"Winter" song lyrics by U2 from the Brothers movie

Winter is a song  left over from the No Line on the Horizon recording sessions.

Winter appears in the war film Brothers at the request of director Jim Sheridan, and it plays over the closing credits.

Bono wrote Winter's lyrics in one night and they were revised just once after that. 

Tobey Maguire's character Captain Sam Cahill was the inspiration for the lyric, with the band noting that the focus on "intense hidden emotion" and the secrets he held inside "was a jumping off point, thematically."

Bono noted that film director Sheridan wanted a "complex song for a complex character" and so the band wrote two songs: "Winter" and "White as Snow". 

While "White as Snow" focuses more on the relationship between the Cahill brothers, "Winter's" lyrics contribute to a "more universal song about the experience of the armed forces in Afghanistan.

"Winter" song lyrics by U2 from the Brothers movie

The yellow sun
Well it took the hand
Of a country boy
To a city in a far off land

We made no mark
No shadow at all
On the ancient holy streets
Where I learned to crawl

The broken and the bruised
The young and the used
The sure and confused
All here

Words would land on me
Then abandon me
Mangle, untangle me
Leave me on the floor

Rhymes they sprang in me
Summer sang in me
But summer sings in me no more

Now I’m 25
I’m trying to stay alive
In a corner of the world
With no clear enemies to fight

It’s hot as hell
And we’re like butter on toast
But there’s no army in this world
Can fight a ghost

The broken and the bruised
The young and the used
The sure and confused
All here

Words would land on me
Then abandon me
Leave me stranded
In writing on the door

Rhymes began in me
Summer sang in me
But summer sings in me no more

Ooo…

Listening to the cries
The strangers
The silence in the foreign grave

Listening to the thunder
The sky stretched
Stretched over every one

Listening to the tanks
The shy soul
The monster wants to pay

Listening to a chorus
Shining
And searching

At 21
I was born a son
And on that day I knew
I could kill

To protect the ones
We put bullets in guns
Or anything it takes
To take a life until it’s still

Oh…

The production of "Winter" underwent several transformations. Initially recorded during the No Line on the Horizon sessions, the song began as a sprawling, experimental piece, heavily influenced by the atmospheric production style of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. 

Eno's ambient textures and Lanois’ deep sonic layering are evident in the song’s expansive soundscapes, which give the track a cinematic quality. However, U2 ultimately decided that "Winter" did not fit the final tracklist of No Line on the Horizon, which leaned more toward a cohesive rock and experimental mix. Instead, a more stripped-down, somber version of the song was developed for the Brothers soundtrack, bringing the lyrics into sharper focus while maintaining the cold, reflective mood. 

This reworked version features The Edge’s haunting guitar work, complemented by minimalist instrumentation that underscores the emotional weight of the song. "Winter" is a powerful example of U2’s ability to craft songs that speak to deeply personal experiences while addressing broader social and existential themes, all set against the backdrop of their signature atmospheric production style.

Check out more U2 song lyrics

"Be There" Lyrics U2

"Be There" Lyrics by U2


This song is from The Unforgettable Fire era and was never formally released, even following the 25th anniversary release of the album - the songs that were released were Yoshino Blossom and Disappearing Act. Apparently you can find the song on bootleg recordings.


Of interest is the lyric "All I want is you", which Bono may have poached for the song of the same name off the Rattle and Hum album.


Be There Lyrics:

You don't have to break your heart in two, my love
You don't have to play a part, it's you I love
You don't have to hide from yourself
You don't have to be someone else again
You don't have to rescue me
You don't have to watch me drown
You don't have to give to me
All I want is you

Be there, my love
Be there tonight
Be there, my love
Be there tonight

You don't have to dress yourself up or stay the same
You don't have to smile if I say smile
You don't have to be the best
You don't have to give me rest
All I want is all you have
Nothing else, nothing
Be there, my love

Just be there, my love
If you want the whole of me that's all you'll get
I'll sing this song
I'd give my health, give it all
You don't have to

Ah, she comes on by
She says, I need you, my love
She says, all I want is you

You don't have to play your little game if I fall apart
You don't have to work those strings or do those things
You're enough in my heart
You don't have to hide from yourself
You don't have to be someone else
All I want is all you have
All I want is you

Be there, my love
Be there tonight
Be there, my love
Be there tonight

"Boomerang II" Lyrics U2

"Boomerang II" Lyrics U2

Boomerang is from the recording sessions of The Unforgettable Fire and was used as the B-side to the big single, Pride. There was also an instrumental called Boomerang I.

Boomerang II lyrics:

Soul wind blow
Soul wind blow
Under her skin I hear her love him
Under her love at peace within
Under her hands that which I'm needing
Under her eyes I glimpse her love

Soul wind blow
Soul wind blow
Soul wind blow
Soul wind blow
Under her time I think I'm within
Under her lie I hear her love
Under her love I hear nothing
Under her eyes I disappear

Soul wind blow
Soul wind blow
Soul wind blow
Soul wind blow
Under the sky I'm pointing there
Under the power, baby

You say run away
Throw me away
Throw me away

In the drift we've come
In the drift we go
In the drift we've come
In the drift we go

Soul wind blow
Soul wind blow
Soul wind blow
Soul wind blow
Under her skin I feel loving
Under her sign there is no fear
Under her hands, that which I'm holding
Under her eyes I disappear

