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)

[Anarchy99]

Most of War’s sales were retrospective. As were a lot for The Unforgettable Fire, October and Boy. War had respectable sales and did well upon release, reaching #1 in the UK but TUF easily sold more in the first few months comparitively. I have followed charts for a long time. US, UK and Australia. Singles and Albums. U2 were a band that fascinated me because they often had all their back catalogs in the charts whenever a major event like a new album  was released. Live Aid, touring etc. i would look at the Billboard Top 200 albums and War was always higher on retrospectives than Unforgettable Fire. Same in Australia and UK. Midnight Oil were another band in the Australian album charts that did similar. 

Pride and the Unforgettable Fire were their breakouts internationally. New Years Day peaked at 10 in the US, 53 in the US and 36 in Australia. Pride went to 4 in Aus, 3 in the UK and 33 in the US. War also got a huge boost in sales following Under a Blood Red Sky. Again retrospectively, 

I would love to have the exact sales figures of both albums in the first month. I am pretty confident TUF would win handsomely. While not exactly Cult, they weren’t a megaband until Joshua Tree. Each step from Boy to Joshua Tree was a leap up. When War was released the general concensus was great...people loved it, but can’t wait for the next one. Unforgettable Fire was their arrival album. They were no longer promising, they had delivered. 

This isn’t argument about which album was better, it’s about entering the mainstream. A good argument can be put forward that Under a Blood Red Sky was that moment rather than Unforgettable Fire. 

War sold 6,530,880 copies and ranked as the 13th best selling album in 1983 (98th best selling album of the 80's).
Under the Blood Red Sky sold 5,964,680 copies and ranked as the 16th best selling album in 1983 (118th best selling album of the 80's).
The Unforgettable Fire sold 4,639,870 copies in 1984 and ranked as the 16th best selling album in 1984 (171st best selling album of the 80's).
Wide Awake in America sold 2,162,320 copies and ranked as the 35th best selling album in 1985 (400th best selling album of the 80's).

LINK

Hard to know without digging into actual sales charts to see what sold when, but IMO TUF seemed like it was less commercially successful than both War and UABRS. Not that it really matters, as the music is the music.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Are you going to have to fudge her top 25, 46 or 83 etc when I ask for them?

I promise to trick her into ranking her songs when you ask.   It’s very annoying, she keeps saying “my brain just doesn’t work in ranking lists like yours does.”

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Yeah I think Bono gets far too much credit and Edge not enough...and he gets plenty of credit. Pretty sure Edge is the reason this band is as huge as it is. Your post certainly speaks to that theory. Then again Bono takes an inordinate amount of the heat and criticism directed at the band. Maybe too much. 

Reading about the and, it’s pretty clear that Edge has been the primary driving force behind their sound - and how it shifts from album to album - on both a macro and micro level.  Bono clearly influences the sound as well, Edge is the one constantly messing with new riffs, new sounds, new styles.   Again, just based on what I’ve read.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Do you call your wife  "Pip's Invitation"? 

Why would I, she doesn’t use that name. 

 

[Nemesis]

#19 - A Sort of Homecoming (1984)   Highest- 26    Lowest- 45     TUF
Vulture-13/218 - If u weren’t sure if U2 was going to have any staying power after War, the 1st track of their 4th album would erase all doubt. The title of the song is absolutely truth in advertising: It sounds & feels like coming home, like that little skip in your heart when you turn into the driveway on Thanksgiving, or how your pulse soars when u see your lover’s face waiting for u. It is about surrender, return, & acceptance. It can assuage ur heart in the middle of the night or as the sun rises or in the middle of a stadium w thousands of other people.

Comment - Great introduction for their entry into the big time. The potential was finally making strides into the mainstream. Some may have lamented the departure of Steve Lillywhite & their rawer sound on the 1st 3 albums. A lot of us enjoyed the softer & better produced side that arrived & got better after this track. I don’t think any of us would have batted an eyelid if this came in 20 spots lower. 1 of those overachieving songs that ranks higher cause no 1 hates it. 

Songfact:
The opening track of TUF was U2’s 1st collaboration w Brian Eno & Daniel Lanois.  It was worked up in Bono’s actual home, a converted 19th-century Martello defense tower on the Irish coast. Fittingly, the song feels like a military march, albeit 1 ascending into heaven.

The song & title was inspired by the Romanian-Jewish poet Paul Celan, who – like U2 – wrestled w notions of spiritual faith in his work, & who famously described poetry as paths “for projecting ourselves into the search for ourselves. … A kind of homecoming.”   (Celan drowned himself in the Seine river in 1970)

Above Edge’s guitar abstractions are some of Bono’s most potent verses, a paddle wheel of images, pledges & chants that conjure a ravaged battlefield of the heart. “A lot of rock & roll is banal ideas well-executed,” Bono humble-brags. “Whereas I think a lot of what we do is really very interesting ideas, badly executed. ASOH involved a lot of very interesting ideas, well-executed.”

U2 superfan Chris Martin:  "I don't buy weekend tickets to Ireland & hang out in front of their gates, but U2 are the only band whose entire catalogue I know by heart. The 1st song on TUF, "A Sort of Homecoming", I know backward & forward—it's so rousing, brilliant & beautiful. It's 1 of the 1st songs I played to my unborn baby." 

Recording:  Bono's vocals for the song were re-recorded at the last minute. The band had worked overnight to finish TUF by 8 a.m. on the final day of the recording sessions so producer Daniel Lanois could deliver the tapes for mastering. As they listened back to the song, Bono said that he wanted to record another take of his vocals. With his taxi to the airport waiting outside, Lanois relented & cued up the tapes, allowing Bono 1 final take. Lanois told the band that he would mix it at the mastering studio in London & then departed.

Brian Eno took the drum track on this song & later slowed it down in the Unforgettable Fire sessions & told Bono to improvise lyrics over it. The result was included on the album as "Elvis Presley and America." 

Release:   “A Sort of Homecoming” was not released as a commercial single, however, at the time that Island was issuing “The Unforgettable Fire” as a single in the UK, “A Sort of Homecoming” was released to radio as a promotional single in the UK, & it also appeared as a promotional single in the USA.

However, in the South African market, Island / Priority Records released the single featuring “Bad” on the A-side, & “A Sort of Homecoming” on the B-side. This single was released at the same time that “Wide Awake in America” was being released in North America, & thus there may have been a push for an additional single in South Africa as well, resulting in this single. The single is exceptionally hard to find, and is considered very rare.

A live version was included on their 1985 album Wide Awake In America  (BTW:  The audio for the Live version was recorded during a sound check w no audience & cheers & other live were added later.)

Video:  Filmed when U2 was on tour in Northern Europe in Oct–Nov 1984 & was made to accompany the "live version" of the song.  It was used as a television video to promote the album, showing the band on the road travelling through London, in France & the Low Countries, & in performance at several venues, including the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, West Germany, & returning across the North Sea by ferry boat to the British Isles at the song's conclusion.

