classic,” Bono said. He finally got his wish when he recorded it with Jools Holland in 2007. Yes, Holland is a skilled bandleader, but the vocals are Bono in full torch-singer mode.
Comment - This is a snoozefest. Of more interest to me is the similarity in rankings to the last track, Elvis Presley and America. The same two of us have it ranked real low, while the same two have it high. This time the top ranking switches to the other ranker. Vulture is much more in line with their thinking this time.
Next up, another trip to Songs of Innocence with a song that divides U2 fans.
Highest Rank - 29
Lowest Rank - 214
Where to Find it - Pop LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -98/218 - One of the more successful numbers on Pop, it’s full of simple but interesting textures; but like most of the songs on the album, it occupies a middle ground that’s vague and tentative. “It wanted to be a lounge classic,” Bono said. He finally got his wish when he recorded it with Jools Holland in 2007. Yes, Holland is a skilled bandleader, but the vocals are Bono in full torch-singer mode.
Comment - This is a snoozefest. Of more interest to me is the similarity in rankings to the last track, Elvis Presley and America. The same two of us have it ranked real low, while the same two have it high. This time the top ranking switches to the other ranker. Vulture is much more in line with their thinking this time.
Next up, another trip to Songs of Innocence with a song that divides U2 fans.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
#110 - The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone) (2014)
Highest Rank - 56
Lowest Rank - 227
Where to Find it - Songs of Innocence LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -124/218 - U2 didn’t want to write a song that sounded like the Ramones, so they went in the opposite direction. But a song about the Ramones should be something you can dance to, and you cannot dance to “The Miracle (of Joey Ramone).” The lyrics are tight, the message could not possibly be more sincere, but there’s something awkward with the cadence of the lyrics which overcomplicates it unnecessarily. Also, while it’s understandable that they wanted to namecheck Joey in the title, it just comes off as trying too hard, which this band does not need to do. You’re not fronting, guys; you legitimately loved and had your life changed by punk rock — just write about it. The fans who care will figure it out, and it won’t matter to the fans that don’t.
Comment - Well written and constructed. Even more importantly after the last album well produced. The #227 ranking sticks out like a sore thumb, although 2 of us still have a bottom 10 song left. I will be the last one to reveal it at #92. I have the highest ranking here as its what U2 is supposed to be about. I get the feeling that some fans just have a problem with the overly ambitious song titles like here and Elvis etc. it’s simply a good song. Other opinions are available lol.
Next up, we finally return to No Line on the Horizon
Highest Rank - 56
Lowest Rank - 227
Where to Find it - Songs of Innocence LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -124/218 - U2 didn’t want to write a song that sounded like the Ramones, so they went in the opposite direction. But a song about the Ramones should be something you can dance to, and you cannot dance to “The Miracle (of Joey Ramone).” The lyrics are tight, the message could not possibly be more sincere, but there’s something awkward with the cadence of the lyrics which overcomplicates it unnecessarily. Also, while it’s understandable that they wanted to namecheck Joey in the title, it just comes off as trying too hard, which this band does not need to do. You’re not fronting, guys; you legitimately loved and had your life changed by punk rock — just write about it. The fans who care will figure it out, and it won’t matter to the fans that don’t.
Comment - Well written and constructed. Even more importantly after the last album well produced. The #227 ranking sticks out like a sore thumb, although 2 of us still have a bottom 10 song left. I will be the last one to reveal it at #92. I have the highest ranking here as its what U2 is supposed to be about. I get the feeling that some fans just have a problem with the overly ambitious song titles like here and Elvis etc. it’s simply a good song. Other opinions are available lol.
Next up, we finally return to No Line on the Horizon
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
The Miracle is about 100 spots too high, haha. The other two new ones are decent at best songs from albums that are otherwise really, really good.
zoonation
Footballguy
I absolutely oved this song when I first got UF and still do. I think it best represents the aesthetic of that album as a whole (not its best song), even if I still have no idea what Bono is saying throughout most of it. Great deep cut.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Right back at you . . . in reverse. Never liked the song, never understood the song, and have no real interest in listening to the song when it comes on. This one disappoints because it's the songs 30 years in the future that are supposed to be the ones that put me to sleep. It's long enough that it just might do the trick on a restless night.
Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfact:
This song was the result of Bono improvising lyrics about Elvis Presley in his "fat" period, when he was strung out on drugs, but still able to thrill a crowd. Apparently this was a letter of sorts from Bono to Lisa Marie, Elvis's daughter
...........“Drop me down but don’t break me”
It's one of the few U2 songs they never performed live. Bono on whether he thought they'd ever play it live: "That'd be pretty hard to do. It's a song w a dark mood, & it would really hard to replicate that live".