Soul wind blow
Soul wind blow
Soul wind blow
Soul wind blow

In the drift we've come
Soul wind blow
In the drift we go
Soul wind blow
In the drift we've come
Soul wind blow
In the drift we go
Soul wind blow
In the drift we've come
Under her
In the drift we go
Under her
In the drift we've come
Under her
In the drift we go
Under her
Soul wind blow
Soul wind blow
Under her hands
Soul wind
Some day throw me away
Fade it away
Throw it away

In the drift we've come
In the drift we go
In the drift we've come
In the drift we go
In the drift we've come
Soul wind blow
In the drift we go
Soul wind blow
In the drift we've come
Soul wind blow
In the drift we go
Soul wind blow
In the drift we've come
In the drift we go

Check out the song:

Beat on the Brat U2 / Ramones Lyrics

U2's decision to cover "Beat on the Brat" by The Ramones is a testament to the deep admiration the Irish rock band holds for the American punk pioneers. It can be found on the We're a Happy Family album which was a collection of Ramones covers featuring efforts by Metallica, Green Day, Rancid and The Offspring.

The Ramones played a pivotal role in shaping the early musical direction of U2, especially in the late 1970s when punk rock was a driving force behind the band's formation. 

In their formative years, U2 was heavily influenced by the raw energy and stripped-down sound of punk bands like The Ramones, whose rebellious attitude and minimalist, high-octane performances resonated with U2's desire to break away from traditional rock norms. 

Covering "Beat on the Brat" was U2’s way of honoring The Ramones’ enduring influence on their career, particularly in capturing the sense of urgency, simplicity, and defiance that characterized punk music and laid the groundwork for U2's early sound.

The lyrics are hardly an inspiring story yet "Beat on the Brat" was described by Dee Dee Ramone as a true story. "Joey saw some mother going after a kid with a bat in his lobby and wrote a song about it." So it could be viewed as a comment on difficult mother son relationships or it might just be a cool song.

Beat on the Brat Lyrics by the Ramones

1-2-3-4

Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
With a baseball bat
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh oh

Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
With a baseball bat
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh oh
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh oh

What can you do
What can you do
With a brat like that always on your back
What can you lose

What can you lose
What can you lose
With a brat like that always on your back
What can you do

Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
With a baseball bat
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh oh

Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
With a baseball bat
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh oh
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh oh

What can you do
What can you do
With a brat like that always on your back
What can you do

What can you lose
What can you lose
With a brat like that always on your back
What can you do
Do

The Ramones' impact on U2 goes beyond musical style; it also played a significant role in the band's ethos and philosophy. This influence culminated in the release of "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)" on U2's 2014 album Songs of Innocence. 

The track serves as a tribute to The Ramones' lead singer, Joey Ramone, and celebrates the transformative moment when Bono first heard The Ramones as a teenager, describing it as a near-spiritual experience that gave him a sense of belonging. 

List of U2 songs worth a second Listen

What are the best U2 songs to have a second listen to?

U2 is a band well known for its big singles. Songs like Where the Streets Have No Name, Beautiful Day and Desire all popular the world over.

Some U2 songs sometimes get over looked by the casual fan.

Here's a list of U2 songs that I think are worthy of a second listen.

Please, from the album Pop.

Pop is probably Bono’s best effort lyrically across an album. With wordplays on Michael Jackson being history over Jackson’s own HIStory pun, the blind leading the blonde and the line from Please, “Your Catholic blues, Your convent shoes” pretty much summing up Bono’s eternal search for his place and pace in the world - this song was depressing yet uplifting at the same time. Overall, it was a question being asked of Ireland's political leaders.

Dirty Day, Zooropa

“These days, days, days run away like horses over the hill” being sung over and over at the end always remind me that I never have enough time to do what ever it is I wanted do. This song did make me go see a documentary on the guy it was dedicated to, the author Charles Bukowski and read some of his books.

Van Dieman’s Land, from Rattle and Hum

This song has the Edge singing about the life of the John Boyle O'Reilly, who was deported to Australia for writing bad poetry. The song's sentiments reflect the hard life that immigrants faced when they arrived in Van Dieman's Land. It's probably the best vocal the Edge ever did.

Unchained Melody

Clearly not an original U2 song but when you hear Bono sing it, it has the emotion that all their big hits have. Released as a B-side to With Or Without You, it has been a favourite amongst the U2 hardcore for years.

MLK, The Unforgettable Fire album

While the fire is a reference to atomic bombs being dropped in Japan (an early portent of How to dismantle an Atomic Bomb maybe?) the album seemed dedicated to two Kings – Elvis and Martin Luther King. MLK is sung like a lullaby. While Bono’s politic rants and beseeches and besmirches of The Man might put the more jaded and cynical amongst us to sleep, you can’t complain that this song does the same in a nice under the covers on a rainy day kind of way.

Beat on the Brat, cover of The Ramones, from the We’re a Happy Family Ramones Tribute Album.

Beat on the brat with a baseball bat. Yeah punk. U2 started out playing Ramone’s covers trying to pass them off as their own. Which is pretty much the music industry down pat these days. What can you do?

Original of the Species

Coming from their popular How to Dismantle and Atomic Bomb album, Original of the Species is almost like a classic father to daughter message, 'Don't Grow Up Too Fast, Baby'.

What are your favourite U2 songs you think are worthy of a second listen?

Unchained Melody song lyrics as sung by U2

U2 have written a million songs about love, this cover of the Righteous Brothers mega hit is no less one of those songs. It's so blatantly about how a man loves a women that it's just a perfect song for U2 to cover (here's some other covers they've done).

Unchained Melody has been a popular song with the U2 in crowd for years. U2 have played it live many times, and it was released as a b-side to All I Want Is You.

