Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
It's nice. Not something that blows me away or demands I listen to it repeatedly, but it does what it does very well. I'm probably closer to 62 than 22 on this, but maybe not by much.
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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 (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter John Maddens Lunchbox
- Start date
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Grace Under Pressure
Footballguy
Walk On is a good song and I think it contributed quite a bit to the feeling of "U2 is back!" that All That You Can't Leave Behind brought to U2 fans, at least to me and those in my circle who enjoy U2. The song was also an important staple of their tour, obviously.
Overall I would call it a good song, important to telling the story of the band at the time, but is it elite? I mean, I'm the guy who was ready to storm the castle when Surrender was revealed (prematurely IMO) so what do I know?
Overall I would call it a good song, important to telling the story of the band at the time, but is it elite? I mean, I'm the guy who was ready to storm the castle when Surrender was revealed (prematurely IMO) so what do I know?
Anarchy99
Footballguy
I had Walk On at 42. I don't see a reason for it to be anywhere near Top 20 status, but hey, I just work here for a really low rate of pay. Talk to upper management.
After basically 4+ months of listening to U2, I do agree with whomever posted that some TJT and AB songs likely got a boost in the ratings just for being on those albums. I mentioned that earlier as well. My rankings fell that way as well. I have 8 AB songs in my Top 25. Of the top, that seems excessive. I had 4 TJT songs in that range.
As for the Kite vs. Walk On turf wars, IMO, Walk On is a significantly more enjoyable and easier to listen to song. That would explain why I have Kite at 99 and Walk On at 42. To me, Kite seems clunky and hard to listen to . . . it's not smooth. Walk On seems much less choppy and is a decent driving / jogging / being outside / play it in the background song and a more memorable chorus.
If that makes it more popular because people don't dislike it, so be it. But IMO with 100 rankers, that same effect would likely continue, and it would still rank pretty highly, while Kite would ultimately still be ranked lower.
After basically 4+ months of listening to U2, I do agree with whomever posted that some TJT and AB songs likely got a boost in the ratings just for being on those albums. I mentioned that earlier as well. My rankings fell that way as well. I have 8 AB songs in my Top 25. Of the top, that seems excessive. I had 4 TJT songs in that range.
As for the Kite vs. Walk On turf wars, IMO, Walk On is a significantly more enjoyable and easier to listen to song. That would explain why I have Kite at 99 and Walk On at 42. To me, Kite seems clunky and hard to listen to . . . it's not smooth. Walk On seems much less choppy and is a decent driving / jogging / being outside / play it in the background song and a more memorable chorus.
If that makes it more popular because people don't dislike it, so be it. But IMO with 100 rankers, that same effect would likely continue, and it would still rank pretty highly, while Kite would ultimately still be ranked lower.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
Interesting take. I much prefer the variance. Walk on is basically “yeah it’s nice and all”. Kite had a #2 ranking and another one that was above 3 of the 4 Walk On rankings.
I much prefer to see why someone ranks a track so high that it doesnt seem to make sense...like Playboy Mansion at #20....i said that song and Miami was the worst 2 song stretch on any U2 album and I stand by that. Still i went out and listened to Playboy Mansion 5 more times to see if I was missing something. I wasn’t
Elvis Presley and America got a #10.....still don’t see it.
Then again The Little Things that give you away got a #26.....i totally get thar track now and would rank it maybe 150 slots higher than I did.
Songs like Walk On, Discoteque, Whos gonna ride your wild horses, stuck in a moment etc that land high cause no one hates them are boring. Give me the ones like Two Hearts Beat as one where people LOVE them. Its like trying to solve a puzzle.
Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfact:John Maddens Lunchbox said:
In 1989, during a pro-democracy protest walk against the Burmese government, Aung San Suu Kyi & some of her supporters were blocked by soldiers, who pointed rifles at them. Suu Kyi kept walking, despite orders to stop. The soldiers threatened to shoot her, but didn't. For that act, she became a political prisoner who was sentenced to house arrest & her actions were closely monitored by the government. Despite that, she remained an influential leader & won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. Her house arrest ended in 2010 & she was released.
Bono got the idea for the song when he saw the 1995 movie Beyond Rangoon, which was about Aung San Suu Kyi. At 1st, he tried writing from the perspective of Suu Kyi's husband & son, imagining them living with the pain of not knowing how she was. Feeling that it seemed presumptuous, Bono changed the lyrics to be more abstract & about the strength it takes to make a great sacrifice for a just cause or somebody having to leave a relationship for all the right reasons.
