Showing posts with label U2 Cover Song. Show all posts
Showing posts with label U2 Cover Song. Show all posts

“I Believe in Father Christmas” Lyrics by U2

Thursday, December 17, 2020
i believe in father christmas  greg lake

“I Believe in Father Christmas” Lyrics by U2


U2 released a charity Christmas single, for World Aids Day in 2008

The song's lyrics are written by Greg Lake, who was a principal player of Emerson, Lake and Palmer and he didn’t know U2 had covered his Christmas song until he heard it when it was released! 

Lake has said "In some ways, “I Believe in Father Christmas” is a very quirky song.

It was never written with the intention of it becoming a hit single but was written, rather, as an album track making quite a serious comment about how Christmas had changed from being a celebration of peace on earth and goodwill to all men, into one huge and disgusting shopping orgy."

“I Believe in Father Christmas” lyrics as song by U2


They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
But instead it just kept on raining
A veil of tears for the Virgin's birth
I remember one Christmas morning
A winters light and a distant choir
And the peal of a bell and that Christmas Tree smell
And their eyes full of tinsel and fire
They sold me a dream of Christmas
They sold me a Silent Night
And they told me a fairy story
'Till I believed in the Israelite
And I believed in Father Christmas
And I looked at the sky with excited eyes
'Till I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn
And I saw him and through his disguise

I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave New Year
All anguish pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear
They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
Hallelujah Noel be it Heaven or Hell
The Christmas you get you deserve.

La la la la la la la la la la....

List of songs covered by U2

Wednesday, March 6, 2013
u2 younger years


What songs have U2 covered?



You think that one of the biggest band in history wouldn't need to do covers - well the Beatles did and so did the Rolling Stones - so why wouldn't U2 record the odd cover song?

They are a great way to add a bit of colour to a B-side or are an expression of an artist's appreciation for what has inspired and influenced them.

So here's a list of songs U2 have covered:

Name                               Release                                                      Original writer

"Night and Day"
Red Hot + Blue
Written by Cole Porter
"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"
A Very Special Christmas
Written by Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector
"I Believe in Father Christmas"
(RED)Wire Volume 1 Issue 2
Written by Greg Lake and Peter Sinfield
We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to Ramones
Written by Jeffrey Hyman, John Cummings and Douglas Colvin
"I Remember You"
"Elevation" single
Written by Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, and Tommy Ramone
"Fortunate Son"
Written by John Fogerty
"Instant Karma!"
Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
Written by John Lennon
"Happiness Is a Warm Gun"
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
"Don't Take Your Guns to Town"
"Elevation" single
Written by Johnny Cash
"One" single
Written by Lou Reed
"Everlasting Love"
"All I Want Is You" single
Written by Mac Gayden and Buzz Cason
"Paint It Black"
"Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" single
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
"Dancing Barefoot"
"When Love Comes to Town" single
Written by Patti Smith and Ivan Kral
"Springhill Mining Disaster"
The Late Late Show Tribute to The Dubliners
Written by Peggy Seeger
"Neon Lights"
"Vertigo" single
Written by Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, and Karl Bartos
"Pop Muzik"
"Last Night on Earth" single
Written by Robin Scott
"Jesus Christ"
Folkways: A Vision Shared
Written by Woody Guthrie

"With or without You" single
Written Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret

'Beat on the Brat' - U2 / Ramones Song Lyrics

Sunday, October 25, 2009
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. 

we are a happy family ramonesIn 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. 



Unchained Melody song lyrics as sung by U2

Thursday, October 15, 2009
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 album cover righteous brothers 

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

"Night and Day" song lyrics by U2

Saturday, September 5, 2009
"Night and Day" song lyrics by U2


"Night and Day" Lyrics U2 (Steel String mix)

This lyrics of song was written by Cole Porter, U2 covered 'merely' covered it! ;) U2 probably recorded it because of Bono's bromance with Frank Sinatra. Sinatra himself recorded Night and Day five times. The reason however U2 recorded it was so it could go on the Red Hot and Blue, an AIDS charity album that featured songs by Cole Porter.