Live Versions / Remixes:
ASOH - Slane Castle Aug 25, 2001     Played live again for the 1st time in 14 yrs during the band's homecoming gig at Slane Castle in Ireland.  However the performance didn't go well w Bono struggling to recall its original lyrical construction.

ASOH - Oakland Arena Nov 16 2001   Acoustic  It made only 1 more Elevation Tour appearance, when at a concert a fan was invited up on stage by the band to perform on an acoustic guitar, & he began playing the song impromptu. U2 played along but Bono's recollection of the lyrics was even worse than at the Slane Castle gig 3 months earlier, w him admitting as much mid-song to the audience, & he re-coursed to improvised word-play instead, during which he cited Van Morrison's work as a source of inspiration for the song originally

ASOH - from the 2017 JT Anniv Tour   

When Rolling Stone ranked their Top50 U2 songs:          22

Been played live112 times….......heavy rotation during TUF tour.   17x TJT tour
wasn't played in 1990's
2x on the 2001 Elevation tour….......then suddenly picked up 8x on the 2017 JT tour

 

[Ghost Rider]

Reading about the and, it’s pretty clear that Edge has been the primary driving force behind their sound - and how it shifts from album to album - on both a macro and micro level.  Bono clearly influences the sound as well, Edge is the one constantly messing with new riffs, new sounds, new styles.   Again, just based on what I’ve read.

We can quibble about certain songs and parts, but my impression has always been that Edge is largely responsible for writing and arranging the music, while Bono is largely responsible for writing the vocal melodies and solely responsible for writing the lyrics.  Clayton and Mullen of course help when it comes to refining songs and whatnot, but I have always gotten the impression that Edge and Bono do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to songwriting. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

War sold 6,530,880 copies and ranked as the 13th best selling album in 1983 (98th best selling album of the 80's).
Under the Blood Red Sky sold 5,964,680 copies and ranked as the 16th best selling album in 1983 (118th best selling album of the 80's).
The Unforgettable Fire sold 4,639,870 copies in 1984 and ranked as the 16th best selling album in 1984 (171st best selling album of the 80's).
Wide Awake in America sold 2,162,320 copies and ranked as the 35th best selling album in 1985 (400th best selling album of the 80's).

LINK

Hard to know without digging into actual sales charts to see what sold when, but IMO TUF seemed like it was less commercially successful than both War and UABRS. Not that it really matters, as the music is the music.

I know War had big spikes or was in the charts for long periods of time. By the end of the 80s it had spent almost a full year longer in the charts than TUF. If Blood Red Sky was the main catapult to Wars sales and success your argument gets better ie they had arrived before TUF. I know after Live Aid U2 and Queen had massive spikes in sales.

Just realised I had some physical charts from Australia in advance of the Unforgettable Fire. 8 weeks in advance of the release of TUF, War re-entered the top 50. Under a Blood Red Sky was already there, but climbed.

October and Boy joined in 2 weeks later ie 6 weeks before the release of TUF. Boy had never been in the top 50 before and October barely. By the time TUF was released in late Oct/Early Nov 84, Blood Red Sky was back in the top 10, War was up to #15 and October and Boy snuck into the top 40. October and Boy fell out quickly. War made it to XMas and UABRS lasted until mid january. TUF was out of the chart by early March. 

I know this was mirrored exactly by the UK charts except with more sales. Reasonably certain the US charts were similar, but my access to the Billboard top 200 was limited. 

I have spent more time thinking about this than I should have lol, but a lot of fans discovered U2 through War and Under a Blood Red Sky and gave these albums long chart runs, but the initial release was respectable, but not in the numbers of latter releases.

The Unforgettable Fire was a lot of U2s new fans first U2 purchase  early in its release. 

As a sidebar, I remember this, but just looking at the charts again refreshed it. The Unforgettable Fire went head to head with the new Midnight Oil album Red Sails in the Sunset in australia. 10,9, 8, 7 etc had been huge for the Oils and the new release was heavily anticipated. The Unforgettable Fire outsold it considerably to land at number 1. They switched places in week 2 and from there the Oils album was always ahead of TuF.

i also have the 1987 charts, but im not going down that rabbit hole.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

U2 superfan Chris Martin:  "I don't buy weekend tickets to Ireland & hang out in front of their gates, but U2 are the only band whose entire catalogue I know by heart. The 1st song on TUF, "A Sort of Homecoming", I know backward & forward—it's so rousing, brilliant & beautiful. It's 1 of the 1st songs I played to my unborn baby." 

Maybe U2 should have quit after October lol

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#18 - One Tree Hill (1987)

Highest Rank - 4

Lowest Rank - 86

Where to Find it - The Joshua Tree LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -25/218 - It’s the most spiritual song on an album where there’s no shortage, and not surprisingly; it originated from real, deep, specific loss, not a vague swirl of influences (not to diminish those in any way). The song was written after attending the Maori funeral of crew member (and PA to Bono) Greg Carroll in New Zealand, who died in a terrible motorcycle accident on a rainy night in Dublin. In the lyrics, Bono mixes Maori legend with Biblical imagery, and compares Carroll’s untimely death to the loss of Chilean folk singer Victor Jara, murdered by the Pinochet regime in 1973 — all in service of trying to make sense of the horrible loss. But the pivotal element of this song is in Bono’s heartrending vocals in the last minute and a half. It’s understandable that the band waited for a while back in 1987 before adding it to the set, and why the song mostly disappeared from live sets (except for shows in Australia or New Zealand) until the 2017 revival.

Comment - Such a well thought out song and produced with restraint. This could have been a bombastic single, but the emotional intent was more important. Only released in New Zealand where it went to Number 1. I don’t know why records show it was released in Australia. As a back story i was trying to find the red vinyl copy of Desire and rang a bunch of record shops. I ended up having to catch a train to North Sydney, 3 hours away from me to grab one. One Tree Hill, obviously released earlier, I must have rung about 50 stores and none had it. Some said they would have to import it from New Zealand. A guy who imported all my stuff from UK record shops in Sydney got a copy for me. It might have got a low chart placing in Australia, but it was purely from people...like me importing it from New Zealand. 

Our usual wrecker had this at #4, our elite song wrecker had it at #8 and I had it at #23. This time our wrecker was the quiet guy who hasn’t wrecked much of anything.

Next up, the tracks from Achtung Baby are FLYing off the shelf. It’s So Cruel that the next is another. I guess they need to Light My Way to get to the final One. 

 

[Rustoleum]

One Tree Hill would have been my #1.

You could replace the vocals with somebody reading the phone book and it would probably still be my #1.

Whenever it comes up in the car, it is always an instant repeat.

The way it builds its way up while sort of just ambling along tempo-wise just hits all the right buttons for me. 
 

Actually, give or take a few bpm and I don’t know if I’d rate it as highly. Would be an interesting experiment.

 

[bigbottom]

Actually, give or take a few bpm and I don’t know if I’d rate it as highly. Would be an interesting experiment.

Let’s do your experiment!  Original song is 123 bpm. Here are adjusted versions (at 90%, 95%, 105% and 110% of the original bpm).