Bono: “It is a mantra, really, a bonfire of the vanities. Whatever it is you want more than love, it has to go.”
"It's a song about personal sacrifice.....about doing what's right, even if your heart is telling you otherwise... Love, in the highest sense of the word, is the only thing that you can always take w you, in your heart. At some point you are going to have to lose everything else anyway." Accordingly, "Walk On" concludes w lyrics describing a "litany of ambitions & achievements" that are expendable.........."You've got to leave it behind / All that you fashion / All that you make / All that you build / All that you break".
The album ATYCLB was banned in Myanmar (Burma became Myanmar in 1989) because of this song. Anyone who attempted to import the album to Burma could face a prison sentence lasting between 3 & 20 yrs. U2 had a page on their website about the situation in Burma, where citizens were often killed or forced into labor.
In 2000, U2 & Kyi were both awarded the Honorary Freedom of Dublin. The band met Kyi's son, who accepted the award, & became interested in her work.
In 2001, U2 played this as the last song on their Elevation Tour setlists. Following 911, the song took on further renewed meaning as a cry by Americans to remain strong & united as a nation. A telethon called "Tribute To Heroes" was organized to benefit the victims. There was a great deal of international support for America at this time, & U2 helped out w a live performance of Peace On Earth & Walk On from London, where it was 1 a.m. when they played. Tribute to Heroes version
(Dave Stewart from Eurythmics joined on guitar & Natalie Imbruglia added vocals).
MTV also made its own tribute video showing news clips from the attacks & the aftermath set to this song.
In 2009, Aung San Suu Kyi was named the winner of the Amnesty Int'l - Ambassador of Conscience Award.
In 2012, The Electric Burma concert was held in Dublin, where Bono attended & formally presented her with the Award. Bono also performed 2 songs w Damien Rice - Acoustic Walk On & One this version is interesting
In 2015, Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won a majority in historic elections in Myanmar. She took the position of state counselor & assumed a leadership role in the country.
In 2017, the military drove out hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims in what the United Nations termed "ethnic cleansing." Aung San Suu Kyi came under fire for her role & silence in the atrocity, w those who championed her aghast.
Bono has stated that he has been "nauseated" by Suu Kyi's stance on the issue, & the band issued a release condemning her actions, & following performances of "Walk On" have instead dedicated the song to Rohingya Muslims
Bono: "Maybe she was always a politician. She was not a saint. She was not some sort of savior. Maybe we were always wrong, & we just have to accept we were wrong. Or maybe something terrible has happened to her that we just don't know."
Recording: During the recording sessions, they decided to split it into 2 separate songs: "Walk On" & "Home". Producers Brian Eno & Daniel Lanois advised the group that the mix of "Walk On" "was not 1 to chase", but Bono insisted they continue working on it. Towards the end of the album's recording sessions, Steve Lillywhite was hired to make some final touches to the songs. After he completed "Beautiful Day", the band played him "Walk On" & "Home". Lillywhite told them that "Walk On" had a "fantastic chorus" & "Home" a "great verse"; the band subsequently informed him that they used to be the same song. Ultimately, under Lillywhite's guidance, the separate songs were fused back together.
Adam Clayton: "Each had great chord progressions but were not great individual songs". Lanois preferred a different version of the song w a more low-key beginning, saying: "When it gets to that stage of making a record, people are looking for songs that the record company can proudly go to radio with. And the ultimate version comes along w a bang, you know. Edge sounds amazing & it holds so much promise in its 1st 30 seconds that it's hard to say no to. But the version that I preferred did not have such a slam-bam beginning. So that 1 got welded & bolted together."
Release: Walk On was released twice. In Feb 2001, “Walk On” was promotionally released to North America only as the 2nd single from ATYCLB (in the US, it was not released commercially as promo copies were only sent to radio). Interscope Records timed this release to coincide w U2's appearance on the Grammy Awards (for which they won for Beautiful Day). Throughout the rest of the world, “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” was the 2nd single & “Walk On” was released to the rest of the world as the last single from the album in late 2001.
Charts-peaked at: UK #5 US: #n/a Canada: #1 IRE:#7
This won the Grammy for 2001 Record of the Year. U2 performed the song to open the show Link, & won the 1st award given out when "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" won Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group w Vocal.
For the 1st time in the history of the Grammy Awards, songs from the same album won Record of the Year in consecutive years. The 2000 award went to "Beautiful Day," which qualified because it was released earlier. Between the 2 yrs, music from ATYCLB won 7 Grammy Awards.