Bono had read a biography book on Elvis by Albert Goldman, was not flattering to the late singer & gave him the idea for the lyrics. Bono would later call out Goldman by name in "God Part II", this time in reference to an unflattering biography that Goldman wrote about John Lennon.
This was created by slowing down the backing track of another song on the album, "A Sort Of Homecoming." To hear the song in its original speed, simply play the LP at 45 speed.
Bono's improvised vocal was completed in one take. He was ready to record more, but producer Brian Eno liked what he heard & told him it was done. (this is the 2nd time that we've read about recording a song in 1 take for Bono's vocals)
Bono was miffed that he had to sacrifice his work on other songs for a stream-of-consciousness effort with little lyrical value. He remembered in the book U2 by U2: "The lyrics weren't really up to much because Brian, Danny [Lanois] & Edge weren't very interested in lyrics. They wanted to preserve my Bongolese. 'Why write lyrics?' they said to me. 'Why bother? I'm getting the feeling from this. Imagine you're Japanese, imagine you're Italian, imagine you're Welsh, imagine you're from the west of Ireland, you hear it w your heart, you don't need your head.' And I, like an idiot, went along w it, & so I never finished great songs like 'Bad.' Classics like 'Pride In The Name Of Love' are left as simple sketches." (the bolded parts if true, are very puzzling and give you a glimpse into how they collaborate)
Bono explains the Elvis connection: "Here was this beautiful harmonic portrait, slowed down till it sounded like the brain of somebody loaded with Valium, who can't touch the things in front of their face, somebody so wrapped in the cotton wool of painkillers, someone very like Elvis Presley. So it's a blur, a mumble, but how dare you call a song 'Elvis Presley In America' & not explain yourself?"
************************************************************
This was the 1st song U2 wrote about Elvis, the 2nd was "Elvis Ate America" (Link) from the Passengers album.....in it, Bono described Elvis as a 'white n-word'. And also delivers the classic Bono lyric, 'Elvis would have been a sissy without Johnny Cash': Some of the lyrics:
Elvis, white trash
Elvis the Memphis flash
Elvis didn't smoke hash
Woulda been a sissy without Johnny Cash
Elvis didn't dodge the draft
Elvis had his own aircraft
Elvis having a laugh
On Lisa Marie in a color photograph
Elvis under the hood
Elvis with Cadillac blood
Elvis, darling bud
Flowered and returned to the Mississippi mud
Elvis ain't gonna rot
Elvis in a Memphis plot
Elvis, he didn't hear the shot Dr. King died just across the lot from
Elvis, vanilla ice cream
Elvis, girls of fourteen
Elvis, the Memphis spleen
Shooting TVs, reading Corinthians thirteen
Elvis with God on his knees
Elvis owned three TVs
Here come the killer bees
Head full of honey potato chips and cheese
Elvis, the bumper stickers
Elvis, the white knickers
Elvis, the white n-word
Ate a king burger and just kept getting bigger
Elvis sang to win
Elvis, the battle hymn
Elvis, the battle to be slim
Elvis ate America before America ate him
Elvis the Memphis flash
Elvis didn't smoke hash
Woulda been a sissy without Johnny Cash
Elvis didn't dodge the draft
Elvis had his own aircraft
Elvis having a laugh
On Lisa Marie in a color photograph
Elvis under the hood
Elvis with Cadillac blood
Elvis, darling bud
Flowered and returned to the Mississippi mud
Elvis ain't gonna rot
Elvis in a Memphis plot
Elvis, he didn't hear the shot Dr. King died just across the lot from
Elvis, vanilla ice cream
Elvis, girls of fourteen
Elvis, the Memphis spleen
Shooting TVs, reading Corinthians thirteen
Elvis with God on his knees
Elvis owned three TVs
Here come the killer bees
Head full of honey potato chips and cheese
Elvis, the bumper stickers
Elvis, the white knickers
Elvis, the white n-word
Ate a king burger and just kept getting bigger
Elvis sang to win
Elvis, the battle hymn
Elvis, the battle to be slim
Elvis ate America before America ate him
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Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfact:
It's an ode to U2's love of the Ramones, a band they consider very influential on the themselves. U2 have previously covered "Beat on the Brat" by the Ramones & the song, "In a Little While" from ATYCLB was also dedicated to Joey Ramone following his death.
Joey's brother, Mickey Leigh, worked w Apple to gain approval for the use of the late Ramones singer's image w/o knowing exactly what it was being used for. He told MTV News, "It made me feel so good… [When I] finally found out what it was all about, my jaw dropped right away."
