Atomic City lyrics U2

 Atomic City song lyrics by U2

"Where you are is where I'll be," Bono declares, echoing the sentiment that in the realm of music and luck, "you just have to be right one more time than you're wrong…"

Imagine the Sphere in Las Vegas, a state-of-the-art multimedia coliseum, pulsating with the energy of U2's upcoming U2:UV shows. It's here that "Atomic City" was unleashed upon the world, just hours before the curtain lifted, setting the stage for a monumental celebration of the band's 1991 magnum opus, "Achtung Baby."

At the mixing desk, you'd find Jacknife Lee and Steve Lillywhite (Boy et al), the architects of U2's sonic landscape. Recorded in the hallowed halls of Sound City in Los Angeles, these long-standing collaborators have once again helped the band strike a balance between the nostalgic and the groundbreaking.

The track itself is a time machine, a three-and-a-half-minute journey back to the magnetic spirit of the '70s post-punk era. It's as if Blondie and Giorgio Moroder are in the room, their pioneering spirits channeled through U2's modern sensibilities.

Las Vegas, often dubbed 'Sin City,' once wore the crown of 'Atomic City' in the 1950s. The song's title is a historical nod to a time when the city was a hotspot for atomic tourism, its skyline occasionally punctuated by the distant mushroom clouds from the Nevada Test Site. It's a complex backdrop that adds layers of meaning to the song and its accompanying visuals.

Directed by Ben Kutchins and orchestrated by Tarik Mikou of Moment Factory Music, the music video is a love letter to Las Vegas' Fremont Street. It's a place that holds a special place in the band's heart, echoing their iconic video for "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," shot over three decades ago.

But at its core, "Atomic City" is more than just a song; it's a love song to U2's audience. It's a testament to a relationship that has spanned decades, a connection that is both intimate and universal.

So as you tune into "Atomic City," know that you're not just listening to a track—you're part of a narrative, a story that transcends time and space, a sonic experience that only a band like U2 could deliver. It's as if Bono himself has mixed this experience just for you, blending history, love, and music into a single, unforgettable moment.

atomic city song lyrics U2

[Verse 1]
Come all you stars falling out of the sky
Come all you angels forgetting to fly
Come all who feel we're not on our own
All UFOs come on your way home
Alone, that's no way to be carrying on
Come on, we're betting on a future that's long
Gone, in look of a song
You just have to be right one more time then you're wrong

[Refrain]
Atomic City (Atomic)
Oh, oh
Atomic City (Atomic)
Oh, oh

[Chorus]
I'm free
Where you are is where I'll be
I'm free
So unexpectedly

[Verse 2]
Come all who serve above and below
Come all believers and all who don't know
Come quick, come soon, comme ci, comme ça
Then you dive into your eyes and blah blah blah
Guitars, she pulls the strings et cetera
Sinatra swings, a choir sings
Love is god and god is love
And if your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough

{Chorus Refrain]

Atomic City (Atomic)
Oh, oh
Atomic City
Atomic Sun for everyone
For everyone

[Bridge]

Roll the dice
That's roulette
The beat has not stopped
Speeding yet

[Chorus]
I'm free
Where you are is where I'll be
I'm free
So unexpectedly

[Outro]
I'm free
I see what's in front of me
And your freedom is contagious
What you've got I wanna be
I'm free
It took me my whole life
I got the keys to the cages
I'm ready for bright lights
I'm free
I came here for the fight
I'm front row in Las Vegas
And there's a big one on tonight

Atomic City can only remind us of How to Dismantle and Atomic Bomb

The answer of course is with love. 

Why did Bono change the 'Early Morning' Lyric of Pride

Pride from U2's The Unforgettable Fire was arguably U2's first proper hit single. The song honours Baptist Minister and black rights activist Martin Luther King.

The original version of Pride features the lyric: "Early morning, April four" as the time that MLK was shot.

In reality, this was not the case, MLK was killed much later that day.

The Songs of Surrender version of Pride updates the incorrect 'early morning' lyric to "In the evening April 4" to reflect the actual time of MLK's assassination.

MLK Pride u2 lyrics

U2 'Songs of Surrender' album track list and lyrics

U2 have announced Songs of Surrender, an album which revisits and reworked and recorded songs both older and more recent - covering the entire rage of their catalogue. 