This was also the 1st Grammy winner for Record of the Year NOT TO CHART on the US Billboard Hot 100. (it did chart on Adult Top40, Alternative Songs)
Lyrics: A section from the song’s spoken-word intro gave U2 the title for the album: “And love is not the easy thing / The only baggage you can bring / Is all that you can’t leave behind.”
"You packing a suitcase for a place where none of us have been, a place that has to be believed to be seen" has a Biblical reference to it. (I saw a lot of U2 fans commenting that this was played at a friend's funeral or that they want it played at their funeral.)
Videos: The First Video for Walk On was directed by Liz Friedlander & released in Feb 2001 to promote the song in the USA & Canada. It was shot in London & featured footage of U2 performing in-studio & walking through the streets of London. This is intercut w shots of people running through the streets, being bullied, & then later escaping their situations & tearing at their clothing. It ends with an infinite view of people making up the inside of an eye as the camera pans out.
The second video (JML's link), directed by Jonas Akerlund (who also worked on "Beautiful Day."), was released in the fall of 2001 to promote the worldwide single release. It features footage shot in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, & includes U2 interacting w fans, walking through Rio, playing soccer on the beach, & standing on the balcony of the Copacabana Hotel. It is interspersed w footage from their performance at Globo Studios.
Live Versions / Remixes:
A remix by Nigel Goodrich was included on a 2002 album of U2 B-sides & alternate versions called U2 7.
U2- Walk on (Mike Hedges Hallelujah Remix 5:37) released Feb 2002 to coincide w the Grammy Awards ceremony.
During the 360 degree tour, U2 played this song at every concert & had supporters of Amnesty International come out on to the stage to show their support for Aung San Suu Kyi & U2's support for the people of Mynammar & their efforts to become a truly democratic society. 360 Tour - Anaheim June 18, 2011
Acoustic w Orchestral
Walk On - The Tonight Show w Jay Leno 2001
SEGA - version
The song was used in the closing scene on the 2002 Alias episode "The Passage: Part 1" as the Bristows walk off together after a shootout. It was also used on Roswell in the 2001 episode "The Departure."
When Rolling Stone ranked their Top50 U2 songs: 17
Been played live 250 times.......every night on the Elevation Tour (except once).....then only 11x on Vertigo Tour.
Returned to almost every 350 Tour stop..............But since 2012, it has only been played 2x
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
This does feel like overachieving for Walk On, but it's still a good song, just not a top 25 one. I will take it over the biggest hit from this album that is still to come.
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Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
zoonation
Footballguy
The zoo tv version of MW is unrivalled. Which is true for all the Achtung Baby songs save, perhaps, UTEOTW and the Elevation Tour version of the Fly (would still probably take the zoo tv version).
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
#20 - Acrobat (1990)
Highest Rank - 3
Lowest Rank - 112
Where to Find it - Achtung Baby LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -23/218 - If you thought things were going to lighten up, think again. “Acrobat” is either a postscript to the scene in “Ultraviolet,” or it’s a flashback to an earlier time: disappointment, betrayal, truthfulness, standing and looking into each other’s eyes and seeing the history of years. “Nothing makes sense,” Bono sings, while Edge plays an insane quasi-waltz that increases in intensity as the song progresses; Larry is playing in and out of the spaces Edge leaves, and Adam pipes in the support beams. The desperation in Bono’s voice becomes tighter and tighter, until he reaches the bridge and hoarsely whispers, “What are we going to do now, it’s all been said / No new ideas in the house and every book has been read” — before Edge launches a manic solo that feels like your heart does when it beats in torment.
“It never became a live favorite,” Edge said in 2006. “Maybe because I don’t think that is what people come to U2 for.” It’s more likely that it requires a descent to an emotional spectrum that no one in the band wants to revisit, which is fair enough. But if the internet is any marker, there are thousands of fans around the globe who would sell their grandmothers to hear this one live.
Comment - The stunning music here can’t disguise the bitterness in the lyrics and vocals. If it weren’t for the 112 ranking this is certain to push the top 10. As is, its about where 2 of us and Vulture had it anyway.
Next up, another track that everyone has in their top 50, but no one has higher than #26. And here it is at #19. Another of those Walk On type tracks that drops down lists the more of us there are ranking stuff.
