'Soon' song lyrics by U2

Thursday, October 17, 2013

U2’s song "Soon" has an interesting and somewhat elusive history within their discography. Originally developed during the sessions for No Line on the Horizon (2009), "Soon" was part of a broader set of tracks that were held for the proposed album Songs of Ascent, a project that remains unreleased.

The song first appeared as the introductory music for U2’s 360° Tour, debuting in Barcelona in June 2009, where it was known as the "Kingdom Intro" or "Kingdom of Your Love" on set lists. This early association with themes of kingdom and love hinted at spiritual and transcendent ideas, which are common throughout U2’s later work.

The song was officially released as a 7-inch single included in the deluxe version of U2 360° at the Rose Bowl DVD, now titled “Soon.” In terms of lyrical and thematic content, the song evokes feelings of longing and anticipation, which align with the intended themes of Songs of Ascent. Bono himself described Songs of Ascent as a “stained-glass window” of a record, with “Soon” representing the more ambient, reflective qualities of this batch of material. The song’s reflective mood and elegiac tone mirror the band’s exploration of spirituality, love, and mortality during this era, as seen in tracks like "Every Breaking Wave" and "North Star," which were part of the same creative sessions.