111 bpm

117 bpm

129 bpm

135 bpm

How do the adjusted bpms impact your view of the song?  Better, worse, same?

note:  to listen to the files you may need to click “download” and then “view”

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#18 - One Tree Hill (1987)

Highest Rank - 4

Lowest Rank - 86

Where to Find it - The Joshua Tree LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -25/218 - It’s the most spiritual song on an album where there’s no shortage, and not surprisingly; it originated from real, deep, specific loss, not a vague swirl of influences (not to diminish those in any way). The song was written after attending the Maori funeral of crew member (and PA to Bono) Greg Carroll in New Zealand, who died in a terrible motorcycle accident on a rainy night in Dublin. In the lyrics, Bono mixes Maori legend with Biblical imagery, and compares Carroll’s untimely death to the loss of Chilean folk singer Victor Jara, murdered by the Pinochet regime in 1973 — all in service of trying to make sense of the horrible loss. But the pivotal element of this song is in Bono’s heartrending vocals in the last minute and a half. It’s understandable that the band waited for a while back in 1987 before adding it to the set, and why the song mostly disappeared from live sets (except for shows in Australia or New Zealand) until the 2017 revival.

Comment - Such a well thought out song and produced with restraint. This could have been a bombastic single, but the emotional intent was more important. Only released in New Zealand where it went to Number 1. I don’t know why records show it was released in Australia. As a back story i was trying to find the red vinyl copy of Desire and rang a bunch of record shops. I ended up having to catch a train to North Sydney, 3 hours away from me to grab one. One Tree Hill, obviously released earlier, I must have rung about 50 stores and none had it. Some said they would have to import it from New Zealand. A guy who imported all my stuff from UK record shops in Sydney got a copy for me. It might have got a low chart placing in Australia, but it was purely from people...like me importing it from New Zealand. 

Our usual wrecker had this at #4, our elite song wrecker had it at #8 and I had it at #23. This time our wrecker was the quiet guy who hasn’t wrecked much of anything.

Next up, the tracks from Achtung Baby are FLYing off the shelf. It’s So Cruel that the next is another. I guess they need to Light My Way to get to the final One. 

Most contemporary acts of the 80s thought they were too cool to wear their emotions on their sleeves. U2 was the great exception and that’s one of the things I love about. This may be one of their greatest examples of that, along with Bad.

 

[Ghost Rider]

One Tree Hill is, for me, the best song from Side 2 of The Joshua Tree.  I wouldn't have it in my top 20, but it would be pretty close, so I am good with where it finished. Great song. 

 

[Alex P Keaton]

One Tree Hill would have been my #1.

You could replace the vocals with somebody reading the phone book and it would probably still be my #1.

Whenever it comes up in the car, it is always an instant repeat.

The way it builds its way up while sort of just ambling along tempo-wise just hits all the right buttons for me. 
 

Actually, give or take a few bpm and I don’t know if I’d rate it as highly. Would be an interesting experiment.

Your comments plus the Vulture write up are perfect.  I had it at #3 on my list.   It was top-10 for me basically from the first time I ever heard it — without knowing the back story of the song.  It’s my favorite song from TJT, although during this process another song has moved up my rankings very close to this.

I’ve written this before and stand by it:  I enjoy songs 5-9 more than songs 1-4 on TJT (on average).   Mrs APK gives me grief about it “seriously, how did you listen to the album pre-CD?  Did you start toward the end of side 1, flip and listen to (most of) side 2, then flip/fast forward/do it all again?”

edit to add:  based on JML’s teaser for song 18 yesterday, I figured this song was next but secretly hoped it was the clearly weakest of songs 1-3, which I’m amazed hasn’t shown up yet.  Then again, I continue to be perplexed that 5 songs remain from AB.  And someone else is still grieving Bullet (which hasn’t been brought up in the past 36-48 hours and thus deserves mention).

 

[Pip's Invitation]

And someone else is still grieving Bullet (which hasn’t been brought up in the past 36-48 hours and thus deserves mention).

We’re now at the point where the “this is not better than Bullet the Blue Sky” shtick doesn’t work anymore. With maybe one or two exceptions.

 

[zoonation]

The vocal on One Tree Hill still makes me tear up on occasion.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

We’re now at the point where the “this is not better than Bullet the Blue Sky” shtick doesn’t work anymore. With maybe one or two exceptions.

Man. I’m always too late to the latest trend.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

The vocal on One Tree Hill still makes me tear up on occasion.

I had that experience this morning explaining to my kids the origin of this song while it was playing in on my phone in the background.

Favorite lines:

The moon is up
And over One Tree Hill
We see the sun
Go down in your eyes
 

I'll see you again
When the stars
Fall from the sky
And the moon
Has turned red
Over One Tree Hill

I’m not an overly emotional person (ask Mrs APK) but I tear up at the end of the last stanza often, as it reminds me of a few people close to me who I’ve lost over the years.

 

[Grace Under Pressure]

When he sings: "I'll see you again, when the stars fall from the sky, and the moon has turned red over One Tree Hill".

Yeah, that. I'll take that. 

 

[Anarchy99]

I posted some interesting covers and other songs in my recent batch of songs over in my parallel rest-of-U2 thread. Just saying . . .

 

[zoonation]

I had that experience this morning explaining to my kids the origin of this song while it was playing in on my phone in the background.

Favorite lines:

The moon is up
And over One Tree Hill
We see the sun
Go down in your eyes
 

I'll see you again
When the stars
Fall from the sky
And the moon
Has turned red
Over One Tree Hill

I’m not an overly emotional person (ask Mrs APK) but I tear up at the end of the last stanza often, as it reminds me of a few people close to me who I’ve lost over the years.

And the primal screaming during the "raining to your heart" bit after that last verse.  Guts me.

 

[Rustoleum]

Let’s do your experiment!  Original song is 123 bpm. Here are adjusted versions (at 90%, 95%, 105% and 110% of the original bpm).

111 bpm

117 bpm

129 bpm

135 bpm

How do the adjusted bpms impact your view of the song?  Better, worse, same?

note:  to listen to the files you may need to click “download” and then “view”

123…117……135..111……..Bullet the Blue Sky……………………………129

That was kinda fun. I was surprised that this didn’t follow a “curve” and that I really really didn’t like it at 129 but was pretty OK with it at 135. Guess it is kind of like setting the treadmill just a little too fast to walk but not fast enough to jog.

I’m not a big “moved by lyrics” guy, but 129 and 135 are probably too brisk to be funereal, and 111 veers into trying and failing to stay awake during a bad Zoom conference.

I think 117 loses just a bit of polish from the original. Sort of like a really good college ensemble covering something someone like the Tonight Show Band just effortless owns, but still pretty darn good.

Final Takeaway: if you swapped the original coda with either of the faster versions, it would be #1 and not just #1.

 

[bigbottom]

123…117……135..111……..Bullet the Blue Sky……………………………129

That was kinda fun. I was surprised that this didn’t follow a “curve” and that I really really didn’t like it at 129 but was pretty OK with it at 135. Guess it is kind of like setting the treadmill just a little too fast to walk but not fast enough to jog.