 

Unchained Melody was written by two people, the music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. Originally released in 1955 for a movie called Unchained. 

It was sung by one Mr Todd Duncan. It became a massive hit in 1965 for the Righteous Brothers, and they are probably the artist most associated with the song. Hell. I think Elvis did a cover along the way too...

Unchained Melody song lyrics as sung by U2

Oh, oh my love
Oh my darling
I've hunger for your touch
A long and lonely time

And time goes by
So slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine ?

I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me

Lonely rivers flow
To the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea

Lonely rivers sigh
Wait for me, wait for me
I'll be coming home
Wait for me

Oh, oh my love
Oh my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long and lonely time

And time goes by
So slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine ?

I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me
It to me
God speed your love to me

I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
I need your love

"Angels Too Tied To The Ground" Song Lyrics by U2

Angels Too Tied to the Ground" delves into the complex interplay between love, loss, and the constraints of human experience. The lyrics evoke imagery of angels, which traditionally symbolize purity and transcendence, yet are depicted as “tied to the ground,” suggesting a poignant contrast between divine aspirations and earthly limitations. 

This duality captures the essence of the human condition, where even the most elevated ideals can be hampered by real-life entanglements, be it in relationships or personal struggles. 

Bono's reflective tone highlights a sense of yearning and the emotional weight of attachments, inviting listeners to consider how our desires for freedom and connection are often at odds​.

Furthermore, the song’s mid-tempo, piano-driven arrangement complements its lyrical themes, creating an atmosphere that mirrors the tension between hope and despair. The juxtaposition of a seemingly upbeat musical backdrop with the weighty subject matter underscores U2’s signature ability to blend emotional depth with accessible sound. 

"Angels Too Tied To The Ground" Song Lyrics by U2

What is it that keeps me back from you
What is it when I just can't get through
What is it when we've nothing left to do
But savor the mess that we tried

What is it when the clock just won't rewind
What is it when our love seems to stop time
I'm telling you
Waving a white flag
Baby got a white flag flying for you baby
Got a white flag, a white flag

Angels too tied to the ground
Angels too tied to the ground
Angels too tied to the ground

And now it's only alive in my head
In my mind
All in my head, in my mind

Angels too tied to the ground
Angels too tied to the ground
Angels too tied to the ground

Angels too tied to the ground
Angels too tied to the ground
Angels too tied to the ground

-

"Angels Too Tied to the Ground" was included in the 2008 reissue of U2's iconic album War, as part of a remastered edition that celebrated the album's legacy while introducing previously unreleased material to fans. 

This reissue offered listeners a deeper insight into the band’s creative process during the early 1980s, shedding light on the themes and lyrical content that shaped their musical identity. 

"Alone In The Light" Lyrics U2

"Alone In The Light" Lyrics U2

This is an early composition from U2 that was never formally released on an album or single but was played live on a few occasions.

Kind of like Party Girl, the lyrics highlight Bono's early efforts at creating imagery when he states what the person rather is than his later lyrics where he seems to focus on how people behave or are..... It is of course, arguable either way!

Alone In The Light Lyrics:

City street lights and I walked away
Don't leave me standing in the cold
Cigarette lights, feel my finger alight
I need to be alone

She can take you tonight
She can make you, that's alright
She can break you tonight
Don't missunderstand

Cigarette girls throw his head in a whirl
To be a superman
All of her girls, there must be a glimpse
I'm drinking all I can

We can take it tonight
We can make it, that's right
We can break it tonight
Don't missunderstand

The light
Alone in the light
Alone in the light
Alone in the light
In the city at night

She can take it tonight
She can make you, that's right
She can break you tonight
Don't missunderstand
Please take my hand

Alone in the light
Alone in the light
Alone in the light
In the city at night

We roam the streets in the morning light
We held our head in our hands

Alone in the light
Alone in the light
Alone in the light
In the city at night

"Alex Descends Into Hell For A Bottle Of Milk/Korova 1" Lyrics U2

Alex Descends was the b-side to the 1991 single, The Fly, from the Achtung Baby album.

It was mostly an instrumental but with the following latin lyrics. They complement 'The Fly' a song which Bono said was a 'phone call from hell".

"Alex Descends Into Hell For A Bottle Of Milk/Korova 1" Lyrics U2

Dies irae, dies illa
Dies irae, dies illa
Tuba mirum spargens sonum
Decet in inferno
Dies illa, dies illa

The English translation of the Latin lyrics:

A day of wrath, that day
A day of wrath, that day
The trumpet's wondrous call sounding abroad
He descended into hell
A day of wrath, that day

"The Fool" Lyrics U2

"The Fool" Lyrics U2

From U2's 1978 recording sessions with producer Barry Devlin - Street Missions also comes from this time. 

The Fool lyrics:

Alive on an ocean
A world that I didn't see
I walk the world backways
It's aways just a shameful game

That's out of mind
Out of the living world
Out of time
I break all the rules
They call me a fool
Right

A cartoon in motion
A hero pretends no pain
A clown skipping backwards
You laugh at another's shame

But I don't mind
Out of a living low down
I don't mind
Winners or losers
It's all just a game
And I'm going down
And I'm slowing down

Life in an instant
The key to an open door
I'm living, I'm laughing
In living I'm living more

It's out of mind
Out of the living world
Out of time
Winners or losers
It's always a game
And I'm going down
But I'm slowing down
Turn around, turn around
And around and around
Turn around, turn around
There's a cloud, there's a cloud
Slow, slow
The fool has found the golden key
It's so slow
It's waiting there for you and me
Just a fool, a street jester
The hero of society
Just a fool, a street jester
Look at me, now can't you see

A life in a motion
A world I'm glad I didn't save
A cartoon in motion
A key to the same day

I don't mind, I'm here to know
I wanna go go go go go

Slow, slow
The fool has found the golden key
It's so slow
It's waiting there for you and me
Just a fool, a street jester
The hero of society
Just a fool, a street jester
Look at me, now can't you see

"Street Missions" Lyrics U2

"Street Missions" Lyrics U2

This is a very early song from U2 that was never released on an album or single but was played in concert. Lyrically, the songs meaning could be about anything...