Highest Rank - 3
Lowest Rank - 112
Where to Find it - Achtung Baby LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -23/218 - If you thought things were going to lighten up, think again. “Acrobat” is either a postscript to the scene in “Ultraviolet,” or it’s a flashback to an earlier time: disappointment, betrayal, truthfulness, standing and looking into each other’s eyes and seeing the history of years. “Nothing makes sense,” Bono sings, while Edge plays an insane quasi-waltz that increases in intensity as the song progresses; Larry is playing in and out of the spaces Edge leaves, and Adam pipes in the support beams. The desperation in Bono’s voice becomes tighter and tighter, until he reaches the bridge and hoarsely whispers, “What are we going to do now, it’s all been said / No new ideas in the house and every book has been read” — before Edge launches a manic solo that feels like your heart does when it beats in torment.
“It never became a live favorite,” Edge said in 2006. “Maybe because I don’t think that is what people come to U2 for.” It’s more likely that it requires a descent to an emotional spectrum that no one in the band wants to revisit, which is fair enough. But if the internet is any marker, there are thousands of fans around the globe who would sell their grandmothers to hear this one live.
Comment - The stunning music here can’t disguise the bitterness in the lyrics and vocals. If it weren’t for the 112 ranking this is certain to push the top 10. As is, its about where 2 of us and Vulture had it anyway.
Next up, another track that everyone has in their top 50, but no one has higher than #26. And here it is at #19. Another of those Walk On type tracks that drops down lists the more of us there are ranking stuff.
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
One of the main reasons I went to the U2 concert I did in 2018 was because I knew Acrobat was getting played that tour. Killer song, easily top 5 from Achtung Baby. At 20 on this countdown seems just about right.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
So very dramatic. This is another track from AB that completely shattered people’s expectations of what U2 should sound like. It’s not in my top 25 — but perhaps just because of strong competition.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
One of my favorite tracks from AB. Vulture’s write up is really good. Some of the lyrics are a little silly for me, specifically the chorus. Bono should have spent more time on that. Eg “don’t let the bastards grind you down” seems dumb to me. But that’s probably just me.
The rest of the song is, IMO, pretty amazing. Favorite lines:
No, nothing makes sense
Nothing seems to fit
I know you'd hit out
If you only knew who to hit
And I'd join the movement
If there was one I could believe in
Yeah I'd break bread and wine
If there was a church I could receive in
bigbottom
Footballguy
Huh, I don’t see this at all. It sounds very much like traditional U2 to me. In fact, I think it could have fit in quite well on TUF or TJT. Not trying to throw bombs here, but I really don’t get the love for Acrobat. In my opinion, the verses are terrible in terms of the vocal melody and Edge’s two chord strumming, and the chorus never really pulls it all together. I’ll admit that I don’t typically give much thought to the lyrics when I listen to music so it’s possible there’s real poetry there, but “don’t let the bastards get/grind you down” is super cliche. Ultimately, however, it’s the musical arrangement that I judge a song on and it is just really blah to me. Vive la différence!
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Grace Under Pressure
Footballguy
Pretty big Acrobat fan here, and a big fan of Achtung Baby in general. That said, this feels a little high for Acrobat. I think of it as a fan favorite, kind of a sleeper when it comes to the general awareness of the song outside of serious U2 fans, so I can see why it would rank this high among very knowledgeable fans like the crew that put together these rankings. I could see a casual U2 fan listing 20 U2 songs and asking "what's Acrobat again?"
I kind of like "don't let the bastards grind you down". I belt that line out on a typical listen.
I kind of like "don't let the bastards grind you down". I belt that line out on a typical listen.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
I am seeing a similar effect in my LZ rankings thread. The first bunch of people that submitted lists were big fans and knew their catalogue like the back of their hands. And I got lists with a bunch of deeper album tracks and some of the classics were either ranked lower or not ranked at all.Pretty big Acrobat fan here, and a big fan of Achtung Baby in general. That said, this feels a little high for Acrobat. I think of it as a fan favorite, kind of a sleeper when it comes to the general awareness of the song outside of serious U2 fans, so I can see why it would rank this high among very knowledgeable fans like the crew that put together these rankings. I could see a casual U2 fan listing 20 U2 songs and asking "what's Acrobat again?"
I kind of like "don't let the bastards grind you down". I belt that line out on a typical listen.
Then I got a bunch of lists from the more average / prototypical / FM radio listener and the lists started getting more chalk. Obviously, the more people that participate, the more likely the results will start to converge on the better-known songs. What makes this thread on U2 interesting is one of us with a dissenting opinion can really distort the results and final rankings. That's happened multiple times already. It makes for some added discussion and half-hearted mocking of the dissenter or the adorer (apparently many times me).