Some of the songs feature reworked lyrics by Bono. He said while promoting his Stories of Surrender novel "I have sometimes been rewriting some of the lyrics. During lockdown, we were able to reimagine forty U2 tracks for the Songs of Surrender collection, which gave me a chance to live inside those songs again as I wrote this memoir. It also meant I could deal with something that’s been nagging me for some time. The lyrics on a few songs that I’ve always felt were never quite written. They are now. (I think.)"

songs of surrender lyrics

Track List for Songs of Surrender by U2


“Out of Control” – U2 (From Boy)
“Stories for Boys” – U2 (From Boy)
“I Will Follow” – U2 (From Boy)
“11 O’Clock Tick Tock” – U2 (Non-Album Single)
“Two Hearts Beat as One” – U2 (From War)
“Sunday Bloody Sunday” – U2 (From War)
“40” – U2 (From War)
“Bad” – U2 (From The Unforgettable Fire)
“Pride (In the Name of Love)” – U2 (From The Unforgettable Fire)
“Where the Streets Have No Name” – U2 (From The Joshua Tree)
“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” – U2 (From The Joshua Tree)
“With or Without You” – U2 (From The Joshua Tree)
“Red Hill Mining Town” – U2 (From The Joshua Tree)
“Desire” – U2 (From Rattle and Hum)
“All I Want is You” – U2 (From Rattle and Hum)
“One” – U2 (From Achtung Baby)
“Until the End of the World” – U2 (From Achtung Baby)
“The Fly” – U2 (From Achtung Baby)
Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” – U2 (From Achtung Baby)
“Stay (Faraway, So Close!)” – U2 (From Zooropa)
“Dirty Day” – U2 (From Zooropa)
“If God Will Send His Angels” – U2 (From Pop)
“Beautiful Day” – U2 (From All That You Can’t Leave Behind)
“Walk On” – U2 (From All That You Can’t Leave Behind)
“Peace on Earth” – U2 (From All That You Can’t Leave Behind)
Electrical Storm” – U2 (Non-Album Single)
“Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” – U2 (From All That You Can’t Leave Behind)
“Vertigo” – U2 (From How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
“Sometimes You Can’t Make it On Your Own” – U2 (From How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
“Crumbs from Your Table” – U2 (From How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
“Miracle Drug” – U2 (From How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
Invisible” – U2 (Non-Album Single)
“Ordinary Love” – U2 (Non-Album Single)
“The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)” – U2 (From Songs of Innocence)
Song for Someone” – U2 (From Songs of Innocence)
Every Breaking Wave” – U2 (From Songs of Innocence)
“Cedarwood Road” – U2 (From Songs of Innocence)
“The Little Things that Give You Away” – U2 (From Songs of Experience)
“Lights of Home” – U2 (From Songs of Experience)
Get Out of Your Own Way” – U2 (From Songs of Experience)

In a moment of keeping it real for the U2 fans, guitarist The Edge sent out letters - a key paragraph describes U2's intent with this album:

"Music allows you to time travel and so we started to imagine what it would be like to bring these songs back with us to the present day and give them the benefit or otherwise, of a 21st century re-imagining. What started as an experiment quickly became a personal obsession as so many early U2 songs yielded to a new interpretation. Intimacy replaced post-punk urgency. New keys. New chords. New tempos and new lyrics arrived. It turns out that a great song is kind of indestructible. Once we surrendered our reverence for the original version each song started to open up to a new authentic voice of this time, of the people we are, and particularly the singer Bono has become. … I hope you like our new direction.”

What U2 songs does The Edge sing on?

What U2 lyrics does The Edge sing?

What U2 songs does The Edge sing lead vocals on?


The Edge sings on plenty of U2 songs as back up vocalist, often sharing those duties with Larry. 


Here's a couple of songs where The Edge has taken the lead vocal duty. 

Clicking on the song name with take you to the lyrics.

Numb


"Numb" was released as Grammy Winner, Zooropa's first single. 

Numb is a repeating, monotonous mantra spoken by The Edge with a drumbeat sampled from the Leni Riefenstahl film Olympia. 

"Numb" also features backing vocals by Bono and Larry Mullen, Jr i.e. while The Edge sings in a slow monotone while Bono sings around it in his 'opera' voice. Bono did the same on Zooropa, the Johnny Cash track. 