Street Missions:

Oh no, man I just got here
You got me thinking I'm about to leave
Sunset and maybe tomorrow
A new direction, I know
What I know know know
What I know know know

I walk tall, I walk in the wild wind
I love to stare
I love to watch myself grow
Sunset and maybe tomorrow
A new direction, I know
What I know know know
What I know know know

Street missions
Street missions
Street missions
Street missions

I'm not promising nothing
I'm just giving a smile
I can't rearrange it
Oh no, oh no no no

Street missions
Street missions
Street missions
Street missions

I walk tall, I walk in the wild wind
I love the image of plastic people
Sunset and maybe tomorrow
A resurrection alone
Well I know know know
I know know know
Oh no no no
Oh no

Oh, oh
Oh, I need something
I need something
I need someone
I need someone
I need you
Oh, I've got something
I've got something
I've got someone
I've got someone
I've got you

Street missions
Street missions
Street missions
And goodnight

Every Breaking Wave song lyrics by U2

"Every Breaking Wave" is an unflinching meditation on the ebb and flow of human relationships, framed by the elemental metaphor of the sea. 

The song's tidal imagery—waves breaking against the shore, the pull and resistance of the ocean—captures the inevitable push-pull of love, with its undertows of doubt and desire. Bono's lyrics lay bare the vulnerability that surfaces when lovers attempt to navigate these currents, knowing full well that the tide often carries them in directions they can't control. 

The line, "Are we ready to be swept off our feet and stop chasing every breaking wave?" cuts to the heart of this dilemma: the surrender to love's unpredictable nature, or the futility of chasing fleeting moments of perfection. 

But "Every Breaking Wave" also serves as an allegory for the larger, more universal struggle between risk and safety. It taps into U2's recurring theme of spiritual longing and existential searching, with the waves becoming not just symbols of romantic entanglements but of life's broader uncertainties. 

The Edge's shimmering guitar lines create a sonic landscape that mirrors the emotional tension within the lyrics—a delicate balance between beauty and fragility. The ocean, vast and indifferent, becomes a metaphor for fate, for the unknown forces that shape our lives and loves. 

Every Breaking Wave is a left over from the recording sessions of the U2 album, No Line on the Horizon. U2 debuted it live during the 360 Tour and it made it onto the Songs of Innocence album release.

Bono said of the song:

"If you hear ‘Every Breaking Wave’ played on a piano, you just fall over. And if it doesn’t move you, you’re either deaf or dead, or you should be."

The lyrics below are from those live performances of the song and also the studio version.

Every Breaking Wave song lyrics by U2

Final Album Version Lyrics

Every breaking wave on the shore
Tells the next one there'll be one more
And every gambler knows that to lose
Is what you're really there for

Summer I was fearless
Now I speak into an answer phone
Like every silent leave on the breeze
Winter wouldn't leave it alone
Alone

If you go
If you go your way and I go mine
Are we so
Are we so helpless against the tide
Baby, every dog on the street
Knows that we’re in love with defeat
Are we ready to be swept off our feet
And stop chasing every breaking wave

Every sailor knows that the sea
Is a friend made enemy
And every shipwrecked soul knows what it is
To live without intimacy

I thought I heard the captain’s voice
It's hard to listen while you preach
Like every broken wave on the shore
This was as far as I can reach

If you go
If you go your way and I go mine
Are we so
Are we so helpless against the tide
Baby, every dog on the street
Knows that we’re in love with defeat
Are we ready to be swept off our feet
And stop chasing every breaking wave

The waves know where are the rocks
And drowning is no sin
You know where my heart is
The same place that yours has been
And we know the fear to win
And so we end before we begin
Before we begin

If you go
If you go your way and I go mine
Are we so
Are we so helpless against the tide
Baby, every dog on the street
Knows that we’re in love with defeat
Are we ready to be swept off our feet
And stop chasing every breaking wave


Original song lyrics that were performed live

Every breaking wave
On the shore
Til the next one there’ll be one more

Every gambler knows
That to lose
Is what you’re really there for

Somewhere else, fearlessness
Now I’m speaking to an answer phone
Every falling leaf
On the breeze
Winter wouldn’t leave her alone

Ay hey now
Ay hey now

I don’t know if I’m that strong
I don’t know if I’m that strong
Don’t know if I’m that strong
To be somebody
To need someone

Every sailor knows that the sea
Is a friend made enemy
Every shipwrecked soul
Knows what it is
To live without intimacy
I thought I heard the master’s voice
It’s hard to listen while you preach

Like every broken wave
On the shore
This is as far as I can reach

Ay hey now
Ay hey now

I don’t know if I’m that strong
I don’t know if I’m that strong
Don’t know if I’m that strong
Got to be somebody
To need someone

The waves know
We’re on the rocks
Drowning is no sin

You know
That my heart
Is the same place yours has been

We know
Here with
The end before it begins

The waves know
We’re on the rocks
Drowning is no sin

You know
That my heart
Is the same place yours has been

We know
Here with
The end before it begins

Check out the lyrics to, Sleep Like A Baby Tonight a song about a god awful priest, This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now and The Troubles.