What you said about Acrobat is true among some of my friends that consider themselves U2 fans. If I mentioned to them a discussion on Acrobat, the first think they would ask is which song was it again and that they remember liking it . . . but they couldn't remember it distinctly. Then they say they loved The Unforgettable Fire (even though the song is from AB). That's pretty much the point when it comes to Acrobat. You have to search for it, because it's never been a radio staple, it hasn't been a live sing along song, and it's basically a deep album track. You could ask 100 casual fans to name 10 U2 songs and none of them will say Acrobat. You might ask 10 hardcore U2 fans to name 10 U2 songs and none would say Acrobat.
That doesn't change anything about the song at all. I still like what I would call the angry guitar and vibe of the song. I also am not one that gets as into the lyrics or the history of songs. I either like the music or I don't . . . and if I like the music then I'll look into the lyrics and the back story from there.
I had Acrobat as my #23 song . . . but 8th best from the AB album. If I had more time and listened to all 228 songs and made a more representative list and evaluation of the catalogue, I would have started to rank some of the AB songs lower. But I listened to them the most back in the day, so it was easy to rank them that high. AB should not have 8 Top 25 songs . . . but that's what I submitted.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
What's the implication? That casual fans may not be as aware of Acrobat vs. songs that were played for 30-40 years on the radio and are a lot more familiar to the average bear?
bigbottom
Footballguy
I’m just joking. It’s just that I’m the only one in the thread who stated that I didn’t care much for Acrobat, and it was followed by two posts indicating that Acrobat is a deep track beloved by hardcore fans but less so by people who only “consider themselves” U2 fans.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
My comments had nothing to do with anything you posted. I was only indicating that it's not a song that the casual fan would know well . . . much more to do with it being less recognizable to the general music fan, but nothing to do with whether they liked it or not. Feel free to like or not like whatever you want. Your opinion counts the same as anyone else's.
bigbottom
Footballguy
Grace Under Pressure
Footballguy
Ha, I can see that now.
Definitely unintended, and your response made me laugh. Ironically, a subtle portion of my post is that I wouldn't probably wouldn't have ranked Acrobat this high either, although I enjoy the song pretty well.
Another chance to give kudos to the rankers. A lot of work, providing a lot of discussion over the course of this. And making themselves vulnerable to speak up for songs they may have ranked low or high compared to average. A tag-along like myself is grateful for that.
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John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
Always welcome a dissenting opinion.....to me it’s the mood, the feel and general unexpected tone of the song that makes me ##### up my ears.
The bastards quote is interesting. Fish needs a bicycle gets lauded, but bastards is cliche? Maybe now, but 30 years ago?
Btw i cant remember what your favorite U2 album was? PleasesayPoppleasesayPop
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Fish needs a bicycle is my least favorite U2 line in the past 30-ish years. Ugh.
bigbottom
Footballguy
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfact:
Acrobat is 1 of the most personal on AB w Bono acknowledging personal weakness, contradictions, & inadequacy.
Bono: "it's a song about your own spleen, your own hypocrisy, your own ability to change shape & take on the colors of whatever environment you're in, like a chameleon. 'I must be an acrobat, to talk like this & act like that.'"
Bono: "as we moved from the 80s to the 90s, I stopped throwing rocks at the obvious symbols of power & the abuse of it. I started throwing rocks at my own hypocrisy..... 'Don't believe what you hear, don't believe what you see / If you just close your eyes / You can feel the enemy...... "the point is: you start to see the world in a different way, & you're part of the problem, not just part of the solution. You exact very high standards on people in the world but then you don't live them personally."
Edge: "In amongst the dark romance, 'Acrobat' has a bit of venom about it...It's in the bitter, John Lennon tradition of 'Working Class Hero,' slightly snarling & cynical."
This is dedicated to Delmore Schwartz, an author known for the 1937 short story "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities."(**see the lyrics section**) Bono was reading a book of Schwartz's stories & poems while writing the song. He said the book "was on my mind when I was writing the words... It's hard to wrap the book up in a few lines, but Delmore Schwartz is kind of a formalist... I'm the opposite. I'm in the mud as a writer, so I could do w a bit of [Schwartz], & that's why I enjoy him."