Here's the video of Numb as it's a classic!

Van Dieman's Land was the original name used by Europeans for the island of Tasmania, Australia. The lyrics were written and sung by U2's one and only The Edge. 

The song is dedicated to a Fenian poet named John Boyle O'Reilly, who was deported to Australia because of his poetry and Fenian leanings. 

The track itself is from Rattle and Hum.


Sunday Bloody Sunday


During the Pop Mart tour, The Edge took lead vocal duties live on stage for this song. Edge sang alone and without accompaniment from the rest of the U2 band, save for his own guitar.


You're The Best Thing About Me


From Songs of Experience, The Edge sings a full verse near the end of the song:

"I can see it all so clearly
I can see what you can’t see
I can see you lover her loudly
When she needs you quietly"

The Edge is also noted as singing the first half of the song "Seconds" from War, dual vocals with Bono in "Discotheque" from the Pop album, and the bridge in the song "Miracle Drug" (though there's some debate about that).

U2 lyrics that explore religion, Jesus, Yahweh and The Good Book

Lyrics from the Bible that U2 use

U2 religious lyrics that explore Jesus, Yahweh and the Bible


It seems almost obligatory to do a post on U2's spiritual side. They are perhaps the world's most popular Christian band after all!

 I say Christian very loosely though as for some people that kind of connotation can turn them right off  but U2's is most definitely a band that is not shy of exploring their spiritual lyrical side.

Bono, U2's main lyric writer, is a noted musical magpie that steals lines from the Bible to help with his song crafting. Indeed, here's a whole page of bible references Bono has made across the U2 song catalogue.

You could almost put U2's song lyrics into two distinct camps - songs about spirituality and songs about politics (such as nuclear war). 

You could throw in a third camp about of U2's love songs if you wanted but since when has 'love' not ever been spiritual or a matter of politics?

Jesus is a popular man in U2 songs, along with mentions of Yahweh, the references to the Koran and a few other Saints - so I thought  I'd feature a few U2 song lyrics that show case Bono's spiritual side and give a little insight into what I think the lyrics mean and perhaps give a little context on the genesis of some of them...

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For


Many people suddenly found themselves to be U2 fans in the late 80s when The Joshua Tree album started topping charts around the world.

Helping lead the charge was I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For which is the gold standard if you are looking for a U2 song that focuses on a spiritual yearning. 

Stealing the line from the Bible's 1 Corinthians 13:1: "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal."

Bono sung  "I have spoken with the tongue of angels" thus heralding to the world where he was coming from yet he then signalled his mischievous side with the following lyric that he had also 'held the hand of the Devil'.

Wake Up Dead Man from the Pop album


In tough times people often turn to their spiritual advisor for support - Wake Up Dead Man is Bono trying to get a direct line with Jesus to come and fix "the fucked up world'.

Originally written during the Zooropa recording sessions, the final version ended up on Pop as an effective album closer.

Fun aside, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me also came from the Zooropa recording sessions and asks a question of Jesus.

Yahweh


A beautiful track from U2's How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, Yahweh's lyrics are a reflection of Bono's faith (as the son of a Catholic father and an Anglican mother) and points to the differences in the power that he believes between God and mankind. 

The word 'yahweh' has traditionally been by transliterated from the word Jehovah. Jehovah is often described as "the proper name of God in the Old Testament".

Larry, Bono, Edge and Adam, hold the bike while I get on?

Sunday Bloody Sunday


Ostensibly a song about the political troubles that have face the people of Ireland, its inspiration was a couple of events where soldiers shot civilians in Northern Ireland - the lyrics capture the moment crisply by invoking a cross fire between religion and the military (and by extension the State) and the sad consequences when both collide. 

Until the End of the World


This has proved to be an incredibly popular song from U2's Achtung Baby and has been played on just about every tour U2 have done since that album was released in 1991.

It is semi-legendary in U2 fan circles for being a fictional conversation between Jesus and Judas following the betrayal in the garden of Gethsemane. The lyrics hint that Judas regretted his actions and committed suicide.

Tomorrow


A classic earnest lyric from Bono. The October album was definitely Bono on 'God Watch' -  exploring his thoughts around his mother's death and the spectre of meeting Jesus.