Sixty Seconds in Kingdom Come

"Sixty Seconds in Kingdom Come" is an instrumental by U2. It is from The Unforgettable Fire recording sessions. It has been re-released as part of the new re issuing of the album.

Obviously then, the song being an instrumental means there are no lyrics.

"Disappearing Act" Lyrics U2

The Unforgettable Fire cover artwork - featuring Slane Castle

"Disappearing Act" Lyrics U2

Disappearing Act is a new song that was released by U2 as part of the reissue of The Unforgettable Fire album.

The music is from the original recording sessions with Bono adding new vocal tracks to the song for the reissue - so it's a true mix of old and new. The song used to be known as "White City".

The introduction is classic The Edge style soaring guitars, reminiscent of the I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For chord progression but a little faster.

Bono makes a reference to lepers in the head - a line he recycled for U2's 'One'.

Note too, the line similarity in the Disappearing Act lyric 'lovers in your beds' and 'lepers in your head' that made it on to the One track and the similar themes Bono is exploring in both songs.

Disappearing Act Lyrics:

You do your disappearing act x 2

Silence
I know I could get used to this
Cunning
Your scent is something I'm not going to miss
Excite
It's a small price to pay for bliss
Alone
Like a painter's dog without a bone
When there's only one thing you need to own
And that is hunger
Hunger itself

I know we'll pick and wrench
Your night just ripped and it is torn to shreds
From all the lovers taken to your beds
They're empty now
And you think that you can love
And you think that you can love
And you think that you can love
Someone into home

You do your disappearing act
You do your disappearing act

Jealousy
It's not what it's cracked up to be
Envy
Gets you where you need to be
Alone
Rather the river than your stepping stones
Leave the graveyard before you turn to bones
I'm tragic, your comedy
Oh, baby doll
The dogs are barking, they need to be fed
All of the lepers your let in your head
Is it empty now
'Cause you think you can love
And you think that you can love
And you think that you can love
Someone into home

You do your disappearing act x 2

Check out Yoshino Blossom which was also released as part of the 25th Anniversary rerelease of The Unforgettable Fire.

Other pages you may be interested in:

• U2 commentary on American politics
• 10 U2 Love songs
• U2: politics and nuclear bombs
• Bono on Jesus in U2 lyrics
• Landlady lyrics from Songs of Experience

"Yoshino Blossom" Song Lyrics by U2

"Yoshino Blossom" Lyrics U2

Yoshino Blossom is a new song that was released by U2 as part of the reissue of The Unforgettable Fire album. The song itself is an instrumental so there are no lyrics!

Yoshino Blossom presumably refers to the Japanese Cherry Blossoms and this is perhaps the clue that the instrumental is to evoke ideas of the atomic bombs being dropped on Japan and hence U2 using the title for the album and the song, The Unforgettable Fire.

The actual Unforgettable Fire was an art exhibition which reflected on the effects of the bombs.

Also released at the same time as this song was Disappearing Act.

U2 would later revisit the topic of the Atomic Bomb with the album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.

Check out some more pages on the meaning of U2 lyrics: U2 lyrics that explore Jesus, Yahweh and The Good Book, how Elvis was the King, or U2 songs that name check real people.

"Lady With The Spinning Head" Lyrics U2

Lady with the Spinning Head was a song left over from the Achtung Baby recording sessions. Keen listeners will note its similarity to The Fly. The song was released as a B-side to the single, One.

The song channels the intense emotional fragmentation that defined the band’s early 90s sound, wrapped in themes of desire, disorientation, and existential yearning. 

The titular "lady" embodies a swirling persona, a metaphor for the dizzying effect of love, lust, and power on the human soul. Bono’s lyrics paint a picture of someone who is caught between conflicting impulses—simultaneously drawn to and repelled by the dizzying experience of infatuation and obsession. 

Lines like “The world turns and we get dizzy / It's hard to see this somewhere else” reflect a sense of existential vertigo, where personal relationships become inseparable from the larger chaos of the world. In this state of flux, identity and desire blur, leaving the protagonist vulnerable to the forces of both passion and despair.

'Lady with the Spinning Head' Song Lyrics:

Here she comes, lady luck again
Figure of eight, six and nine again
My lady with the spinning head
Whatever the deal she won't let me down
Wherever I go she's always hanging round
My lady with the spinning head

Lady with the spinning head
Lady with the spinning head
Oh yeah

She's been gone but I knew she'd be back
She's got the rent, she put me in the black
The lady with the spinning head
If I ever let go, she'd cure my blues
She's the one in the Chinese shoes
Lady with the spinning head
I'm on top when she's around
Shes my ticket out of town
Lady with the spinning head

Lady with the spinning head
Lady with the spinning head
Lady with the spinning head
Lady with the spinning head

Here she comes, lady luck again
Figures
Here she comes
Figure of eight, six and nine again

-

Lady with the Spinning Head,” although not selected for the final track list of Achtung Baby, proved to be a fertile ground for U2's creative evolution, spawning the foundational elements of three tracks that would become central to the album: “The Fly,” “Ultraviolet (Light My Way),” and “Zoo Station.” 

U2's "Two Shots Of Happy, One Shot Of Sad" song lyrics as sung by Nancy Sinatra

"Two Shots Of Happy, One Shot Of Sad" song lyrics by U2 and Nancy Sinatra

Written as a gift for Frank Sinatra, Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad was released as a B-Side to If God Will Send His Angels, a single from U2's Pop album.