I’m not a big “moved by lyrics” guy, but 129 and 135 are probably too brisk to be funereal, and 111 veers into trying and failing to stay awake during a bad Zoom conference.

I think 117 loses just a bit of polish from the original. Sort of like a really good college ensemble covering something someone like the Tonight Show Band just effortless owns, but still pretty darn good.

Final Takeaway: if you swapped the original coda with either of the faster versions, it would be #1 and not just #1.

Super fascinating analysis, particularly the bolded. And I totally get the treadmill analogy. 

 

[simey]

Both of these new entries would be in my top 25.

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me floored me when I first heard it.  Loved it then and love it now.  Great melodies, great production, great everything. Just a perfect song.  This might even be top 10 for me depending on what day you ask me. 

This song would be in my top 5 for U2.  It's big sounding and threatrical, with some strings and sleaze thrown in. It rocks. 

 

[Nemesis]

#18 - One Tree Hill (1987)   Highest- 4     Lowest- 86          The Joshua Tree
V-25/218 - most spiritual song on TJT; originated from real, deep, specific loss. Written after attending the Maori funeral of crew member (& PA to Bono) Greg Carroll in New Zealand, who died in a terrible motorcycle accident on a rainy night in Dublin. In the lyrics, Bono mixes Maori legend w Biblical imagery, & compares Carroll’s untimely death to the loss of Chilean folk singer Victor Jara, murdered by the Pinochet regime in 1973 — all in service of trying to make sense of the horrible loss. But the pivotal element of this song is in Bono’s heartrending vocals in the last min & a half. It’s understandable that the band waited for a while back in 1987 before adding it to the set, & why mostly disappeared fr live sets (except for shows in Aus or NZ) until 2017.

Comment - well thought out & produced w restraint. could have been a bombastic single, but emotional intent was more important. Only released in NZ where it went to #1. I don’t know why records show it was released in AUS. 

Songfact:
U2 wrote this song about Greg Carroll, a Maori from New Zealand who became an assistant & close friend to Bono.

In Sep 1984, U2 was due to kick off their TUF tour in NZ. Bono, who had taken a 24-hr flight into NZ, was still having trouble adjusting to the time difference & couldn't sleep, so he went out for a walk.  While walking around Auckland, he met a young guy w some friends. Bono was talking to them when Greg said "Do you want us to show you around?"  One Tree Hill was the 1st place they took Bono to, & from that meeting Greg & Bono became good friends.  As a result, Carroll was hired as local help while the group was in NZ . He endeared himself w his personality & work ethic, & was hired on full time as a stage hand & assistant for the rest of the TUF tour.   (at Live Aid, he could be seen on stage handing Bono a microphone).  At the end of the tour, he continued to work for U2 in Dublin as they started to get ready to work on the TJT. 

On July 3, 1986, Carroll was killed in Dublin when he was hit by a car while running an errand for the band on Bono's motorcycle.   A car had pulled in front of him, & he was unable to stop in the rain & struck the side of the car & was killed instantly.  Greg's death shocked the entire band, especially since they all had taken him under their wing & was so far from his home.  Bono, Ali, Larry & others w/in the U2 organization took Greg Carroll's body back to NZ for the funeral in Wanganui where Greg had grown up & his family were.  (Bono sang "Let it Be" & "Knockin' on Heaven's Door at the funeral)  Shortly after returning to Dublin, Bono started the lyrics to "One Tree Hill" in his memory & dedicated the album to him.  (as Vulture states, Chilean activist Victor Jara also was incorporated into the song....see below) 

The title of the song refers to the actual One Tree Hill, a volcanic peak in Auckland that is a popular landmark & tourist attraction.  At the summit, a monument is dedicated to John Logan Campbell, 1 of Auckland's founding fathers.  At the time of the song's release, a single Monterey pine tree stood on the hill, hence the common name of the hill.

In 1994, the One Tree Hill tree was the victim of a chainsaw attack by a Maori activist which almost ringbarked it. Another attack in 1999 all but finished the job & the life expectancy of the tree was estimated to be ~3 years. By Oct 2000, the pine had become unstable & was a danger to the public, so the decision was made to take it down amid much public attention.

In 1987, the band left the song off their set on TJT Tour until the 3rd leg, when Bono felt he had a better handle on his emotions. It made its live debut on September 10, 1987 at a concert in Uniondale, NY.

On Dec 31, 1989 OTH was part of a concert from Point Depot in Dublin that was broadcast live on radio to 21 countries throughout Europe as a New Year's Eve present from the band.

The American TV show One Tree Hill, which went on the air in 2003, was named after this song. The show takes place in a fictional North Carolina town called Tree Hill. The show's creator, Mark Schwahn, decided to use the name after hearing the song. The title implies that there is only one Tree Hill - 1 place the characters can really call home. The song was used in the closing scene of the series finale in 2012.

In 2006, when U2 returned to Auckland, the song was played each night, w Bono noting the tree had not yet been replaced, though the local City Council has 5 seedlings growing ready for when it is appropriate to plant a tree.

When U2 returned to NZ in 2010 U2 dedicated it to the miners who lost their lives in the Pike River Mining Disaster. (see link below)

Recording:   The music was developed early in the recording sessions for TJT during a jam session with Edge & Brian Eno.  When it came time to record the song in the studio, Bono got emotional & felt he could perform this only once, & did just 1 take.

Bono said in 1987:   "We've never performed 'One Tree Hill', & I can't. In fact I haven't even heard the song, though I've listened to it a 100 times. I've cut myself off from it completely."

Release:   In most territories, 3 singles were released in 1987 to promote TJT. In North America, a 4th single was issued in Nov 1987, “In God’s Country.”   In March 1988, a final single, “One Tree Hill,” would be released—but only in Australia & NZ. It was issued by Island Records’ associated label for that region, Festival.  Both countries saw the single in 7-inch format, w NZ getting a cassette version as well. 

The song debuted on the NZ charts at #4 & then spent 6 wks at #1. (it was U2's 1st #1 single there)

Single photo - front       With the exception of the song title, the cover photo was identical to the release for “In God’s Country”—a black-&-white photo of Bono surrounded by black borders & gold accents. The single included the album version of “One Tree Hill,” as well as the album versions of “Bullet the Blue Sky” & “Running to Stand Still”—the same B-sides issued with “In God’s Country.”

The Single-back cover included the added text “To the Memory of Greg Carroll 1960-1986”.