Night and Day Lyrics:

The tom-tom when the jungle shadows fall
Like the tick tick tock of the eye of the clock
You're standing up against the wall
Like the drip drip drip of the raindrops
When the summer shower's through
So a voice within me keeps repeating you you

Night and day you are the one
Only you beneath the moon and under the sun
Whether near to me or far
It's no matter, baby, where you are
I think of you night and day

Day and night, why is it so
That this longing for you follows wherever I go
In the roaring traffic boom
In the silence of my lonely room
I think of you, night and day

Night and day under the hide of me
There's an, oh, such a hungry yearning
Burning inside of me
And its torment won't be through
Till you let me spend my life making love to you
Day and night, night and day

Night and day

Night and day under the hide of me
Oh such a hungry yearning burning
Burning inside of me
And this torment won't be through
Till you let me spend my life making love to you
Day and night, night and day

Night and day, night and day
Night and day
Night, night, night and day
Night, night, night and day
Night and day, night
Night and day, night and day
I'm in love with you
I'm in love with you
How I miss you baby
Sing it
Night and day

"Tower Of Song" Lyrics Leonard Cohen sung by U2

Tower of Song was written by Leonard Cohen and was recorded by U2 for soundtrack to the movie I'm Your Man. 

“Tower of Song,” as performed by U2, resonates deeply with themes of mortality, artistic legacy, and the burdens of being a creator. The lyrics reflect Cohen’s contemplation of aging, with the "Tower of Song" serving as a metaphorical place where songwriters reside, contributing to the world while carrying the weight of their creative endeavors. 

When Bono sings these words, there's a reverence for the passage of time and the inevitability of fading youth, something U2 themselves have confronted throughout their career. Lines like “I was born like this, I had no choice / I was born with the gift of a golden voice” point to the sense of both destiny and burden that comes with the gift of artistry, and U2’s rendition emphasizes this tension between fate and freedom, framed in their own experience as a band that has lasted decades.

Cohen’s original song is a meditation on how the process of making music ties into both personal identity and universal human experience. When U2 performs it, they underscore the communal nature of these sentiments, adding a touch of their own reflections on longevity, fame, and the creative journey they’ve been on. The song is an ode to both endurance and melancholy, speaking to the inevitable decline we all face, while acknowledging the power of art to outlast the artist.


It appeared as a b-side on the Window in the Skies single.

"Tower Of Song" Lyrics Leonard Cohen sung by U2

Well my friends are gone and my hair is grey
I ache in the places where I used to play
And I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on
Im just paying my rent every day
In the tower of song

I said to Hank Williams, how lonely does it get
Hank Williams hasn't answered yet
But I hear him coughing all night long
All hundred floors above me
In the tower of song

I was born like this, I had no choice
I was born with the gift of a golden voice
And twenty-seven angels from the great beyond
Well, they tied me to this table right here
In the tower of song

So you can stick your little pins in that voodoo doll
I'm very sorry, baby, doesnt look like me at all
I'm standing by the window where the light is strong
Ah, they dont let a woman kill you
Not in the tower of song

Well you can say that I've grown bitter but of this you may be sure
The rich have got their channels in the bedrooms of the poor
And there's a mighty judgement coming, but I may be wrong
You see, you hear these funny voices
In the tower of song

I see you standing on the other side
I don't know how the river got so wide
I loved you baby, way back when
And all the bridges are burning that we might have crossed
I feel so close to everything that we lost
We'll never, we'll never have to lose it again

So I bid you farewell, I don't know when I'll be back
There moving us tomorrow to that tower down the track
But you'll be hearing from me, baby, long after I'm gone
I'll be speaking to you sweetly
From a window in the tower of song

Yeah my friends are gone and my hair is grey
I ache in the places where I used to play
And I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on
I'm just paying my rent every day
In the tower of song
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