It is a jazzy lounge song written in the style of the music Sinatra is known for. Recorded for Sinatra's 80th birthday. It was played for him in a televised birthday tribute in 1995. It has a string arrangement by Craig Armstrong.

Frank never actually recorded the song Sinatra's daughter Nancy recorded a version of Two Shots which had Adam and Larry on the rhythm section.

Bono and Frank did duet on 'I've got you under my skin' which can be found on the popular Duets album or as the b-side to the Stay (Faraway, So Close!) single from Zooropa.

Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad Lyrics:

Two shots of happy, one shot of sad
You think I'm no good, well I know I've been bad
Took you to a place, now you can't get back
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad

Walk together down a dead end street
We were mixing the bitter with the sweet
Don't try to figure out what we might have had
Just two shots of happy, one shot of sad

I'm just a singer, some say a sinner
Rollin' the dice, not always a winner
You say I've been lucky, well hell, I made my own
Not part of the crowd but not feeling alone

Under pressure but not bent out of shape
Surrounded, we always found an escape
Drove me to drink but hey, thats not all bad
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad

Guess I've been greedy all of my life
Greedy with my children, my lovers, my wife
Greedy for the good things as well as the bad
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad

Maybe it's just talk, saloon singing
The chairs are all stacked, the swingers stopped swinging
You say I hurt you, you put the finger on yourself
Then after you did it you came crying for my help

Two shots of happy, one shot of sad
I'm not complaining, baby, I'm glad
You call it compromise, well, what's that
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad

U2's New York song was also written with The Chairman of the Board in mind.

"Smile" Lyrics U2

"Smile" Lyrics U2

Smile is from the Medium, Rare & Remastered compilation album of rarities and remastered tracks by the biggest band in the land, U2. The album was available to members of U2.com.

Smile Lyrics:

Gravity, it's not pulling me
I won't be a picture with no sound
Decaying, I'm praying
You are my air
But I need the ground to kneel upon
And love can't be us all
I don't want to see you smile

I'm breaking it, taking it
I'm breaking slowly in my mind
I'm seeing it, free in it
I know love is in this soul of mine
It's not in your eyes
I don't want
I don't want to see you smile

It started light-hearted
I won't be easier like you said
I'm going, flowing
I'm leaving on the day
Of the day I will live again
You will live again
I don't want to see you smile

God knows, He knows me
Knows me, lonely
You see, hear me, love
Say it again
You're not blind
The smoke machine
Is yours, not mine
I don't want to see you smile

I will live again
You will live again
I just don't want to see you smile

"Slide Away" Lyrics U2

"Slide Away" Lyrics U2

Slide Away was performed by Bono on the Micheal Hutchence album which was released poshumously. Bono wrote the lyrics. Bono had empathy with/for Hutchence and wrote Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of with him in mind.

Slide Away Lyrics:

Are you gonna wake again
Are you gonna take it down
Oh babe, I don't wanna deal it
Oh, make it alright
Gimme some, my love
Away, away, away

I just want to slide away and come alive again
I just want to slide away and come alive again
I will see that love again and find a life again
I just want to slide away and come alive again

I wanted to let it go
I just couldn't let it go
I wanted to let it go
I just couldn't let you go
I would catch you
I'd catch you as you fall
I would catch you
I'd catch you if I heard your call
But you tore a hole in space like a dark star falls from grace
You burn across the sky and I'd find you wings to fly
And I would catch you
And I would catch your fall

I just want to slide away and come alive again
I just want to slide away and come alive again
I will see that love again and find a life again
I just want to slide away and come alive again

I just want to slide away and come alive again
Call me, slide away, calling me
I just want to slide away and come alive again
Calling, say gain, calling, call me
I will see that love again and find a life again
Calling again, falling, falling to night
I just want to slide away and come alive again
Calling, falling, I'd find a way

"Slow Dancing" Song Lyrics by U2

U2’s song “Slow Dancing,” which serves as a B-side to their 1993 single ""Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" from the Zooropa album, explores themes of love, vulnerability, and the complexities of human relationships through the evocative metaphor of dancing. 

The imagery of "slow dancing" signifies an intimate connection between partners, emphasizing the tenderness and emotional presence that characterize deep relationships. 

It conveys a sense of vulnerability, where individuals reveal their true selves and accept each other's flaws, while also reflecting on nostalgia and the fleeting nature of love, as the lyrics evoke wistfulness and memories that shape current feelings. This acknowledgment of life's impermanence adds emotional weight, underscoring how precious moments of connection, though temporary, can provide hope and solace. Musically, the song's slow tempo and melodic arrangement enhance its intimate atmosphere, with Bono’s emotive vocal delivery further accentuating the longing and connection conveyed in the lyrics. 

"Slow dancing" was also released as a B-side to U2's 1997 single If God Will Send His Angels. This version featured country singer Willie Nelson.

'Slow Dancing' song lyrics - B-side to Stay (Faraway so Close):

My love is cruel as the night
She steals the sun and shuts out the light
All of my colors, they turn to blue
Win or lose

She does it slow dancing
Slow dancing
She does it slow dancing
All night long

Scarlet eyes and a see-through heart
She saw me coming right from the start
She picked me up but had me down on my knees
Just a-begging her
Begging her please

Take me slow dancing
Slow dancing
She took me slow dancing
All night long

And I don't know why a man
Search for himself in his lover's eyes
No, I don't know why a man
Sees the truth but needs the lies

My love is restless as the wind
She moves like a shadow across my skin
She left with my conscience
I don't want it back
It just gets in the way

If you wanna go slow dancing
Slow dancing
She took me slow dancing
All night long
Slow dancing
Slow dancing
Slow

"Love Comes Tumbling" Lyrics U2

"Love Comes Tumbling" Lyrics U2 (version I)

Apparently there were three versions of Love Comes Tumbling? Either way, this version appeared on the U2 EP Wide Awake in America which featured Bad, A Sort of Home Coming and The Three Sunrises.