Charts-peaked at:        UK #    US:  #        Canada:  #        #1 in NZ

Lyrics:
We turn away to face the cold, enduring chill
As the day begs the night for mercy love
The sun so bright it leaves no shadows
Only scars carved into stone
On the face of earth
The moon is up and over One Tree Hill
We see the sun go down in your eyes

You run like river, oh like a sea
You run like a river runs to the sea

And in the world a heart of darkness
A fire zone
Where poets speak their heart
Then bleed for it
Jara sang, his song a weapon    (reference to Victor Jara, the folk singer from Chile in Vulture's writeup)
In the hands of love                      ("hands of love" are also referenced in TJT song "Exit")
Though his blood still cries
From the ground
(NOTE:   Victor Jara was taken & tortured where his hands were cut off, & then, his military tormenters threw a guitar at him & told Jara to play it. He picked up the guitar & used it as a drum w his bleeding arms.... He was shot after that)

It runs like a river runs to the sea
It runs like a river to the sea

I don’t believe in painted roses, Or bleeding hearts
While bullets rape the night of the merciful
I’ll see you again
When the stars fall from the sky
And the moon has turned red
Over One Tree Hill

We run like a river, Run to the sea
We run like a river to the sea
And when it’s raining, Raining hard
That’s when the rain will, 
Break my heart

Raining, raining in the heart
Raining in your heart
Raining, raining to your…
Raining, raining, raining
Raining to your…
Raining, woo hoo
To the sea

Oh great ocean, Oh great sea
Run to the ocean, Run to the sea

Video:   No video was filmed for OTH at the time of release. However, a local television station, TVNZ, did compile some footage of U2 w Greg Carroll & combined it w scenic footage from NZ, incl shots of One Tree Hill. As this wasn’t an official video commissioned by the band, it has never been commercially released.   Here it is

On the video compilation The Best of 1980-1990 there was a video included for “One Tree Hill,” however. It's the black-&-white footage shot by Phil Joanou for the movie R&H that did not make the final cut of the film. The footage was shot during U2’s performance at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on December 19, 1987. (use JML's link)

Live Versions / Remixes:
One Tree Hill (Studio version Remastered 2007) 5:22
Live 360 Tour - Auckland, NZ - Nov 26, 2010 OTH was 1 of the songs included on the fan club 2CD live album called U22.
U2.com fan club members voted for songs from the U2360° Tour, out of a possible 46 recorded & 22 made the final cut .   (I like this live version the best.....slightly different guitar key?)
One Tree Hill (St Francis Hotel Remix) 4:17
OTH - Live on TJT 2017 Anniv Tour
OTH Reprise (Brian Eno 2017 Mix) 2:10  1st appeared on the TJT 30th Anniversary Edition, in 2017.

When Rolling Stone ranked their Top50 U2 songs:  n/a, wasn't ranked

Been played live115 times…...~20x on 1987 JT tour…..every night of 2017/2019 JT tours

 

[Nemesis]

Ok, now that I've done the background on OTH & listened to it multiple times with a new context
.........I'm starting to get it why some people have a strong connection with this song & love it.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

One Tree Hill would have been my #1.

You could replace the vocals with somebody reading the phone book and it would probably still be my #1.

Whenever it comes up in the car, it is always an instant repeat.

The way it builds its way up while sort of just ambling along tempo-wise just hits all the right buttons for me. 

Your comments plus the Vulture write up are perfect.  I had it at #3 on my list.   It was top-10 for me basically from the first time I ever heard it — without knowing the back story of the song.  It’s my favorite song from TJT, although during this process another song has moved up my rankings very close to this.

The vocal on One Tree Hill still makes me tear up on occasion.

When he sings: "I'll see you again, when the stars fall from the sky, and the moon has turned red over One Tree Hill".

Yeah, that. I'll take that. 

And the primal screaming during the "raining to your heart" bit after that last verse.  Guts me.

Great to see the love for this beautiful track. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Let’s do your experiment!  Original song is 123 bpm. Here are adjusted versions (at 90%, 95%, 105% and 110% of the original bpm).

111 bpm

117 bpm

129 bpm

135 bpm

How do the adjusted bpms impact your view of the song?  Better, worse, same?

note:  to listen to the files you may need to click “download” and then “view”

123…117……135..111……..Bullet the Blue Sky……………………………129

That was kinda fun. I was surprised that this didn’t follow a “curve” and that I really really didn’t like it at 129 but was pretty OK with it at 135. Guess it is kind of like setting the treadmill just a little too fast to walk but not fast enough to jog.

I’m not a big “moved by lyrics” guy, but 129 and 135 are probably too brisk to be funereal, and 111 veers into trying and failing to stay awake during a bad Zoom conference.

I think 117 loses just a bit of polish from the original. Sort of like a really good college ensemble covering something someone like the Tonight Show Band just effortless owns, but still pretty darn good.

Final Takeaway: if you swapped the original coda with either of the faster versions, it would be #1 and not just #1.

Super fascinating analysis, particularly the bolded. And I totally get the treadmill analogy. 

Fascinating stuff guys. Going into territory i woulda never though of

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

This song would be in my top 5 for U2.  It's big sounding and threatrical, with some strings and sleaze thrown in. It rocks. 

Nice to see some catchup.

Its also great to see U2 without the stick up their butt and having a bit of fun. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

In March 1988, a final single, “One Tree Hill,” would be released—but only in Australia & NZ. It was issued by Island Records’ associated label for that region, Festival.  Both countries saw the single in 7-inch format, w NZ getting a cassette version as well. 

The song debuted on the NZ charts at #4 & then spent 6 wks at #1. (it was U2's 1st #1 single there)

I said this in my write up, but it kinda annoys me when it says it was released in Australia. It charted lowly from people in Australia purely on NZ imports...like me. I rang 50 stores and none had it

Ok, now that I've done the background on OTH & listened to it multiple times with a new context
.........I'm starting to get it why some people have a strong connection with this song & love it.

Yeah I think it would sound even better with a new context. I always knew the original context, so wish I had what you had. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#17 - So Cruel (1991)

Highest Rank - 11

Lowest Rank - 49

Where to Find it - Achtung Baby LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -112/218 - Our hero has lost his campaign to win back his sweetheart, and now he is left to face his desolation. It’s time to descend into bitterness: “I gave you everything you ever wanted / It wasn’t what you wanted.” The theme of betrayal loomed large over Achtung Baby with the end of the Edge’s marriage, the alienation of Berlin in the winter, and the band uncertain this wasn’t going to be the end of U2. “Between the horses of love and lust / We are trampled underfoot,” Bono sings. The question, then, is whether you get up from the ground or surrender.

Comment - Excellent look at the intracaies of relationships. Wrapped in a sweet melody. Not sure what Vultures deal is with this one, but none of us are close to their ranking. 

Next up, and yet another Achtung Baby comes off the board. After the one tomorrow there will only be 2 left. Meanwhile the Joshua Tree will have four tracks left by the time the second last one from Achtung Baby goes. 4 v 1, which album has the last say? Maybe it won’t be from either Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby or maybe it will? One album will have two tracks in the top 5. Can’t be Achtung Baby after this reveal. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#17 - So Cruel (1991)

Highest Rank - 11

Lowest Rank - 49

Where to Find it - Achtung Baby LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -112/218 - Our hero has lost his campaign to win back his sweetheart, and now he is left to face his desolation. It’s time to descend into bitterness: “I gave you everything you ever wanted / It wasn’t what you wanted.” The theme of betrayal loomed large over Achtung Baby with the end of the Edge’s marriage, the alienation of Berlin in the winter, and the band uncertain this wasn’t going to be the end of U2. “Between the horses of love and lust / We are trampled underfoot,” Bono sings. The question, then, is whether you get up from the ground or surrender.

