U2's songs inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.

List of U2's songs inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.

U2's The Unforgettable Fire was their break-through album which gave them a taste of success in America before they went supernova with The Joshua Tree. A key part of that was the first single, Pride which stormed up the charts.

The single struck a minor chord as listeners quickly realised the song was about Martin Luther King, the man who had a dream that America would be come a country where everyone was considered equal.

The album also featured a second song, MLK, which was a poignant end to the album.

These two songs were part of Bono's burgeoning interest in American history and the civil struggles black people face(d). U2 would later explore more of America's 'blues' in Rattle and Hum.

Pride (In the name of love)


This song was a fairly political piece written by Bono about rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. It is one of the U2's most recognized songs and is frequently played live.

Pride was major commercial success for the band and has since come to be regarded as one of the band's best songs. It was named the 378th greatest song by Rolling Stone Magazine on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Pride's lyrical theme was originally intended to be about US President Ronald Reagan's pride in America's military power but Bono was ultimately influenced by Stephen B. Oates's book Let The Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and a biography of Malcolm X.

"MLK"


We trust you get what MLK stands for.

The other song from The Unforgettable Fire album that references the American civil rights proponent.

Sang as a dreamy lullaby of sorts, its lyrics suggest that the following generations will be able to sleep easy following the hard work of Luther.

 I think what Bono is meaning is that they can dream now that Luther's own 'American dream' has in many ways been and continues to be realised.

'Summer of Love' song lyrics by U2

U2's Summer of Love song lyrics by U2 from Songs of Experience

U2's Summer of Love song lyrics by U2 from Songs of Experience

Found on the Songs of Experience album, it's U2 reach fine form. 

'Summer of Love' song lyrics by U2


The winter
Doesn't want you
It haunts you
Summer serenadings
A long way
From this frozen place
Your face
Our teacher
Our preacher
It's nature
And like flowers growing in a bomb crater
From nothing
A rose
It grows

I've been thinking about the West Coast
Not the one that everyone knows
I'm sick of living in the shadows
We have one more chance before the light goes
For a summer of love
A summer of love

We're freezing
We're leaving
Believing
That all we need is to head over somewhere
In a summer
To come
So we run

I've been thinking about the West Coast
Not the one that everyone knows
I'm sick of living in the shadows
We have one more chance before the light goes
For a summer of love
A summer of love

Oh and when all is lost
When all is lost we find out what remains
Oh the same oceans crossed
The suns pleasure
The sun it's pink

I've been thinking about the West Coast
Not the one that everyone knows
In the rubble of Aleppo
Flowers blooming in the shadows
For a summer of love
A summer of love


'Red Flag Day' lyrics by U2

'Red Flag Day' lyrics by U2

'Red Flag Day' lyrics by U2 from the Songs of Experience album.


Red Flag Day's lyrics have been described by Bono as being inspired by the Syrian the refugee crisis in Europe.

Red Flag Days can several things  - no parking days, a warning sign, fire danger.  Bono seems to be talking about swimming between the flags, as one does in the presence of swimming life guards at the beach.

The lyrics of this song possibly have a call back to Every Breaking Wave from Songs of Innocence.

U2's Red Flag Day song lyrics


I am made of all that I'm afraid of
I'm most afraid of losing you
Hell's a season
You're the reason that I even dreamt of getting through
I, I can feel your body shaking
I, I will meet you where the waves are breaking

Baby it's a Red Flag Day
Baby let's get in the water
Taken out by a wave
Where we've never been before

Baby it's a Red Flag Day
Baby let's go a bit further
Paradise is a place
You can see when it's yours
Red Flag Day
Red Flag Day

Sun comes here and oceanic feeling
Sky will soon be clear
Today we can't afford to be afraid of what we fear
I, I can feel your body shaking
I, I will meet you where the waves are breaking

Baby it's a Red Flag Day
Baby let's get in the water
Taken out by a wave
Where we've never been before