Stranger in a Strange Land


The entire lyrics of the song appear to be making an allusion to the Emmaus story from the Bible's Luke 24, where the newly risen from the dead Jesus appears to two disciples as a complete stranger, but miraculously cannot be recognized until he offers bread to the two disciples who have invited him into their abode.


It's hard to discern the actual message of this song. The lyrics possibly suggest the character is living in a world where they need some help and they need some angels to come and sort things out.

The line "where is the hope, and where is the faith, and the love?" hints at a lost soul that needs some guidance in light of a world they are concerned about such one where the cartoon network leads into the news and the blind lead the blondes.

The song featured on the City of Angels soundtrack and was a fairly popular single from the Pop album.

Salome


Salome is inspired by the story of the death of John the Baptist which was from the gospel of Mark.

Supposedly a seductive dancer (in the modern-day vernacular, she'd be known as a stripper) Salome's super gyrations convinced the King to grant her a wish to which she asked for the head of John.

Pretty random story and sounds like something that got lost in translation when the Bible got rewritten. It's either that or Oscar Wilde had an overactive imagination. 

These eight songs were only a taste of the many songs that Bono has imbued with lyrics that refer to the Bible or have looked into an 'ecumenical' matter of sorts - Gloria, for example, could probably have a whole essay written about it.

What other songs do you think show U2's spiritual side? What do they mean for you?

Bono's deeply personal song lyrics about Mothers and Fathers



U2 songs with lyrics about Mothers and Fathers


All good song writers tap their family tree for lyrical inspiration now and then.

There's been plenty of popular songs that feature lyrics about parents and their children.

A classic example is Cat Steven's Father and Son.

It's with no great surprise then that Bono has chosen to reveal insights into his feeling about his family in a few of U2's songs.

Here's some thoughts about a selected few...

Mofo


Mofo was the sixth single flogged from the supposedly terrible Pop album, the lyrics in part refer to Bono's beloved mother, whom he lost at the age of fourteen. Bono would later refer to his mother again in Iris (Hold Me Close) from Songs of Innocence.


Mothers of the Disappeared


The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, is a unique organization of Argentine women who have become human rights activists in order to achieve a common goal. For over three long decades, the Mothers have fought for the right to re-unite with their abducted children. It was this work that inspired Bono's lyrics.
 
sometimes you can't make it on your own

Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own


The lyric was written by Bono as a tribute to his father, Bob Hewson, who died in 2001.

Bono sang this at his funeral.

In the video for the song it was prefaced with the following from Bono:

 "My father worked in the post office by day and sang opera by night. We lived on the north side of Dublin in a place called Cedarwood Road. He had a lot of attitude. He gave some to me - and a voice. I wish I'd known him better."

On Your Own song shares similar parental sentiments as found in Kite from the All That You Can't Leave Behind album.

Tommorrow


The October album was definitely Bono on channelling and challenging his spiritual side - Tomorrow sees him exploring his thoughts around his mother's death and the spectre of her possibly meeting Jesus.


A song from the Grammy Award winning album, Zooropa, The first verse of this the First Time hints sentiments of falling in love for the first time or perhaps truly, madly, deeply falling for someone.

The lyric "I have a lover, a lover like no other" suggests the latter perhaps is true.

The second verse refers to the love of a brother who would do anything for his sibling - the word brother could easily stand in for friend here as well. 

The final verse talks of the love between a father and son that perhaps has gone sour.

Collectively these three different settings make for a great story and makes you wonder what kind of person is telling this story and how do those elements relate to one another?

Indeed, there's almost a hint of the Prodigal Son story surrounding the entire fabric of the song. 

Dirty Day from the same album features a line from Bono of which is Dad used to say "I don't know you and you don't know the half of it", "No blood is thicker than ink", "Nothing's as simple as you think", and "It won't last kissing time."

I believe in Father Christmas


Written by Greg Lake, I Believe in Father Christmas with a view to making a critque about how Christmas had changed from being a celebration of peace on earth and goodwill to all men, into one huge and disgusting orgy or shopping.

Want to know more about some other U2 lyrics? Check out 10 U2 Love Songs.

'Song For Someone' song lyrics by U2


Song For Someone lyrics by U2



Song for Someone is a song from U2's album, Songs of Innocence.

It is one of the more 'soft' songs on the album but features a big rousing chorus and is one of the best tracks from the album.