Comment - Excellent look at the intracaies of relationships. Wrapped in a sweet melody. Not sure what Vultures deal is with this one, but none of us are close to their ranking. 

Next up, and yet another Achtung Baby comes off the board. After the one tomorrow there will only be 2 left. Meanwhile the Joshua Tree will have four tracks left by the time the second last one from Achtung Baby goes. 4 v 1, which album has the last say? Maybe it won’t be from either Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby or maybe it will? One album will have two tracks in the top 5. Can’t be Achtung Baby after this reveal. 

I know a few people in the “I love Achtung Baby except for So Cruel” camp. Probably because it doesn’t really fit in with the rest of the album sonically.

I like it better than that, especially for Bono’s vocal, but I don’t know that it would make my top 50.

 

[Acrobat7]

(Unsurprisingly) There is still one of their „big“ songs left that I always found bland or boring. I know 4 voters aren’t even a party, but it seems my taste in regard to this particular song really differs.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Big fan of So Cruel.  Would probably be in the 20s for me, but I am good with it here.  I am hard pressed to think of another U2 song centered around just piano, drums and strings. 

 

[Anarchy99]

Call me Scrooge. I had So Cruel at 49. It's a decent song, but I think it gets a bounce from being on AB. If they held onto it until one of the Songs albums (where it probably would have been a better fit), I think there's a good chance it would have gotten lost in terms of the history of the band and may not have ranked in the Top 100. I don't think it's better than multiple songs on the AB album . . . and I am starting to think some of those songs are probably ranked too high.

Since I no longer listen to albums any more and only listen to songs in folders, I definitely have lost some attachment to So Cruel. I grew accustomed to it being the close out song on the AB album (or the lead-in track to The Fly on the CD).

I know people will disagree, but it's impossible to have any idea given that we are all programmed the way things actually happened and it would be nearly impossible to separate it from the AB album. Vulture probably has it ranked too low . . . but I think they are probably on to something with their ranking.

Maybe part of it is the bookends of my relationship with my Love Is Blindness relationship. My marriage didn't last long, and So Cruel was the anti-love song to pair opposite of LIB. Edge also split with his wife at the time the song was developed, so that likely had an influence on the song.

I can say I was able to attend one of the 3 shows where they played the song live. Wish I could say I would treasure the moment, but no one at the show was aware that it was such a rare occurrence. I just assumed they played it all the time. Pre-Internet, it was hard to keep track of stuff like that.

 

[Nemesis]

I said this in my write up, but it kinda annoys me when it says it was released in Australia. It charted lowly from people in Australia purely on NZ imports...like me. I rang 50 stores and none had it

I read your comments and I kina anticipated that I might get a response from you (no worries as I'm sure it was frustrating back in the day to search high and low for that single & come up empty.)

But here is more info on the single release in Aus and NZ.
https://www.u2songs.com/discography/u2_one_tree_hill_single

Scroll down near the bottom and it list some specific Catalog #'s.........so SOMEONE had to have it to supply this info. 

Media Type: All | 7-Inch Vinyl | 12-Inch Vinyl | Cassette | 3-Inch CD | 5-Inch CD | Digital | Other
7-Inch: Australia, K338
Country: Australia Media Type: 7-Inch
Catalog Number Exterior: K338 Catalog Number Interior: K-338 MX-69453 Packaging: Picture Sleeve
Record Label: Island / Festival UPC: None
Other Notes:      Black vinyl. Released in generic sleeve. The vinyl itself is the same as that in the release above. Released in generic sleeves when copies of the picture sleeve were exhausted.

With that said, I read somewhere that 10,000 copies were released in NZ.........(EDIT:  It was Wikipedia).  I'm not an expert on the population of NZ so I can't tell if that magnitude is more or less than a normal release.
Maybe only 10,000 copies were released in Australia too and that caused the scarcity there?........but I really don't know.

Question:   Do you still have the One Tree Hill single?
It's worth a lot of money.......Here is an example where someone sold it for £500 GBP in OCT 2018. (~$678 USD)
But this website lists more for sale, all under $100 USD 

 

[Nemesis]

@John Maddens Lunchbox  if you still have the single can you check it to see if it's really the AUS or NZ version?

The main differences between the Australian / New Zealand sleeves are:
Front cover of sleeve: The swipe bar above "U2" Aus release is gold,   NZ release is it white

Rear cover of sleeve: 
   Catalogue # (upper right-hand corner) Aus reads K-338,                      NZ release it reads 878302-7
·  Distributor (bottom right corner)           Aus shows Festival Records, NZ release is shows Polygram
·  Island logo (bottom right corner)          Aus is the "i" palm,                   NZ release it's the palm tree circle
·  On the middle marketing info on the bottom:   NZ release it should read “Marketed in Australasia by Polygram Records Pty Ltd under exclusive license. Made in New Zealand”
·  This release is often incorrectly described as being NZ only when it was released in both NZ & Aus in March 1988

·         There was more than 1 pressing of the single as later pressings came in a plain Island sleeve after the picture sleeve prints were exhausted. It is possible that the 1st pressing was identical in both countries, but as the demand was greater in NZ, where it went to No.1, the unique sleeve was used.

 

[zoonation]

I love this song.  But this too high on the list for me.  

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I can say I was able to attend one of the 3 shows where they played the song live. Wish I could say I would treasure the moment, but no one at the show was aware that it was such a rare occurrence. I just assumed they played it all the time. Pre-Internet, it was hard to keep track of stuff like that.

Among the earliest internet content was Grateful Dead and Phish set lists. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

@John Maddens Lunchbox  if you still have the single can you check it to see if it's really the AUS or NZ version?

The main differences between the Australian / New Zealand sleeves are:
Front cover of sleeve: The swipe bar above "U2" Aus release is gold,   NZ release is it white

Rear cover of sleeve: 
   Catalogue # (upper right-hand corner) Aus reads K-338,                      NZ release it reads 878302-7
·  Distributor (bottom right corner)           Aus shows Festival Records, NZ release is shows Polygram
·  Island logo (bottom right corner)          Aus is the "i" palm,                   NZ release it's the palm tree circle
·  On the middle marketing info on the bottom:   NZ release it should read “Marketed in Australasia by Polygram Records Pty Ltd under exclusive license. Made in New Zealand”
·  This release is often incorrectly described as being NZ only when it was released in both NZ & Aus in March 1988

·         There was more than 1 pressing of the single as later pressings came in a plain Island sleeve after the picture sleeve prints were exhausted. It is possible that the 1st pressing was identical in both countries, but as the demand was greater in NZ, where it went to No.1, the unique sleeve was used.

Thanks for the info. Mine had K338, which was the official Australia release. My copy was imported from New Zealand. 