Baby it's a Red Flag Day
Baby let's go a bit further
Paradise is a place
You can see when it's yours

Red Flag Day
Baby it's a Red Flag Day
Red Flag Day

Not even news today
So many lost in the sea last night
One word that the sea can’t say
Is no, no, no, no

Baby it's a Red Flag Day
Red Flag Day
Baby it's a Red Flag Day
Baby let's get in the water

Other tracks from Songs of Experience:

"The Showman" lyrics by U2

U2's The Showman lyrics

U2's The Showman (Much More Better) lyrics from Songs of Experience

Bono has said of the song, "It's like something from Rubber Soul," he says. "It's about singers. It's not me." Which sounds fair as most U2 lyrics are about subjects other than the band (Bono has written a lot about his mom and dad though!)

Sure it isn't Bono! There's no way U2 can pull out some Rubber Soul magic at this point in their career, they've already had Achtung Baby and The Joshua Tree success! Right?

Bono also made a tellingly contradictory comment on the lyrical meaning of the song  in an interview he gave to Rolling Stone Magazine, prior to the release of the Song of Experience album,:

"There's a song called "The Showman" which is a letter to our audience, it's kind of about performers and how you shouldn't trust them too much. It's about me, haha."

Which just like the line in the song about trusting singers, you can't trust Bono when he is waxing lyrical!

The Showman (Much More Better) lyrics


Baby's crying cause it's born to sing
Singers cry about everything
Still in the playground falling off a swing
But you know that I know

Walk through the room like a birthday cake
When I am all lit up, I can't make a mistake
And there's a level of shallow that you just can't fake
But you know that I know

Oh you don't care
But you know I'm there

You think you look so good
A little more better
Look so good
Just a little more little more
Look so good
That's what's gonna get you
Look so good
Just a little more little more

You know you're chasing the sunlight
That's why I'm stayin' up all night
You think you look so good
A little more better
Look so good
A little more

It is what it is but it's not what it seems
This screwed up stuff is the stuff of dreams
I got just enough low self esteem
To get me where I want to go

The showman gives you front row to his heart
The showman prays his heartache will chart
Making a spectacle of falling apart
Is just the start of the show

Oh you don't care
But you know I'm there

You think you look so good
A little more better
Look so good
Just a little more little more
Look so good

That's what's gonna get you
Look so good
Little more, little more

I'll be chasing the sunlight
That's why I'm staying up all night
I lie for a living, I love to let on
But you make it true when you sing along

You think you look so good
A little more better
Look so good
Just a little more little more
Look so good
That's what's gonna get you
Look so good
Just a little more, little more

You think you look so good
A little more better
Look so good
Just a little more little more
Look so good
That's what's gonna get you
Look so good
Just a little more, little more

Other songs from SOE:
You're The Best Thing About Me was the first single to be released from the Songs of Experience album.

What is Bono's 'Dream Out Loud' Lyric all about?


What is Bono's 'Dream Out Loud' Lyric all about?


Keen listeners to U2 might have heard Bono sing the lyric 'dream out loud' on a few U2 songs.

Here's a brief run down on what those songs are.

Lucky fans who attended the Love Town Tour in the late 80's might have head Bono first ad lib the line into the live set.

A couple of years later after U2 dreamt it all up again, Achtung Baby's Acrobat featured the lyrics:

"And you can dream
So dream out loud
And don't let the bastards grind you down"

In this case dreaming out loud would appear to be the exercise of getting on with getting your dreams and schemes accomplished.

The coda in the title track of "Zooropa" repeated "dream out loud" as a kind of mantra, which Bono supposedly included as a direct reference to "Acrobat". Given the Zooropa album is often considered a cousin or companion album to Achtung Baby, it's a nice little link that Bono made.

In the Pop era 'dream out loud' was spoken by Bono in the PopMart: Live from Mexico City video.