Produced by Ryan Tedder and Flood (Flood, you may recall did production duties on the Grammy Award winning Zooropa and was around in The Joshua Tree era).

The meaning of the song is that it is a love song written by Bono for his wife Ali (refer The Sweetest Thing).

song for someone lyrics by U2

Song for Someone lyrics:

You got a face not spoiled by beauty
I have some scars from where I’ve been
You’ve got eyes that can see right through me
You’re not afraid of anything you’ve seen
I was told that I would feel nothing the first time
I don’t know how these cuts heal
But in you I found a rhyme

If there is a light
You can’t always see
And there is a world
We can’t always be
If there is a dark
That we shouldn’t doubt
And there is a light
Don’t let it go out

And this is a song
A song for someone
This is a song
A song for someone

You let me into a conversation
A conversation only we could make
You break and enter my imagination
Whatever’s in there
It’s yours to take
I was told I’d feel nothing the first time
You were slow to heal
But this could be the night

If there is a light
You can’t always see
And there is a world
We can’t always be
If there is a dark
Within and without
And there is a light
Don’t let it go out

And this is a song
A song for someone
This is a song
A song for someone

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

And I’m a long way
From your hill of Calvary
And I’m a long way
From where I was and where I need to be
If there is a light
You can’t always see
There is a world
We can’t always be
If there is a kiss
I stole from your mouth
And there is a light
Don’t let it go out

Here's an impressive video that goes with the song. Featuring future Star Wars actor, Woody Allen and his daughter Zoe it follows the tale of a man being released from prison.



Check out the lyrics to The Miracle which is also from Songs of Innocence.

U2 songs that reference nuclear bombs and other horrors

u2 protesting nuclear power plant

U2 song lyrics that reference nuclear bombs and other cruel horrors


U2 are known for their political views and agitation to get policy change but where like a band like Rage Against the Machine would be all in your face – U2 are just as obvious but less angry – their last tour featured members of Amnesty International coming out on state during Walk On – a song dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi, a Burman political prisoner and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Both band’s lyrics also push the barrel of whatever agenda they have – a long standing on for U2 has been referencing atomic war and nuclear issues.

U2 also once famously protested against the Sellafeild nuclear plant by colluding with Greenpeace to stage an event on a beach near the site that was contaminated with radiation as the result of the power plant’s activities.

As far as I can figure the earliest U2 song lyrics that refers to atomic bombs is from the non album single, Celebration where Bono sarcastically shares that he believes in the following three things:

“I believe in the third world war
I believe in the atomic bomb
I believe in the powers that be but they won't overpower me”

That was as far back as 1982.

Seconds from the popular War album is another early U2 songs to make direct references to atomic bombs

“And they're doing the atomic bomb
Do they know where the dance comes from
Yes, they're doing the atomic bomb
They want you to sing along

Bono said to the NME music magazine in 1983 of the song:

 "There is a line in 'Seconds' about a fanatic assembling a nuclear device in an apartment in Times Square, New York, but it could be anywhere. We are now entering the age of nuclear terrorism where a group of fanatics could have the capabilities of bringing a bomb into a city and holding millions of people to ransom."

The Unforgettable Fire was released in 1984 in a time when the world was worrying itself sick about the arms race between the US and the Russians. Bono was inspired by a collection of paintings collectively known as The Unforgettable Fire which was a reference to atomic bombs being dropped in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Ngagasaki. 

Says the Edge of the art display (in the book U2: Into the Heart: The Stories Behind Every Song) "the image of that purging quality, coupled with the insight it gave into the horror of nuclear holocaust, stuck in Bono's mind".

It is perhaps ironic that the lyrics to song The Unforgettable Fire do not reference anything nuclear or atomic!

The Wanderer, featuring country and western legend Johnny Cash from the Zooropa album was definitely suggestive of being set in a post apocalyptic world set under an 'atomic sky'. Lyrically it featured a character that appeared to be struggling to find some kind of spiritual identity.

Another U2 album title also referred to atomic bombs in a most direct fashion – How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb was a popular album that had a bonus track Fast Cars which gave the answer to the album’s question – one dismantles an atomic bomb with love.

Are there any other U2 lyrics that refer to nuclear issues?