This song didn’t even make the top 100 in Australia. 

I know it wasn’t available, cause I rang 50 shops. My guess is all Australian pressings went to New Zealand where demand was high. 6 weeks at number one over there and only 10000 sold. Doesnt compute. 

When I sold my copy, I was asked multiple times whether it was the NZ pressing or the Aus one. A couple said they just cant find the NZ one anywhere. If 10000 is now a rarity, how many Australian copies were there? Australia is about 8-9 times the size of NZ. Yet it didn’t even crack the top 100. Assuming a 25000 print, which is conservative. Not available anywhere, didnt chart when less than 1000 sales in aus made the top 100. 

I’m pretty confident that they all went to NZ. The store that got it for me, Metropolis records in Sydney, only ever got imports. They were close to a normal mega record store and I spoke to the owner who said no point getting aus releases. He was an import store. 

It was possible that people bought it in australian record stores, but the 50 i phoned, didnt have it. 

If we look at In Gods Country. It reached #48 in the UK charts, despite not being released there. All imported from the US/Canada.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

(Unsurprisingly) There is still one of their „big“ songs left that I always found bland or boring. I know 4 voters aren’t even a party, but it seems my taste in regard to this particular song really differs.

We will see it in the next 16 so I am curious.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

With the Achtung Baby reveal, we will have three albums that have two tracks in the top 10. Only one album has two tracks in the top 5

Which one is it?

a) War

b) The Unforgettable Fire

c) The Joshua Tree

 

[bigbottom]

With the Achtung Baby reveal, we will have three albums that have two tracks in the top 10. Only one album has two tracks in the top 5

Which one is it?

a) War

b) The Unforgettable Fire

c) The Joshua Tree

For me, it would be War. For this group?  I’ll gamble and still go with War. 

 

[Nemesis]

#17 - So Cruel (1991)   Highest- 11     Lowest- 49    Achtung Baby LP
V-112/218 - Our hero has lost his campaign to win back his sweetheart, now left to face his desolation. Time to descend into bitterness: “I gave you everything you ever wanted / It wasn’t what you wanted.” Theme of betrayal loomed large over AB w the end of Edge’s marriage, alienation of Berlin in the winter, & band uncertain this wasn’t going to be the end of U2. “Betw the horses of love & lust / We are trampled underfoot”. The question, then, is whether you get up from the ground or surrender.

Comment - Excellent look at the intracaies of relationships. Wrapped in a sweet melody. Not sure what Vultures deal is with this 1, but none of us are close to their ranking. 

Songfact: 
Not all songs need to be of a happy kind of love.   So Cruel's lyrics tell of a person in love w a person that is breaking their heart w their thoughtless ways.   As you listen to the singer's lament, you can't help but feel some sorrow for them.

As most know, Edge was separated from his wife, Aislinn O'Sullivan during the recording sessions for AB. The separation had a major effect on the development of the song (& the band), as Bono channelled their pain into the lyrics.

Thematically the song is about unrequited love, jealousy, obsession, & possessiveness.  Bono:  "People are desperately trying to hold onto each other in a time when that's very difficult. Looking around, you see how unprepared for it all people are, & the deals they make."

Musically, the song rests mainly on Larry's heavy drums & a hopeless, dire sounding piano motif.....with some strings entering the mix later on.  Compared to other songs on AB like EBTTRT or M.Ways.....So Cruel is relatively simple, & that simplicity produces the song's resonance & power where someone has finally lost faith in their love & given up hope of salvaging it. 

Recording:  It was developed as an acoustic track, w Flood adding overdubs & add'l elements later. Adam & Flood noted that the technology in the studio was crucial in transforming the acoustic song into the final mix.

"So Cruel" was developed by lead singer Bono. Following the recording sessions at Hansa Studios in West Berlin in 1990, U2 resumed in Feb 1991 at the seaside manor Elsinore in Dalkey, renting the house for £10,000 per month. Producer Daniel Lanois' strategy was to record in houses, mansions, or castles, as he believed it brought atmosphere to the recordings. During the recording at Elsinore, while working on another song, audio engineer Flood changed the reel to listen to an earlier take. Bono picked up a guitar & began to sing. The rest of the band quickly joined in, creating the 1rst take of the song.

Flood said, "All of a sudden, almost in the time it had taken for me to wind off the reel & wind the next reel on, it was quite obvious that there was a song about to pop out, & if I wasn't suddenly taking the reel off & getting a new piece of tape on, & changing from monitoring a backing track downstairs to everybody's in the control room wanting to record now, it would never have happened."

The song was developed acoustically, w Edge playing an acoustic guitar, bassist Adam Clayton playing an acoustic bass, & Larry using a bodhran.  Adam:   "Flood did a couple of treatments to the track that utterly transformed it." He keyed Clayton's bass w the bodhrán, which "gave it a much more bubbly, off-beat feel". This was followed by some overdubbing & the laying down of a full drum track. Flood said, "I think the way we shifted around the rhythm was very important... The bass is played, but in the studio we doctored it to change the emphasis of where the bass line lay. That turned it into something that had a more unique feel about it, meshed against the song." Duchess Nell Catchpole was brought in to play violin & viola for the song. The strings were arranged by Edge & producer Brian Eno. Clayton explained that while the original acoustic version "wasn't something 1 could imagine being on the record", it "was lifted up by studio trickery." Flood believes that the use of technology was crucial in making the final mix.

Release:  n/a
Charts:    n/a
Lyrics:   I'm going to create another post that compares the FINAL Studio version vs the Early BABY version.
But the lyrics to So Cruel probably rank among the best Bono has ever written....at least they are the most cutting & pained lyrics in his repertoire. 

The tone of the song can be summed up in the 1st verse:   
                         "We're cut adrift, But still floating"
                          I'm only hanging on to watch you go down......my love"
Saying that you're just sticking around to see your former lover get what you believe is coming to them is savage.....but then adding those last 2 words......the sarcastic "my love" just twists the knife that much further & demonstrates that the both the singer & his lover possess the capacity for cruelty.

The same backhanded comment could be said when Bono uses the lyric: "Oh sweetheart.....you're so cruel"

Some other great lines are:
   "You put your lips to her lips....To stop the lie"  
  "She wears my love like a see-through dress / Her lips say one thing / Her movements something else"
   "Head in heaven, fingers in the mire"
   "To stay with you, i'd be a fool...."

Can you imagine the heartfelt conversations Edge had w Bono concerning his ordeal? They had to have exchanged quite a few words for Bono to have come up with the lyrics of this song.

