A Sort of Homecoming," the opening track on U2's 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire, marks a significant shift in the band's sound and lyrical approach.
While War raged with political urgency and raw emotion, "Homecoming" ushers in an era of atmospheric introspection, a sonic landscape painted with broader strokes and more poetic imagery. The song's expansive soundscape, with The Edge's shimmering guitar textures and Brian Eno's ambient production, creates a sense of vastness and wonder, reflecting the song's theme of journey and self-discovery.
Unlike the directness of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" or the anthemic quality of "Pride (In the Name of Love)," "Homecoming" unfolds gradually, inviting the listener to embark on a sonic pilgrimage alongside the band.
Lyrically, "A Sort of Homecoming" is rich with symbolism and metaphor. Bono, inspired by his travels through Ethiopia and his growing fascination with literature and philosophy, crafts a narrative that transcends the physical journey, delving into the realm of the spiritual and the existential. "And you hunger for the time / Time to heal, desire, time / And your earth moves beneath / Your own dream landscape," he sings, evoking a sense of longing for something beyond the mundane, a yearning for connection and meaning.
The "homecoming" referenced in the title is not merely a return to a physical place, but a journey inward, a rediscovery of the self. This theme of searching for meaning and connection is echoed in other tracks on The Unforgettable Fire, such as "Wire" with its exploration of internal struggles and "Bad," a poignant reflection on addiction and loss.
A Sort of Homecoming also featured on the U2 EP, Wide Awake in America.
"A Sort Of Homecoming" Song Lyrics by U2
And you know it's time to goThrough the sleet and driving snow
Across the fields of mourning
To a light that's in the distance
And you hunger for the time
Time to heal, desire, time
And your earth moves beneath
Your own dream landscape
Oh, on borderland we run
I'll be there, I'll be there tonight
A high road
A high road out from here
The city walls are all pulled down
The dust a smokescreen all around
See faces ploughed like fields
That once gave no resistance
And we live by the side of the road
On the side of a hill as the valley explodes
Dislocated, suffocated
The land grows weary of its own
Yosoma way oh coma way o com o coma way say I
O coma way o coma way o com o coma way say I
Oh, on borderland we run and still we run
We run and don't look back
I'll be there, I'll be there
Tonight, tonight
I'll be there tonight
I'll believe
I'll be there so hold on
I'll be there tonight
Tonight
Yocoma way amy samwesay oma
Yocoma way oma say
The wind will crack in wintertime
This bomb-blast lightning waltz
No spoken words, just a scream, oh
Tonight we'll build a bridge across the sea and land
See the sky, the burning rain
She will die and live again
Tonight
And your heart beats so slow
Through the rain and fallen snow
Across the fields of mourning
To a light that's in the distance
Oh, don't sorrow,
No don't weep for tonight, at last
I am coming home
I am coming home
"A Sort of Homecoming" stands as a pivotal moment in U2's evolution. It marks a departure from the raw energy of their earlier work, embracing a more atmospheric and introspective sound. The song's lyrical depth and sonic richness set the stage for the album's exploration of themes such as memory, loss, and the search for meaning in a world often marked by chaos and uncertainty.
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