Some American U2 fans* have been receiving the above letter in the mail and posting them online. It looks like the marketing for U2's Songs of Experience has begun....
Bono once mentioned in an interview but that could mean anything however Bono has kept referring to the song in radio interviews and in a Rolling Stone Magazine.
Bono hinted that the lyrical meaning the the song is a comment on the leadership of American President Donald Trump and that is serves as a a 'letter' to the people of America.
Kendrick Lamar also used a snippet of the song as a sample on his own song, XXX.
Blessed are the bullies
For one day they will have to stand up to themselves
Blessed are the liars
For the truth can be awkward
It’s not a place
This country is to be a sound
Of drum and bass
You close your eyes to look around
Look around, around
Look around, it’s a sound
Look around, look around
It’s a sound
It’s not a place
This country is to me a thought
That offers grace
For every welcome that is sought
You are rock’n’roll You and I are rock’n’roll
You are rock’n’roll
Came here lookin’ for American Soul
It’s not a place
This is a dream the whole world owns
The pilgrim’s face
It had your heart to call her home
Hold on, brother John
Too many mothers weeping
Dream on, brother John
In your dreams you can’t be sleeping
You are rock’n’roll
You and I are rock’n’roll
You are rock’n’roll
Came here lookin’ for American Soul
American, American
Put your hands in the air
Hold up the sky
It could be too late
But we still gotta try
There’s a moment in a life
Where the soul can die
In a person, in a country
When you believe the lie
The lie, the lie, the lie
There's a promise at the heart
Of every good dream
It's a call to action
Not to fantasy
The end of the dream
The start of what's real
Let it be unity
Let it be community
For refugees like you and me
A country to receive us
Will you be my sanctuary
RefuJesus
You are rock’n’roll
You and I are rock’n’roll
You are rock’n’roll
Came here lookin’ for American Soul
You are rock’n’roll
You and I are rock’n’roll
You are rock’n’roll
Came here lookin’ for American Soul
American Soul, American Soul
Songs of Experience Track list order & Lyrics by U2
Songs of Experience is the companion album to the Songs
of Innocence album that U2 released to the world for free en-mass via Apple’s
Itunes in 2015.
Prior to the release of that album, many U2 fans had
expected the album to be called Songs of Ascent. This was based on comments
from Bono in the lead up to the release. At the time of the Innocence album and
tour, the band repeatedly mentioned they had grand ideas for two albums (or
more!).
The band has since formally committed to the world at large that the
next album will be called Songs of Experience.
And this is fitting as there is a thematic connection here
through the works of poet William Blake. Bono has spoken how that body of work
inspired his lyrics for both Songs of Innocence and Experience:
"There's a poet called William Blake who had a big
influence on me growing up, and he had these two books of poetry -- Songs Of Innocence and Songs Of Experience -- and it gave him a device, really, to be
able to write about the past ... gave us a device to be able to write about the
past, while at the same time writing about what's going on now.
What was the subject of Blake’s work? It was a collection of poems that
reflected where the state of childhood 'innocence' was influenced by the world
cutting in on childhood as 'experience. These being influences such as corruption, oppression by religious movements, state domination and the machinations of the dominant classes.
Hence the lyrics of Songs of Innocence featured a lot of Bono’s experiences as a young lad – the death of his mother being covered in Iris (Hold Me Close) for example. Cedarwood Road is about childhood friends that group up with Bono in the street
Bono had previously referred to this song as the "The Morning After Innocence."
The song was released to the world during its live debut during the first concert which celebrated 30 years since the release of The Joshua Tree. These lyrics reflect what Bono sang.
The night gave you song
A light had been turned on
You walked out in the world
Like you belong there
As easy as a breeze
Each heart was yours to please
Is it only me who sees
There’s something wrong there
Oh, I’m not a ghost there
I can see you
You need to see me
It’s the little things that give you away
The words you cannot say
Your big mouth in the way
It’s the little things that tease and betray
As the hunted I become the prey
It’s the little things
The little things that give you away
I saw you on the stairs
You didn’t notice I was there
That’s ‘cause you were talking at me
Not to me
You were high above the storm
A hurricane being born
What was freedom
It might cost you your liberty
It’s the little things that give you away
The words you cannot say
Your big mouth in the way
It’s the little things that tease and betray
As the hunted I become the prey
It’s the little things
The little things that give you away
Sometimes
I can’t believe my existence
See myself on a distance
I can’t get back inside
Sometimes
The air is so anxious
All my tasks are so thankless
And all of my innocence has died
Sometimes
I wake at four in the morning
Where all the doubt is swarming
And it covers me in fear
Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes
Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes
Sometimes
Full of anger and grieving
So far away from believing
That any song will reappear
Sometimes
The end is not dawning
It’s not coming
The end is here
Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes
Sometimes, sometimes
I’m full of anger and grieving
So far away from believing
That any song will reappear
Sometimes
The end isn’t coming
It’s not coming
The end is here
Sometimes
Check out the lyrics to some more expected songs on the new album:
The Blackout was released on 31 August 2017 as a promotional track for Songs of Experience. It features a live performance video of the song at the Gashouder, live venue in Amsterdam.
Bono has said of the lyrics' meaning that the song started "off its life about a more personal apocalypse, some events in my life that more than reminded me of my mortality but then segued into the political dystopia that we're heading towards now.
"Dinosaur, wonders why it still walks the earth. A meteor promises it's not going to hurt" would have been a funny line about an aging rock star. It's a little less funny if we're talking about democracy and old certainties – like truth. "
It's a commentary on Bono's reaction to Donald Trump's politics.
The Blackout Song Lyrics by U2
A dinosaur wonders why it still walks the earth, yeah
A meteor promises it's not gonna hit, yeah
Earthquakes always happen when you're in bed, Fred
The house shakes
Maybe it was something I said, Ned
Go easy on me
Easy on me, brother
Go easy on me
Easy on me now
When the lights go out
And you throw yourself about
In the darkness where you learn to see
When the lights go out
Don't you ever doubt
The light that we can really be
Statues fall
Democracy's flat on it's back, Jack
We had it all
And what we had is not coming back, Zach
A big mouth says the people
They don't wanna be free for free
A blackout
Is this an extinction event we see
Go easy on me
Easy on me, brother
Go easy on me
Easy on me now
When the lights go out
And you throw yourself about
In the darkness where you learn to see
When the lights go out
Don't you ever doubt
The light that we can really be
When the lights go out
When the lights go out
When the lights go out
When the lights go out
Blacked out, it's clear
Who you are will appear
Blacked out, no fear
So glad that you are all still here
Here
When the lights go out
When the lights go out
When the lights go out
When the lights go out
And you throw yourself about
In the darkness where you learn to see
When the lights go out
Don't you ever doubt
The light that we can really be
When the lights go out
When the lights go out
When the lights go out
The lights
You're the Best Thing About Me was released as the official single from the Songs of Experience album on September 8 2017. That was a Wednesday for any of you trainspotters...