The last song that Joey Ramone listened to before he died was U2's ATYCLB track "In A Little While."
"The 4 members of U2 went to see the Ramones playing in the state cinema in Dublin w/o thinking about how we were going to get in," Bono wrote in the Songs of Innocence liner notes. "We had no tickets & no money... My best friend Guggi had a ticket & he snuck us through a side exit he pried open. The world stopped long enough for us to get on it. Even though we only saw half the show, it became one of the great nights of our life...."
The song was produced by three players Danger Mouse, Paul Epworth and Ryan Tedder.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
It almost sounds like a dry run for War. Odd that it was released as a single, though. It's not in the same league as the first three tracks on the album.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
When the Beatles released this, it was revelatory and basically foreshadowed what would become known as heavy metal. When U2 released this, it was a giant ego trip. Meh.
(I wouldn't have ranked it as low as 217, though.)
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Great stuff, especially Edge's solo. And this is another early song where I have no issues with Bono's caterwauling. "Passionate wailings of a young man" are what this song is actually about, so the vocal delivery is perfect for it.
Nugget
Footballguy
Guessing I'm at 61 - The song probably would have been low to mid 100's a year ago - but I heard it more recently on the U2 Sirius station. It has grown on me and feels like a good, chill driving song.
Nugget
Footballguy
I really enjoy this song as well - probably my 2nd highest rated song from Pop. Just always felt like this cool seduction song. Thought the mood, lyrics, and message was just really well done. I like Pop more than many, and I was also fairly high on Elvis Presley and America.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
This is horrid, and yes, it was the song I was referring to earlier. It's the sound of a band (and a producer) with their heads up their asses. Among songs that made it on albums in the first 20 years of their career, this is one of the two or three worst.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Cromulent. Unlike the Elvis thing, at least it's a real song. Landing near the middle seems perfectly appropriate.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Huh. I don’t think it sounds like War at all. It sounds like a typically mediocre song from October.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
The lyric thing is fascinating. How many other bands get such plaudits for being a serious artist with a message when most of the songs are unfinished lyrically and probably dont bear close scrutiny, Bono sounds frustrated that he didn’t write words that he wanted to and was instead stuck with “Bongolese” Such classics with first drafts as lyrics. Maybe the producers knew that left to refine Bono would waste precious time and maybe this is what happened with Pop and No Line on the Horizon where they did 60 odd versions of each song trying to get it right and ended up with a mess of ideas. Interesting that the band and Bono in particular lacked the confidence to do things their way
As for the Elvis stuff. He definitely would get crucified for his racism, young girl thing now, its an interesting side discussion. Same with the debauchery of underage girls by a LOT of 60s and 70s, and probably 80s artists. Is what R Kelly did worse than what they did?
Fire sounds like a song influenced by the era, rather than being true to U2. Maybe why i like it so much. It hasnt aged well and it doesnt fit the LP. Still it has its moments.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
#109 - Breathe (2009)
Highest Rank - 6
Lowest Rank - 171
Where to Find it - No Line on the Horizon LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -84/218 - On an album full of ambitious and complex songs, “Breathe” is surprising and absolutely fascinating. In this rolling, surging melody, with Bono half-singing, half-speaking, his delivery is a mixture of Nick Cave, Michael Stipe, and maybe a little Allen Ginsberg. The breathless, conversational style is matched by an equally urgent melody behind it. There’s an element of paranoia with a touch of euphoria. It could just be stream of consciousness or it could be some biblical parallel; that early morning visitor could be God, or Satan: “Man at the door says if I want to stay alive a bit longer / There’s a few things I need you to know.” But more likely it ties into the “let me in the sound” theme Bono threaded through the record — this idea that we are all people of sound, because he gets to the point where he states, “We are people born of sound / The songs are in our eyes / Gonna wear them like a crown,” and also “I’ve found grace inside a sound / And I can breathe now.”
Comment - Another track full of ideas, but its all over the shop. So frustrating. For some reason the ""JuJu Man"" lyric really bugs me. I don’t mean to bug ya. The #6 ranking is the highest we have seen to date and it’s such an outlier. The next highest is #135. As mentioned, there is a great song here potentially. Obviously the #6 ranker sees it actually
Next up, we return to the Unforgettable Fire.