Check out this other article that discusses Bono's lyric writing abilities

“I Believe in Father Christmas” Lyrics by U2

i believe in father christmas  greg lake

“I Believe in Father Christmas” Lyrics by U2


U2 released a charity Christmas single, for World Aids Day in 2008

The song's lyrics are written by Greg Lake, who was a principal player of Emerson, Lake and Palmer and he didn’t know U2 had covered his Christmas song until he heard it when it was released! 

Lake has said "In some ways, “I Believe in Father Christmas” is a very quirky song.

It was never written with the intention of it becoming a hit single but was written, rather, as an album track making quite a serious comment about how Christmas had changed from being a celebration of peace on earth and goodwill to all men, into one huge and disgusting shopping orgy."

“I Believe in Father Christmas” lyrics as song by U2


They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
But instead it just kept on raining
A veil of tears for the Virgin's birth
I remember one Christmas morning
A winters light and a distant choir
And the peal of a bell and that Christmas Tree smell
And their eyes full of tinsel and fire
They sold me a dream of Christmas
They sold me a Silent Night
And they told me a fairy story
'Till I believed in the Israelite
And I believed in Father Christmas
And I looked at the sky with excited eyes
'Till I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn
And I saw him and through his disguise

I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave New Year
All anguish pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear
They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
Hallelujah Noel be it Heaven or Hell
The Christmas you get you deserve.

La la la la la la la la la la....

10 songs that show Bono's lyrical qualities

10 songs that show Bono's lyrical writing qualities


The one thing that truly stands out for me when thinking about the brilliance of U2 is not their songs, the drums, or riffs.

Nor is it the hype and hyperbole of one of the world's most popular bands.

It's simply Bono's lyrics.

Bono has written the vast majority of U2's lyrics and in many of them, you can find some true gems of penmanship, little sparkles of lyrical bliss that took a good song and put it into the territory of musical greatness.

I suggest that while some non U2 fans take any chance to diss Bono, they would be really grumpy buggers if they denied that Bono was a great lyricist.

Like a good poet, Bono's lyrics feature a whole range of subjects - love and loss, drugs, faith, faith in drugs, gods, Elvis and other monsters and of course, politics and its prisoners. He can some times get a little dark, touching his inner Darth Vader.

This work leaves ample room for an inquiry into U2's lyrics, especially when The Edge chips in the odd song.

10 songs that show Bono's lyrical qualities
What rhymes with achtung?

So what are Bono's best lyrical moments and qualities? 



What's his inspiration for putting pen to paper?

What makes Bono's lyrics so well received by millions of listeners and readers around the world?

I can't speak for anyone else but I thought I could share 10 U2 songs which I think highlight Bono's mastery of his craft.

Some things are simply clever word plays, others are stories of delight and irony - a thing which Bono and the boys were very heavy on in the 1990's.

Trabants on stage anyone?

10 songs that show Bono's lyrical qualities


One


Perhaps second only to With Or Without you in terms of popularity, it is arguably U2's finest song and I believe the lyrics are what make this so - I think this is because it's one of those songs where the lyrics can mean anything and everything to anyone.

At work last week a manager did a pop quiz and asked what this song was about. The answers varied from 'it's about a gay couple' or 'two torn lovers'.

I think Bono's actually on record in the U2 by U2 book as One being a song about a couple that's breaking up.

But that doesn't matter as its words are universal and have been taken to heart by so many U2 fans - indeed some have even had it as their wedding song which I'm sure would be a delicious irony for Bono. 

The Wanderer


"They say they want the kingdom but they don't want God in it".

I think that's Bono perfectly capturing the wishes of so many of us.

We want the nice things, but aren't prepared to put in the effort.

Or something.

For me, The Wanderer always seemed like some post apocalyptic dream - and it's perhaps a sign of a great song where it allows you to shape your own thoughts and fantasies around it (well when Bono mentions the 'atomic sky', that's nice nudge).

Indeed, the whole of Zooropa's lyrics seem to take me to a strange other world, where in some places it's OK to feel numb or taste the lemon but spit out antifreeze.

Original of the Species


The title is suggestive of what's to come in this song, a play on Darwin's epic work about evolution - the song's lyrics are possibly a father looking at his daughter's own evolution from - child to woman.

The second half is more likely Bono singing to his wife (and the message in the first half could also before her) - either way both, themes are heartwarming.