Love Comes Tumbling Lyrics

Love don't need to find a way
You find your own way
I forget that I can't stay
And so I say that

All roads lead to where you are
All roads lead to where you are

The seed is spilled, the bed defiled
For you, a virgin bride
Hide yourself in someone else
Don't find yourself in me

I can't lift you up again
Love comes tumbling down again

Love don't need to find a way
You find your own way
I forget that you can stay
And so I say that

All roads lead to where you are
All roads lead to where you are

"The Three Sunrises" Lyrics U2

"The Three Sunrises" song lyrics by U2

Three Sunrises was released on the U2 EP Wide Awake in America which featured Bad and A Sort of Home Coming from The Unforgettable Fire and Love Comes Tumbling.

The Three Sun Rises Lyrics:

Spirit of the rising sun, lift me up
Hold me there and never let me fall
Love me 'til I die, my heart won't wait
Soon I will be done

In this love song
Love song
Love song
Love song

Hey, hey, love won't find
Find it's own way home

In this love song
Love song
Love song
Love song

Sunshine, sunshine on me
Sunshine, sunshine on me

In this love song
Love song
Love song
Love song

Hey, hey, love won't find
Find it's way home

In this love song
Love song
Love song
Love song

Sunshine on me
Bring it through to my home
I would give you everything
I will give you my desire

Sunshine, sunshine on me
Sunshine, sunshine on me

"Satellite Of Love" Lyrics Lou Reed sung by Milla Jocovich

This song is a classic track by Lou Reed from his famous Transformer album. 

Featuring on The Million Dollar Hotel Soundtrack. It features Bono on backing vocals with Mrs Resident Evil Milla Jovovich on lead.

"Satellite Of Love" Lyrics by Lou Reed

Satellite's gone up to the sky
Things like that drive me out of my mind
I watched it for a little while
I love to watch things on TV

Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love

Satellite's gone, way up to Mars
It's alright, it's alright
Soon it will be filled with parking cars
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
I watched it for a little while
It's alright
I like to watch things on TV

Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love

It's alright, satellite, satellite of love
I've been told, baby, that you've been bold, baby
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday
You've been bold, you've been bold
With Harry, Mark and John

Satellite's gone up to the sky
Things like that
Things like that drive me out of my mind
I watched it for a little while

Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love

Monday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Friday
Satellite of love
Wednesday, Monday, Friday, Tuesday
Satellite of love
Monday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Friday
Satellite of love
Wednesday, Monday, Friday, Tuesday
Satellite of love
Monday, Friday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Satellite of love
Wednesday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday
Satellite of love
Tuesday

Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love
Satellite of love

Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love" is a multifaceted song that primarily deals with themes of jealousy, heartbreak, and longing. Released in 1972 on his critically acclaimed Transformer album, the song tells the story of a man watching a satellite launch on television, using the event as a metaphor for emotional distance and detachment. The satellite, orbiting far from Earth, symbolizes the man's emotional isolation from the person he loves. As he watches this event unfold, he reflects on his romantic partner’s infidelity, which becomes more evident as the song progresses. The lines "I've been told that you've been bold / With Harry, Mark, and John" reveal his suspicion and heartbreak over their involvement with other people, highlighting a sense of betrayal.

The juxtaposition of the satellite imagery with these personal emotions adds a sense of grandeur to the song. It gives the sense that while the man is dealing with personal turmoil, the world continues to turn, indifferent to his suffering. The "satellite of love" represents something unattainable or distant, much like the unfaithful lover in the song. Despite the melancholic undertones, the song’s arrangement is somewhat upbeat, and its lush production—helmed by David Bowie—adds to the contrast between the personal pain expressed in the lyrics and the soaring, almost dreamy instrumentation. This contrast gives the song a reflective and bittersweet quality, making it one of Reed's most enduring and complex tracks.

Check out the lyrics to Stateless

"Dancing Shoes" Song Lyrics by U2

"Dancing Shoes is performed by Bono and the Million Dollar Hotel Band for the movie, The Million Dollar Hotel.

The song is a melancholic song that explores themes of emotional pain, longing, and coping through the metaphor of dance. 

The lyrics describe a person who is struggling with deep sadness, so much so that they cannot cry, suggesting a state of numbness or emotional exhaustion. The imagery of "dancin' shoes" represents a way of navigating or escaping this pain, as the person attempts to "waltz the blues," a metaphor for trying to mask their sadness through movement or distraction, perhaps even adopting a facade of grace or normalcy despite inner turmoil.

The song also delves into the complexity of love and heartbreak, hinted at through the lines about a mother’s warning that "true love don’t lie" and how loving someone can leave a lasting mark ("the smoke won't leave your eyes"). The repeated references to bruises that "they won’t find" suggest hidden wounds—emotional scars that are not outwardly visible, yet deeply felt. The "dancin' shoes" become a symbol of survival, as the character learns to carry their pain, moving through life despite the emotional burdens they bear. Ultimately, the song captures the paradox of attempting to "dance" through life's difficulties, even when those struggles are invisible to the outside world.