Although it was rehearsed extensively in an acoustic form prior to the 3rd leg of the Zoo TV Tour, "Acrobat" had never been performed live until U2 played it at the 1st night of the E+I Tour at Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 2, 2018. Every other song from AB had gotten at least 1 live performance. Adam Clayton confirmed that part of the reason for finally playing the song was because devoted U2 fans had been requesting it.
Edge: “It’s an unusual time signature for us. It’s like a 6/8 almost, which is a very Irish time signature. It’s used in a lot of traditional Irish music, but in rock & roll you don’t really hear it that much.” Though Edge spent the run-up to the dance-centric AB absorbing the industrial sounds of bands like KMFDM & Einstürzende Neubauten, this song’s rhythm is actually driven by an atypically busy performance from Mullen, who’d been listening to the classic rock of Cream & Jimi Hendrix. The result is a quintessential U2 mix of tradition & innovation.
Recording: The song was developed from a riff guitarist Edge developed during a soundcheck in Auckland, New Zealand, on the Lovetown Tour in 1989. He noted that the beat is unusual for a U2 song, saying it "was the jumping off point, to try & do something with an unusual beat."
Producer Daniel Lanois became disoriented w the direction U2 took during its recording. Bono noted "Daniel had such a hard time on that... he was trying to get us to play to our strengths & I didn't want to. I wanted to play to our weaknesses. I wanted to experiment." Bono noted that the end product "doesn't quite get off the ground the way I'd hoped it would."
An early mix of the track was included on some versions of the 20th anniversary reissue of AB. The mix, titled "'Baby' Acrobat", contained lyrics that were later modified to a different perspective ("You know I'd hit out if I only knew who to hit" instead of the final "I know you'd hit out if you only knew who to hit") or scrapped entirely ("If the sky turns to purple and the moon turns to blood / Will you dig me out when I'm face down in the mud").
Release: n/a
Charts-peaked at: n/a
Lyrics:
Bono's long standing friend, artist Gavin Friday, suggests its chorus "Don't let the bastards grind you down" is aimed at the press who gave U2 a serve w the R&H album & film.
FINAL VERSION...................................EARLY BABY VERSION (Link)
Don't believe what you hear Don’t believe what I hear
Don't believe what you see I don’t believe what you see
If you just close your eyes I just closed my eyes
You can feel the enemy And I feel the enemy
(whole section wasn't part of the BABY version)
When I first met you girl. Yeah I’d join the movement
You had fire in your soul If there was one I could believe in
What happened your face Yeah I’d break bread and wine
Of melting in snow If there was a church I could receive in
‘Cause I need it now
Now it looks like this To take the cup
And you can swallow To drink it slow
Or you can spit And make it high
You can throw it up Without the low
Or choke on it And I can hope
And you can dream But not too much
So dream out loud **The coda in the song "Zooropa" also features they lyric "Dream out loud"
You know that your time is coming 'round When I see that the wheel’s turning ‘round
So don't let the bastards grind you down So don’t let the bastards grind you down
No, nothing makes sense No, nothing makes sense
Nothing seems to fit No nothing seems to fit
I know you'd hit out You know I’d hit out
If you only knew who to hit If I only knew who to miss
And I'd join the movement If the sky turns to purple
If there was one I could believe in And the moon turns to blood
Yeah I'd break bread and wine Will you dig me out
If there was a church I could receive in When I’m face down in the mud?
'Cause I need it now Will you bail me out?
To take a cup ‘Cause I can kiss
To fill it up And you can tell
To drink it slow And I can strip
I can't let you go I do it well
I must be an acrobat And you can hope
To talk like this And you can touch
And act like that But I know that the time is coming ‘round
And you can dream
So dream out loud
And don't let the bastards grind you down When I won’t let the bastards grind let me down
Oh, it hurts baby
What are we going to do now it's all been said same lyrics from here down except 1 change below
No new ideas in the house and every book has been read
And I must be an acrobat
To talk like this
And act like that
And you can dream
So dream out loud
And you can find
Your own way out
You can build
And I can will
And you can call
I can't wait until
You can stash And you can smash
And you can seize
In dreams begin responsibilities **Title of Delmore Schwartz's book is quoted here**
And I can love
And I can love
And I know that the tide is turning 'round
So don't let the bastards grind you down
Live Versions / Remixes:
LONDON, 2018
When Rolling Stone ranked their Top50 U2 songs: 48
Been played live59 times….....wasn't played until the 2018 E+I tour
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Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Whoa. That is awesome stuff. I like the actual lyrics better…..but super interesting!Nemesis said:
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
I will admit that I went through a spell where I wondered if the fanbase was overrating Acrobat, almost like it was getting the "it never gets played live, yet it's so good!!" bump, but then I wised back up. Great song.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
#19 - A Sort of Homecoming (1984)
Highest Rank - 26
Lowest Rank - 45
Where to Find it - The Unforgettable Fire LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -13/218 - If you weren’t sure if U2 was going to have any staying power after War, the first track of their fourth album would erase all doubt. The title of the song is absolutely truth in advertising: It sounds and 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 you see your lover’s face waiting for you. It is about surrender, return, and acceptance. It can assuage your heart in the middle of the night or as the sun rises or in the middle of a stadium with 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 and their rawer sound on the first three albums. A lot of us enjoyed the softer and better produced side that arrived and got better after this track. I don’t think any of us would have batted an eyelid if this came in 20 spots lower. This is one of those overachieving songs that ranks higher cause no one hates it.