If God Will Send His Angels


'Blind leading the blond' is perhaps my favourite U2 lyric ever. It's just a cleverly simple play on words.

Bono does that trick a fair bit in the Pop album - an almost too cute example is from The Playboy Mansion which opens with the lyric "If Coke is a mystery, and Micheal Jackson, history...".

It was a nice play on the failing career of Jackson and a play on the name of his Greatest Hits album.


Sunday Bloody Sunday


Bono defiantly wears this song's lyrics on his sleeve.

A song about soldiers shooting civilians in Northern Ireland - the lyrics capture the moment crisply by invoking a cross fire between religion and the military (and by extension the State) and the sad consequences when both collide.

Featuring a fine use of  a marching drum beat by Larry Mullen, the song's chorus is a defining moment for Bono - it was one of U2's first truly popular 'classic' songs and it many ways this song defined U2 as a band that could carry some political weight.

U2 would return to this theme with "Please" and "The Troubles".
.

Until the End of the World


"In my dream I was drowning my sorrows
But my sorrows, they learned to swim
Surrounding me, going down on me
Spilling over the brim

Waves of regret and waves of joy
I reached out for the one I tried to destroy
You, you said you'd wait
'Til the end of the world"

Simply one of Bono's finest song writing moments.

Water is commonly used as a metaphor life yet here's Bono drowning in his sorrows.

The song can be seen as a obvious story about how Judas betrayed Jesus and thus seen as one of those "U2 going on about God and spiritually" type songs but as with all good lyrics they can mean anything.

I tend to see this one more of a dramatic break up between two lovers where the relationship perhaps has been bit one sided.

The Wanderer


"They say they want the kingdom but they don't want God in it". I think that's Bono perfectly capturing the wishes of so many of us.

We want the nice things, but aren't prepared to put in the effort.

For me, The Wanderer always seemed like some post apocalyptic dream - and it's perhaps a sign of a great song where it allows you to shape your own thoughts and fantasies around it (well when Bono mentions the 'atomic sky', that's nice nudge).

Indeed, the whole of Zooropa's lyrics seem to take me to a  strange other world, where in some places it's OK to feel numb or taste the lemon but spit out antifreeze.

U2 playing live onstage


Not a hugely popular song on release as a single but I think time has shown that Please was a fine song from U2's Pop album.

Lyrically it was a political plea, invoking the captains of Irish politics to sort their messes out (The Troubles).

The listener would perhaps know the song had political connotations if they had seen the cover which featured Gerry Adams and other elected leaders - however this stanza effectively leaves no stone unturned as Bono thows a rock in the air to hit home the issues:

Your Catholic blues, your convent shoes
Your stick-on tattoos, now they're making the news
Your holy war, your northern star
Your sermon on the mount from the boot of your car

Strong stuff from an album many people were quick to write off.


One could be forgiven for thinking that Get on Your Boots was simply a throw away song by U2 ( indeed one wonders why they released it as the first single from No Line on the Horizon when Magnificent probably would have given them a hit single) however the lyrics of this song run deep.

Almost a stream of consciousness, tripping through its seemingly nonsensical words but when Bono writes "I don’t want to talk about the wars between the nations" is he saying everything or just burying his head in the sand?

This is Bono's finest love letter he has ever written.

The closing from Rattle and Hum is simply a man tell a woman how he loves her - it's perhaps not the happiest song with undertones suggesting things may have gone awry - indeed the tremendous coda at the end suggests a passionate love affair being ripped apart by uncaring forces.

A good lyric deserves a fine musical backing and All I Want is You has it in spades.

Summary

So that was my attempt to highlight some of the fine lyrical qualities and charms that Bono and U2 have to offer.

Of course, with any interpretation of songs, the whole exercise is a subjective journey, indeed a musical journey that could have stopped at a completely different set of songs.

Bono is a bit of a lyrical magpie.

He steals lines from the bible and riffs on the work of others (such as when he tried to write a sequel of sorts to John Lennon's 'God') to make his point. But he does that and gets his unique messages across to the listener very well.

If someone hasn't already printed a book featuring all of U2's lyrics, they surely will as they serve as some fine literature in their own right. Throw in some politcal rallying and a little love making and there's a best seller book of poetry on your hands....

What are your favourite lyrical moments from U2?