Highest Rank - 6
Lowest Rank - 171
Where to Find it - No Line on the Horizon LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -84/218 - On an album full of ambitious and complex songs, “Breathe” is surprising and absolutely fascinating. In this rolling, surging melody, with Bono half-singing, half-speaking, his delivery is a mixture of Nick Cave, Michael Stipe, and maybe a little Allen Ginsberg. The breathless, conversational style is matched by an equally urgent melody behind it. There’s an element of paranoia with a touch of euphoria. It could just be stream of consciousness or it could be some biblical parallel; that early morning visitor could be God, or Satan: “Man at the door says if I want to stay alive a bit longer / There’s a few things I need you to know.” But more likely it ties into the “let me in the sound” theme Bono threaded through the record — this idea that we are all people of sound, because he gets to the point where he states, “We are people born of sound / The songs are in our eyes / Gonna wear them like a crown,” and also “I’ve found grace inside a sound / And I can breathe now.”
Comment - Another track full of ideas, but its all over the shop. So frustrating. For some reason the ""JuJu Man"" lyric really bugs me. I don’t mean to bug ya. The #6 ranking is the highest we have seen to date and it’s such an outlier. The next highest is #135. As mentioned, there is a great song here potentially. Obviously the #6 ranker sees it actually
Next up, we return to the Unforgettable Fire.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
#108 - Indian Summer Sky (1984)
Highest Rank - 73
Lowest Rank - 144
Where to Find it - The Unforgettable Fire LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -152/218 - You can hear the rumblings of The Joshua Tree in the urgency and vibrancy of this track; Bono states that it’s about New York City, and far be it for me to tell him otherwise, but this song sounds like the elements invoked: light, wind, earth, air. It’s a good transition after “Bad,” but otherwise sounds more like a demo than a finished track.
Comment - Nice album track. Chugs along nicely, no vocal histrionics. Suits the mood of the album and the fact its lowest ranking is 144, although Vulture has it at 152, means its not hated. Also not loved.
Next up, we revisit How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Highest Rank - 73
Lowest Rank - 144
Where to Find it - The Unforgettable Fire LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -152/218 - You can hear the rumblings of The Joshua Tree in the urgency and vibrancy of this track; Bono states that it’s about New York City, and far be it for me to tell him otherwise, but this song sounds like the elements invoked: light, wind, earth, air. It’s a good transition after “Bad,” but otherwise sounds more like a demo than a finished track.
Comment - Nice album track. Chugs along nicely, no vocal histrionics. Suits the mood of the album and the fact its lowest ranking is 144, although Vulture has it at 152, means its not hated. Also not loved.
Next up, we revisit How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
#107 - Original of the Species (2004)
Highest Rank - 84
Lowest Rank - 181
Where to Find it - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -179/218 - It was originally about Bono’s goddaughter (Edge’s daughter), then Bono changed it up so it wasn’t a song for a child, and there are some vague mumblings about maintaining innocence. It has an engaging, expansive melody, but the lyrics just do not hold up to scrutiny, and the synthetic strings are cringeworthy.
Comment - This is one of those songs that with further work, or perhaps less, works better. Ambitious in its direction, it just flails along instead of soaring
Next up, a radical song from Songs of Experience that I love, 2 think its ok and one of us hates it.
Highest Rank - 84
Lowest Rank - 181
Where to Find it - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -179/218 - It was originally about Bono’s goddaughter (Edge’s daughter), then Bono changed it up so it wasn’t a song for a child, and there are some vague mumblings about maintaining innocence. It has an engaging, expansive melody, but the lyrics just do not hold up to scrutiny, and the synthetic strings are cringeworthy.
Comment - This is one of those songs that with further work, or perhaps less, works better. Ambitious in its direction, it just flails along instead of soaring
Next up, a radical song from Songs of Experience that I love, 2 think its ok and one of us hates it.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
The admin to Date with 122 songs listed
B-Sides = 40 (13 covers) - (14 tracks to go here and in Soundtracks etc)
Soundtracks/Special/Greatest Hits LPs - 14
Songs of Experience = 9 (4 to go)
October = 8 (3 to go)
Pop - 8 (4 to go)
Songs of Innocence - 8 (4 to go)
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - 7 (5 to go)
No Line On The Horizon = 6 (5 to go)
Zooropa - 5 (5 to go)
All that you can’t leave behind - 4 (8 to go)
Boy - 4 (7 to go)
War - 3 (7 to go)
Rattle and Hum - 3 (10 to go)
The Unforgettable Fire - 3 (7 to go)
Achtung Baby - 0 (12 to go)
The Joshua Tree - 0 (11 to go)
B-Sides = 40 (13 covers) - (14 tracks to go here and in Soundtracks etc)
Soundtracks/Special/Greatest Hits LPs - 14
Songs of Experience = 9 (4 to go)
October = 8 (3 to go)
Pop - 8 (4 to go)
Songs of Innocence - 8 (4 to go)
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - 7 (5 to go)
No Line On The Horizon = 6 (5 to go)
Zooropa - 5 (5 to go)
All that you can’t leave behind - 4 (8 to go)
Boy - 4 (7 to go)
War - 3 (7 to go)
Rattle and Hum - 3 (10 to go)
The Unforgettable Fire - 3 (7 to go)
Achtung Baby - 0 (12 to go)
The Joshua Tree - 0 (11 to go)
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Not to keep beating the same drum, but so many songs from the last few albums follow a similar road map. Not really fast enough or powerful enough to be rockers. The slow build up with a crescendo at the end. The instrumentation features elements that don't really fit (the fake strings). In this case, things evolve into Bono over singing IMO. To me, Bono attempts to impart emotion but it comes across as over singing and trying too hard. At certain points, there are elements that are Beatle-esque. It may not deserve to be as low as I rated it, but it really doesn't stand out to me at all.