Next up, a single from The Joshua Tree that 2 of us had in our top 10 and this would have ended up there if it weren’t for the #86 ranking that dropped it from about #8 overall to 10 spots lower. What single from Joshua Tree is it?
Highest Rank - 26
Lowest Rank - 45
Where to Find it - The Unforgettable Fire LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -13/218 - If you weren’t sure if U2 was going to have any staying power after War, the first track of their fourth album would erase all doubt. The title of the song is absolutely truth in advertising: It sounds and 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 you see your lover’s face waiting for you. It is about surrender, return, and acceptance. It can assuage your heart in the middle of the night or as the sun rises or in the middle of a stadium with 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 and their rawer sound on the first three albums. A lot of us enjoyed the softer and better produced side that arrived and got better after this track. I don’t think any of us would have batted an eyelid if this came in 20 spots lower. This is one of those overachieving songs that ranks higher cause no one hates it.
Next up, a single from The Joshua Tree that 2 of us had in our top 10 and this would have ended up there if it weren’t for the #86 ranking that dropped it from about #8 overall to 10 spots lower. What single from Joshua Tree is it?
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
This is one where Adam and Larry really shine. And there’s great emotion to it.
On the FM stations I listened to as a teen, this was the second TUF track to get airplay after Pride. Don’t recall them playing the title track, and they didn’t start playing Bad until the Wide Awake in America version came out.
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
I like this song a lot, but this does seem a bit too high. I’d put it around 35-40.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Hey, look at that. I was highest on ASOH at 26. I do agree with Lunchbox that TUF was a bridge to get to a more melodic, more produced / engineered, fuller sound (and perhaps more immersive experience) than their prior albums. We can debate if that makes songs better or not (as a concept). In general, I think sometimes heavily engineered in-studio tracks can start sounding too artificial.
In U2's case, I think on a lot of songs the live versions sound tighter and fit better with fewer instruments and engineering magic. Being a first rate live band may have a bigger part in that . . . hard to filter out why some of their live efforts sound better (at least to me).
Anyway, I always likes Homecoming. It's one of the songs that I haven't gotten tired of and still sounds fresh. Maybe that's because it wasn't overplayed and over hyped.
In U2's case, I think on a lot of songs the live versions sound tighter and fit better with fewer instruments and engineering magic. Being a first rate live band may have a bigger part in that . . . hard to filter out why some of their live efforts sound better (at least to me).
Anyway, I always likes Homecoming. It's one of the songs that I haven't gotten tired of and still sounds fresh. Maybe that's because it wasn't overplayed and over hyped.
Grace Under Pressure
Footballguy
This, my friends, is the content I'm here for!
A Sort of Homecoming. To me, this is quintessential U2. I'm a huge TUF guy, and this songs exemplifies everything that's good about the album, about the band, about each individual band member. This is it. This is U2.
A Sort of Homecoming. To me, this is quintessential U2. I'm a huge TUF guy, and this songs exemplifies everything that's good about the album, about the band, about each individual band member. This is it. This is U2.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
One of my friends just posted this on Facebook:
I had a dream last night that U2 was releasing seven related albums simultaneously. Each album was accompanied by a different flavor of U2-branded bottled iced tea. I was involved in the PR/marketing rollout for this, but I'm not sure if I was involved in the music end or the iced tea end, or both.
At least I think that's what was happening.
I had a dream last night that U2 was releasing seven related albums simultaneously. Each album was accompanied by a different flavor of U2-branded bottled iced tea. I was involved in the PR/marketing rollout for this, but I'm not sure if I was involved in the music end or the iced tea end, or both.
