U2 songs with themes about Mothers and Fathers
All good songwriters tap their family tree for lyrical inspiration now and then.
There's been plenty of popular songs that feature lyrics about parents and their children.
A classic example is Cat Steven's Father and Son and Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin.
It's with no great surprise then that Bono has chosen to reveal insights into his feeling about his family in a few of U2's songs.
Bono, U2's enigmatic frontman, frequently threads the theme of motherhood into his lyrics, often drawing from his own experience of losing his mother at a young age. This personal tragedy has infused U2's music with an undercurrent of longing, loss, and the search for feminine strength and comfort. In songs like "I Will Follow" from their debut album "Boy," Bono explores the profound impact of his mother's death, conveying both the pain of loss and the enduring influence she had on his life.
Here's some thoughts about a selected few...
Mofo
Mofo was the sixth single flogged from the supposedly terrible Pop album, the lyrics in part refer to Bono's beloved mother, whom he lost at the age of fourteen. Bono would later refer to his mother again in Iris (Hold Me Close) from Songs of Innocence.
Mothers of the Disappeared
The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, is a unique organization of Argentine women who have become human rights activists in order to achieve a common goal. For over three long decades, the Mothers have fought for the right to re-unite with their abducted children. It was this work that inspired Bono's lyrics.
Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own
The lyric was written by Bono as a tribute to his father, Bob Hewson, who died in 2001.
Bono sang this at his funeral.
In the video for the song it was prefaced with the following from Bono:
"My father worked in the post office by day and sang opera by night. We lived on the north side of Dublin in a place called Cedarwood Road. He had a lot of attitude. He gave some to me - and a voice. I wish I'd known him better."
On Your Own song shares similar parental sentiments as found in Kite from the All That You Can't Leave Behind album.
Tommorrow
The lyric "I have a lover, a lover like no other" suggests the latter perhaps is true.
Collectively these three different settings make for a great story and makes you wonder what kind of person is telling this story and how do those elements relate to one another?
Indeed, there's almost a hint of the Prodigal Son story surrounding the entire fabric of the song.
I believe in Father Christmas
Written by Greg Lake, I Believe in Father Christmas with a view to making a critique about how Christmas had changed from being a celebration of peace on earth and goodwill to all men.
Songs of... parents
Want to know more about some other U2 lyrics? Check out 10 U2 Love Songs.