And I will preemptively own up to totally not liking the next song to be unveiled. Not a fan.
Grace Under Pressure
Footballguy
The last group of 6-9 songs are for the most part absolutely terrific and the thread is getting more exciting IMO. Twilight, Breathe, Velvet Dress, Elvis Presley, Indian Summer Sky are all songs I would specifically listen to, not just as part of the album, but go-to songs that I enjoy over and over.
Original of the Species, to me, is an absolute stand out. Love it. Very sing-able. There is the one part where Bono makes some noises that I'm not so sure about. Right before "Baby c'mon...keeping your love under control". But that's a nit-pick. That and maybe it falls apart a bit at the end.
Original of the Species, to me, is an absolute stand out. Love it. Very sing-able. There is the one part where Bono makes some noises that I'm not so sure about. Right before "Baby c'mon...keeping your love under control". But that's a nit-pick. That and maybe it falls apart a bit at the end.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
As I keep saying, different strokes for different folks. The last 6 songs I had at 210-214-103-135-136-181. And the next song coming up I have at 222. I am eager to wade through what you call a stretch of "absolutely terrific" songs. To me, I would call this grouping a definite lull and a series of songs I really have no interest in. Glad you enjoy them, but not my cup of tea (not trying to be confrontational). In hindsight, the highest one of those songs that I ranked (Miracle) I think I rated too high. Probably would fall in the 120s or 130s if I made a new list. It got a mini spike because I hadn't heard it in a long time, but overall I could take it or leave it. It's all good, as we will start getting to songs soon where I think many people enjoy.
Grace Under Pressure
Footballguy
I did say "for the most part".
I admit to mostly cheerleading in here. My approach has been something akin to "When I don't mention a song, that usually means I'm not into it much."
Also I appreciate the work that went into the rankings! I have the luxury of chiming in on songs I like and ignoring those I'm not wild about. Those ranking didn't have that luxury.
Nugget
Footballguy
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Any eye balls in this thread is a win. It's tough to keep an audience in a music thread unless your name is krista. From my recollection, people will check in at the beginning and at the end of rankings. But it can turn into a barren wasteland in the middle. So thanks for sticking with it.I did say "for the most part".
I admit to mostly cheerleading in here. My approach has been something akin to "When I don't mention a song, that usually means I'm not into it much."
Also I appreciate the work that went into the rankings! I have the luxury of chiming in on songs I like and ignoring those I'm not wild about. Those ranking didn't have that luxury.
On a side note, I was thinking this morning that if I were the age now when I got into U2, I probably would have no interest in them. Using my kids as a barometer, only one likes rock (and as far as I know probably not U2). A couple like hip hop. One really likes country. The other is more into what I guess would be called modern alternative. When I play Bono and the boys, I get asked to turn off my old people music, even by my wife. I am jealous of whomever reviews the individual songs with spouses. My wife is not a fan and would be hard pressed to name 5 U2 songs even with hints / lyrics.
If I was the age I got into U2 say 5-10 years ago instead, I also would likely have no interest in them. That's because anything they put out in the past 10 or so years really doesn't move the needle much for me. Also, at that point I would have had no attachment to their back catalog and all their classics as I would not have grown up and lived through them.
Since we started this thread / project, I have been a lot more cognizant to when I hear U2 on the radio. I don't hear them that often, but what I have heard has pretty much been Sunday, New Year's Day, and Bad a couple of times. I think I may have heard Even Better, Where the Streets, and Pride each once. I certainly don't listen to the radio anywhere near like I used to, but they have seen their popularity wane, and they have effectively become just another band in my neck of the woods. The point being, youngsters today would really have to try hard to like the band, and kids would have to go looking for their music as they won't get a heavy exposure to them anymore.
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