Live Versions / Remixes:
So Cruel - EARLY Baby Version this version was later released on the 20th anniversary reissue of AB.
From the Sky Down - 5:28  Acoustic performance by Bono taken from the From The Sky Down, a 2011 documentary film about the making of U2's AB by Davis Guggenheim.    <--- If you haven't heard this version, THIS IS THE ONE TO CHECK OUT
From the Sky Down - short version 2:42

When Rolling Stone ranked their Top50 U2 songs:    n/a  (note All 4 of our FBG ranker have it Top50....while both Vulture & RS don't)

Been played live       ONLY 4 TIMES…...and all were during the 1992 ZooTV tour
     1992-05-22 - Milan, Italy - Forum Di Assago   (only a snippet at the end of "Bad" at the 1:55 mark)
     1992-08-22 - Foxborough, Mass - Foxboro Stadium - ACOUSTIC   (audio only)
     1992-09-09 - Pontiac, Michigan - Pontiac Silverdome
     1992-09-15 - Tinley Park, Illinois - World Music Ampitheater

BONUS:   On August 6, 1992, 1 day before the 3rd leg of the ZooTV tour,  U2 practiced "So Cruel" without an audience during the  Live soundcheck rehearsal from Hershey Park Zoo TV tour Aug 6 1992 (<--this is a bootleg recording so it isn't great quality)
Soundchecked:   Ultra Violet twice, So Cruel (Bono acoustic) twice, So Cruel (full band electric), She's A Mystery To Me (Bono acoustic), So Cruel (full band), So Cruel thrice (stripped down versions), The Fly, Can't Help Falling In Love, Angel Of Harlem, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, When Love Comes To Town, Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World, Until The End Of The World, New Year's Day, Edge works on intro of Zoo Station, three takes of Acrobat (Bono acoustic) seguing into Zoo Station's intro.    

 

[Nemesis]

As we know, the lyrics seem to come from a very personal viewpoint.
So, take a look at how the lyrics from the final version were changed vs the early Baby version:

(1) I don't know what the SEVEN means....couldn't find anything on it
(2) note the change from disappeared IN me.....--> to   disappeared FROM me
(3) the baby line "What you can't find in anyone else, You won't find in me"   I love the final lyrics of "I gave you everything you ever wanted, It wasn't what you wanted" .......but I wish they would have found a place for the baby lyric
(4)  "Heard you made a breakthru w your best friend  /  Said he'd love you Til the party's end"
      "I'm so happy, I could nearly attend /  But I'm busy...Nothing's changed"
.....these lyrics seem very specific here.   By the sound of this, it is HER that cheated while HE (Edge) is always busy/away.   
(5) "Ride while there's still ink"...????...............glad these Baby lyrics didn't make it into the final version

FINAL Studio version                                        EARLY BABY version
We crossed the line                                           We crossed the line
Who pushed who over                                       Who pushed who over       
It doesn’t matter to you                                     It doesn’t matter to you
It matters to me                                                  I know it matters to me

We’re cut adrift                                                   We’re cut adrift
But still floating                                                  Still floating
I’m only hanging on                                           I know there’s seven     (1)
To watch you go down                                     Leaving sides on your floor
My love                                                                But I need some more

I disappeared in you                                           I disappeared in you
You disappeared FROM me                                You disappeared IN me    (2)
I gave you everything you ever wanted           What you can’t find in anyone else  
It wasn’t what you wanted                                You won’t find in me     (3)

The men who love you, you hate the most     Heard you made a breakthrough with your best friend (4)
They pass right through you like a ghost        Said he’d love you 'Til the party's end
They look for you but your spirit is in the air   I’m so happy,  I could nearly attend
Baby, you’re nowhere                                          But I’m busy,  Nothing’s changed
Oh, love… you say in love there are no rules    Oh-ha-ah-mm love...To turn from you I’d be a fool
Oh, love… sweetheart…                                       Oh-ah-ah-ha-ha…sweetheart
You’re so cruel                                                     You’re so cruel

Desperation is a tender trap                             Your heart is racing and I can’t keep up
It gets you every time                                        The night is bleeding like a cut
You put your lips to her lips                              Between the horses of love and lust
To stop the lie                                                     We are trampled

Her skin is pale like God’s only dove               Ride while there’s still ink,  Left in the night     (5)
Screams like an angel for your love                Ride ‘til the morning bleeds, Brand new light
Then she makes you watch her from above  Well there’s summer love, in your hand
And you need her like a drug                             And a brand in your head
Oh, love… you say in love there are no rules   Oh-ah-ah-hoo-ha….Oh love and amber
Oh, love… sweetheart…                                       Oh-ah-ah-ha-ha..… I know
You’re so cruel                                                     Oh, you’re so cruel

She wears my love like a see-through dress   This is you’re the woman’s game
Her lips say one thing                                         Where the woman says her part
Her movements something else                       And the feeling that spreads
Oh love… like a screaming flower                     Oh love, love, love, love, love, love
Love… dying every hour… love

You don’t know if it’s fear or desire                 The ones who love you, you hate the most
Danger the drug that takes you higher           Your spirit leaves behind a ghost
Head in heaven, fingers in the mire                 They can’t have you, ‘Cause you’re not there

Her heart is racing, you can’t keep up             Your heart is racing and I can’t keep up
The night is bleeding like a cut                        The night is bleeding like a cut
Between the horses of love and lust               Between the horses of love and lust
We are trampled… underfoot                            We are trampled…underfoot
Oh, love… you say in love there are no rules   Oh-ha-ah-mm love….You say in love there are no rules
Oh, love… sweetheart…                                      Oh-ha-ah-mm love….Sweetheart
You’re so cruel                                                    You’re so cruel

Oh, love… to stay with you I’d be a fool           Oh-ha-ah-mm love...To stay with you I’d be a fool
Oh… sweetheart… you’re so cruel                    Oh-oh-oh-ha-ha…sweetheart….You're so cruel

 

[Alex P Keaton]

With the Achtung Baby reveal, we will have three albums that have two tracks in the top 10. Only one album has two tracks in the top 5

Which one is it?

a) War

b) The Unforgettable Fire

c) The Joshua Tree

I’m going with War because it would be my 3rd choice.  Personally, I would have had 2 from War, 1 from TUF and 3 from TJT in my top-10.  (Along with 1 from Boy, 1 from R&H, 1 from AB, 1 from ATYCLB)

edit to add:  I’ve almost finished my final revisions to my own personal rankings, which might move a few of those around

 

[Nemesis]

My Top10 looks like this:
1 Boy.......1 War.......2 TUF.....3 TJT.....1 R&H......1 AB......1 HTDAAB

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

For me, it would be War. For this group?  I’ll gamble and still go with War. 

I’m going with War because it would be my 3rd choice.  Personally, I would have had 2 from War, 1 from TUF and 3 from TJT in my top-10.  (Along with 1 from Boy, 1 from R&H, 1 from AB, 1 from ATYCLB)

edit to add:  I’ve almost finished my final revisions to my own personal rankings, which might move a few of those around

My Top10 looks like this:
1 Boy.......1 War.......2 TUF.....3 TJT.....1 R&H......1 AB......1 HTDAAB

One of the 3 albums with two tracks in the top 10, has none in the top 5. 

 

[Alex P Keaton]

One of the 3 albums with two tracks in the top 10, has none in the top 5. 

One of my top-10 songs from War got knocked out long long ago

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

One of my top-10 songs from War got knocked out long long ago

Shouldve Surrendered.