Finally, dream out load was was also used in the b-side to Beautiful Day in the song "Always'

"Get down off your holy cloud,
always God will not deal with the proud, always
Well if you dream then dream out loud, always
Eternally yours, always"

I think that's it - any other references in his lyrics that Bono has made?

How many Grammy Awards have U2 won?

list of U2's Grammy Ward winning songs

What number of Grammy Awards has U2 won?


When you're a band that makes music as good as U2, the rewards and accolades soon start to come your way. So much so, that the moment you hit big, you also hit big with Grammy Awards.

The most coveted of all music prizes, the Grammy Awards are the true measure of success. If they give one to Michael Jackson, you should want one too.

And funnily enough, U2 have won more Grammy's than Wacko Jacko who took 13.

How many? In total, it's 22.

Here's a list of all the Grammy Awards U2 have won, most recent to first.  


2005 - 48TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

Album Of The Year
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

Best Rock Song
City Of Blinding Lights

Best Rock Album
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

Song Of The Year
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

2004 - 47TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Vertigo

Best Rock Song
Vertigo

Best Short Form Music Video
Vertigo

2001 - 44TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

Record Of The Year
Walk On

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Elevation

Best Rock Album
All That You Can't Leave Behind

2000 - 43RD ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

Record Of The Year
Beautiful Day

Song Of The Year
Beautiful Day

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Beautiful Day

1994 - 37TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

Best Music Video, Long Form

1993 - 36TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

Best Alternative Music Album

1992 - 35TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Achtung Baby

1988 - 31ST ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

Best Performance Music Video
Where The Streets Have No Name

1987 - 30TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

Album Of The Year
The Joshua Tree

U2 have also won a Golden Globe Award for their song, 'The Hands that built America' which was used on the soundtrack to Martin Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York film.

U2 have been nominated for two Oscars for Best Original song being The Hands That Built America and also for 'Ordinary Love'. The latter song was inspired by Nelson Mandela and was included on the Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. movie. Neither song won the gong!

How many number one albums has U2 had?

List of U2 number one studio albums

List of U2's number one studio albums 


When you look back at U2's career thus far you can really get an appreciation for all their albums. Starting out as unknown band from Ireland, album by album U2 grew in popularity in the UK and after relentless touring in America U2 made it big with the number one album, The Joshua Tree.

They then have a clear 'middle period' where they went a bit experimental and then returning to their more classic roots beginning with All That You Can't Leave Behind.

So how many number one albums have U2 had?


There are several ways of cutting this as their are so many countries that U2 had number ones in (does a NZ #1 count if you're an American?) so lets do it first by the United Kingdom and then America.

List of U2 number one studio albums from the United Kingdom

So U2 have had 9 number one studio albums on the UK charts. That's not the most though. The Beatles, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie and the Rolling Stones have done as good or better.

Incredibly, Achtung Baby only hit number 2 on the charts. Songs of Innocence made it to number 6 - a very strong showing because U2 released it for free to I-tunes as part of a distribution deal with Apple.

The Joshua Tree has been U2's best selling album, moving approximately 2.8 million copies, making it the 36th most popular selling album of all time. The most popular? Queen's Greatest Hits.

If you were wondering about singles hitting the Top of the Pops, U2 have had 7 UK number ones.
  So, crossing the Atlantic, lets look at how U2's albums have fared in the American Billboard charts.

How many America number one albums has U2 had?


Here's the list of albums that cracked the top of Billboard:
In total U2 have had 8 American number one albums. U2 have a long way to go if they want to catch the Beatles who have had a staggering 19 number one albums! 

If you are wondering about Original Soundtracks Vol 1, don't fret. It's not an official U2 album at all and it's more properly considered a side project with Brian Eno and a supporting list of singers such as Pavarotti. 

It didn't trouble the world wide charts too much either - the highest charting point was number 9 in New Zealand! It made it to 12 in the UK and 76 on the US Billboard charts.