At least I think that's what was happening.
foxco
Footballguy
A Sort of Homecoming would be top 5 for me, though this and the entire Unforgettable Fire album has massive sentimental value.
When I bought this on cassette I was 14 and my parents had just separated. They shipped me & my 10 year old brother off to England for half the summer to stay with grandparents. I was pretty bummed out at the time, but my grandparents did their best to cheer us up. For a month they took us out on the road in their camper, traveling to various parks & attractions all over England and Scotland. Listening to this song while driving through the British countryside was a beautiful, surreal experience. Early morning mist, vast farmlands, rolling Scottish hills; the song fit the landscape perfectly and became my life soundtrack for a while. When I hear this song it takes me back to those days, a mix of nostalgia and raw emotion.
When I bought this on cassette I was 14 and my parents had just separated. They shipped me & my 10 year old brother off to England for half the summer to stay with grandparents. I was pretty bummed out at the time, but my grandparents did their best to cheer us up. For a month they took us out on the road in their camper, traveling to various parks & attractions all over England and Scotland. Listening to this song while driving through the British countryside was a beautiful, surreal experience. Early morning mist, vast farmlands, rolling Scottish hills; the song fit the landscape perfectly and became my life soundtrack for a while. When I hear this song it takes me back to those days, a mix of nostalgia and raw emotion.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Mrs APK loves this song. She refuses to rank songs so far (This, my friends, is the content I'm here for!
A Sort of Homecoming. To me, this is quintessential U2. I'm a huge TUF guy, and this songs exemplifies everything that's good about the album, about the band, about each individual band member. This is it. This is U2.
) but grudgingly offered up that she would put this song closer to top-10, along with the other 30-40 songs that she considers top-10. Mrs APK: “I love this whole album and this is my 2nd or 3rd favorite song on the album. You always say that this is really my favorite album and I say no, it’s really Joshua Tree, but actually it really is Unforgettable Fire most of the time.”
Nemesis
Footballguy
I think we have seen it's due to Edge's relentless approach. Some of the examples i've read or posted about:
- Notorious for getting drum samples from Larry & taking them home to work on during the "offseason" & recording his sessions and then bringing when it's time to go into the recording studio. (Meanwhile, contrast that with what we've seen about Bono, where he usually would wait until the recording session and would improvise & sing a lot of word-less takes & then rush to finalize his lyrics up until the deadline)
- Edge buying new effects and understanding the technical side of things & figuring out a way to incorporate the new sound in a song
- Bono shared the story about sharing a house with Edge and Edge locking himself in his room & working late at night
- Edge is the one who started getting producer credits during the 90s
- Edge is the one who has worked on a lot of the 20th / 25th Anniv re-mastered & re-issued Deluxe albums
- Edge is the one who went back to the 1984 TUF cast off / unfinished song "Disappearing Act" and released it in 2009
That's why they call him "The Mad Scientist"
As far as ASOH for me......I would probably place it the 50-60 range. It's closer to the U2 sound that I like, but the song for me just doesn't register enough to warrant a higher ranking from me. But i am willing to read why others may have it higher regard.
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Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Random thought: Do their wives call them Bono and Edge or Paul and Dave?
Grace Under Pressure
Footballguy
I seem to recall from one of the concert videos when Bono was introducing the band he said "Even his parents call him: The Edge". I realize that's not his wife, but it brought back that memory nonetheless.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
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.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
Pretty much agree with all of this. On the bolded, Case in point Pop. There is no doubt that U2 Live work on the large majority of work is better than the studio version.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
Welcome aboard. You try driving on those Scottish hills lol. Single lanes for miles, winding, turning and little opportunity to overtake. Tourists stopping or driving slow to take in the scenery is not much fun when a 2 hour drive turns into 3 cause of tourists.
As a young man, would have been awesome though. You considering doing that now? I’d take the memories you had and bank them. Not much upside in revisiting them.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
Are you going to have to fudge her top 25, 46 or 83 etc when I ask for them?Mrs APK loves this song. She refuses to rank songs so far (
Mrs APK: “I love this whole album and this is my 2nd or 3rd favorite song on the album. You always say that this is really my favorite album and I say no, it’s really Joshua Tree, but actually it really is Unforgettable Fire most of the time.”
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
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.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
I remember hearing a radio interview with Ali while she was promoting a charity and she kept referring to him as Paul. The interviewer had to clarify that Paul was Bono.
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