'Rattle and Hum' album lyrics by U2

Following on from the mega selling The Joshua Tree was seen as a tough act to follow - U2 were nearly up to the challenge with Rattle and Hum, an album with some killer songs like All I Want Is You and God Part II but as a whole it didn't quite have the same magic as The Joshua Tree.

That said the album produced plenty of hits of U2 and songs from Rattle and Hum still feature in most U2 concert set lists.

The album was intended to be a tribute to some musical legends and took a bluesy turn with Desire featuring a Bo Diddley inspired riff being played on Desire, blues maestro BB King featuring his own guitar work on Love Comes To Town and lyrics evoking memories of jazz legends Billie Holiday and Miles Davis and even John Lennon.

The album title, Rattle and Hum, is taken from a lyric from U2's own "Bullet the Blue Sky"

Rattle and Hum album lyrics by U2

         

1. Helter Skelter - Beatles cover

2. Van Diemen's Land

3. Desire

4. Hawkmoon 269

5. All Along The Watchtower - Bob Dylan cover

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

7. Freedom For My People (Sterling Magee and Adam Gussow)

8. Silver And Gold

9. Pride (In The Name Of Love) 

10. Angel Of Harlem

11. Love Rescue Me

12. When Love Comes To Town

13. Heartland 

14. God Part II

15. The Star Spangled Banner

16. Bullet The Blue Sky

17. All I Want Is You

B - sides 

• Unchained Melody cover of the Righteous Brothers - All I want is You
• Dancing Barefoot cover of Patti Smith - When Love Comes to Town
• Everlasting Love by Robert Night - When Love Comes to Town
• Hallelujah Here She Comes - Desire
• A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel - Angel of Harlem

Themes of the Lyrics in Rattle and Hum

Rattle and Hum explores a blend of deeply personal themes and broader social commentary, building on U2's previous work but with a more explicit nod to American music traditions. The lyrics delve into the band’s evolving relationship with America, grappling with its cultural richness while critiquing its political and historical complexities. 

Songs like "Bullet the Blue Sky" focus on U.S. interventionism in Central America, showcasing U2’s stance on political injustice, while tracks like "Hawkmoon 269" and "Heartland" reflect on the spiritual and geographical expanse of the country. The album also dives into personal themes of love and yearning in songs such as "All I Want Is You," where the lyrics speak to desire and emotional vulnerability.

U2's Concept for Rattle and Hum

Conceptually, Rattle and Hum was U2’s attempt to pay tribute to the great musical traditions of America—specifically blues, gospel, and early rock 'n' roll—while fusing these influences with their signature sound. 

The album reflects their immersion into American music history, as evidenced by their collaborations with B.B. King and their homages to Bo Diddley and John Lennon. It’s a blend of homage and reinvention, with the band using this album to explore their own artistic roots, while simultaneously showing reverence for legends who paved the way before them. U2 sought to engage with America not just as a geographical space, but as a source of profound artistic inspiration. This melding of Irish rock with American roots music ultimately aimed to create a hybrid sound that honored the past while pushing their music forward.

And you can dream out loud

After touring the album Bono famously said circa December 30-31, 1989 "I was explaining to people the other night, but I might've got it a bit wrong – this is just the end of something for U2. And that's what we're playing these concerts – and we're throwing a party for ourselves and you. It's no big deal, it's just – we have to go away and ... and dream it all up again…

And they went and bloody come up with 1991's Achtung Baby...

Leave a Comment rattle and hum lyrics U2