"Dancing Shoes" Song Lyrics by U2

I know you're so sad
So sad you can't cry
But I know you let go
Although you can't remember why

Your lipstick don't fit
Your strap's coming loose
You're out in the hall
Waltzing the blues
Now you hurt somewhere
They won't find a bruise
You've been learning to walk
In those dancin' shoes

I had a mama
She told me 'bout you
She said true love don't lie
You touch that woman
And the smoke won't leave your eyes

You're talking your walk
'Cause you can't refuse
Learning to walk
In those dancin' shoes
Now you hurt somewhere
They won't find a bruise
Learning to walk
In those dancin' shoes

"Falling At Your Feet" Song Lyrics by Bono & Daniel Lanois

"Falling at Your Feet" by Bono and Daniel Lanois, from The Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack, is a meditation on surrender, humility, and the human tendency to fall short of perfection. The song’s lyrics are a reflection on the many ways people experience failure, disappointment, and limitation in life, yet these experiences ultimately lead to a kind of spiritual surrender, symbolized by the recurring phrase "falling at your feet." 

Each verse catalogues a variety of human conditions—broken promises, lost opportunities, and the struggles of everyday life—demonstrating how everyone, regardless of their status or circumstances, ends up in a position of submission, whether to life itself, fate, or a higher power. The sense of falling, both literally and metaphorically, emphasizes the vulnerability and fragility of human existence.

The song also explores the theme of humility through imagery of people in various states of struggle, from teenagers with acne to pop stars hurling abuse. No one is exempt from the fall, as indicated by the repeated "all fall down," underscoring the universal nature of human imperfection. The lines "Teach me to surrender / Not my will / Thy will" suggest that true peace comes from yielding control and accepting a greater purpose or higher authority. 

There is a spiritual dimension to this surrender, as the song hints at a deeper, almost biblical humility in recognizing that life, with all its chaos and flaws, can only be navigated through faith or trust in something larger. 

"Falling At Your Feet" Song Lyrics by Bono & Daniel Lanois

Every chip from every cup

Every promise given up

Every reason that's not enough

Is falling, falling at your feet




Every band elastic limit

Every race when there's nothing in it

Every winner that's lost a ticket

Is falling, falling at your feet

I've come crawling, falling at your feet




Every one who needs a friend

Every life that has no end

Every knee not ready to bend

Is falling, falling at your feet

I've come crawling, now I'm falling at your feet




All fall down

All the manic days, faces that pull

All fall down

All the x-rays not under your control

All fall down

The graphitti running down for futile

All fall down

And the compromise you make for someone




Every teenager with acne

Every face that's spoiled by beauty

Ever adult tamed by duty

Are all falling at your feet




Every foot in every face

Every cop stop who finds the grace

Every prisoner in the maze

Every hand that needs an ace

Is falling, falling at your feet

I've come crawling, I'm falling at your feet




All fall down

All the books you never read

All fall down

Just started

All fall down

All the meals you rushed

All fall down

And never tasted




Every eye closed by a bruise

Every plan that just can't lose

Every pop star hurling abuse

Every drunk back on the booze

All falling at your feet

I'm falling at your feet




All fall down

All the information

All fall down

All the big ideas

All fall down

All the radio waves

All fall down

Electronic seas

All fall down

How to navigate

All fall down

How to simply be

All fall down

The truth knows when to wait

All fall down

Explained simplicity

All fall down

In whom shall I trust

All fall down

How might I be still

All fall down

Teach me to surrender

Not my will

Thy will

"Stateless" Song Lyrics by U2

Stateless is from The Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack for which Bono played a major contribution.


Stateless Lyrics:


I've got no home in this world
Just gravity, luck, and time
I've got no home in this world
Just you and you are not mine

Stateless
Weightless
Stateless

Such a girl

There are no colors in your eye
There's no sunshine in your sky
There's no race, only the prize
There is no tomorrow, only tonight

Stateless
It's the difference

You can cover a world with your thumb
Still so big, so bright, so beautiful

Weightless
Stateless

Push down on me
Push down on me
A weight now
A weight down on me
Your weight down
Be the weight, hard
Down on me
Be the heavy hand
The wall of sand
Be the weight, hard
Down on me

Stateless
Weightless
Hateless

-

The lyrics to "Stateless" reflect a deep sense of disconnection, alienation, and existential drift. The recurring phrase "I've got no home in this world" conveys a profound feeling of rootlessness, suggesting a character who feels unattached to any particular place or even to the people in their life. The protagonist seems to be grappling with the lack of stability, relying only on "gravity, luck, and time"—forces that are uncontrollable and impersonal. The line "Just you and you are not mine" speaks to the experience of unrequited or unattainable love, where the individual they long for remains out of reach, further emphasizing the emotional isolation. The chorus, "Stateless, weightless," evokes the idea of floating without an anchor, both literally and figuratively, capturing a sense of being adrift in the world without a clear identity or sense of belonging.

As the song progresses, it delves deeper into the emotional and existential weight the protagonist feels, despite the repeated notion of being "weightless." The second verse portrays an almost nihilistic outlook: "There are no colors in your eye / There's no sunshine in your sky" reflects a world drained of vibrancy, where the future is nonexistent ("There is no tomorrow, only tonight"). The weightlessness is juxtaposed against lines like "Push down on me" and "Be the weight, hard down on me," suggesting that despite the desire to feel light or free, the character is burdened by the pressures and emotional heaviness of their reality. The phrase "be the heavy hand" could signify a plea for something solid to hold on to or a desire to feel something tangible in a world that feels insubstantial.