With the regrettable news that the site would be closing, I figured I’d do one more AtU2 List. They were always one of the most fun things to write for the site. It was always great to see not only the opinions people had about different aspects of U2 but also how they stacked up. So with the last one, I’m going to go with the most classic U2 list question that has ever been asked on any forum, in any concert venue line and any mailing list from back in the day: what are your favorite U2 songs? As I’m sure is the same with all of you, my list fluctuates. Songs come and songs go, but there are always some permanent residents. One last time then, in alphabetical order…
“A Sort Of Homecoming”
The sound of unbridled running across barren, war-torn landscapes. This is a beautiful song about a soldier in the field and his ache to get home. The land he calls his own, his people’s, has come to hate them due to the abuse they have delivered upon it. Eventually, the soldier is killed, bringing more than one meaning to the line “I’ll be home tonight. A high road, a high road out from here.” His body his going home, out of the war zone, and his soul is on an even higher road out from there. In the end his body makes it back home. His fellow soldiers get him back to his parents. His soul gets to those lights in the distance, too. “I’ll be there tonight. I believe.”
I’m not a religious person, but I have always loved the dual imagery in the song. A gorgeous song that moves relentlessly.
“City Of Blinding Lights”
To my ears, this is the most joyous song U2 have ever made. Adam starts with those two bass notes, then The Edge comes in with bright-eyed optimism in his guitar, the cascading guitars giving a slight touch of melancholy for contrast, and then Larry starts playing and the song starts running. Bono’s lyrics are about excited young people in a big new city, full of possibility and energy. “Oh, you look so beautiful tonight” is one of the most truly loving deliveries Bono has ever made. The bridge sounds like a car being revved into the even higher energy final chorus of an exciting night on the town, only slowing down as the sleepiness and hangover start to hit. Young excitement and ambition.
“Blessings are not just for the ones who kneel, luckily.”
“The Fly”
A phone call from hell is how Bono has described this song. “I’ve gotta go, yeah I’m running out of change. There’s a lot of things if I could I’d rearrange.” I’ve never quite known if it was from someone sent to help and has regrets, or if it’s from some sort of devil whispering all sorts of trickiness. I tend to go with the latter, what with the lyrics about falling from the sky. This song does seem to be more about temptation than lessons learned. The Edge’s nasty, gritty guitar and Larry’s impeccable drums really sell the song for me musically. This is truly one of my favorite songs of theirs to see live, and that Elevation 2001: Live From Boston version is far and away the best.
And it has maybe their second-best use of falsetto ever, right after…
“Lemon”
I really couldn’t tell you what I love most about this song because I love all of it so much. The Edge’s echoing guitars, Larry’s disco beat drums, Adams jolly rolling bass and Bono committing to falsetto for almost the whole song all still impress me so much to this day. I love how the chorus of analytical, lecturing, sterile voices come in and explain the science of what the singer is doing; Bono’s emotional performance against the cold science of The Edge and Brian Eno. Then, when Bono starts wailing in anguish, the science voices come in and offer comfort with “Midnight is where the day begins.” I also love that they went for it and made this masterpiece seven minutes long. I love it when the bridge has a minor-key viola or cello playing over it, and the transition from the minor key back to the major key makes me shake my head in wonder every time I hear it. “She is the dreamer, she’s imagination.”
Of all the U2 live songs I still hope to see, this is at the top of the list.
“The Little Things That Give You Away”
Such a brilliantly-structured song. It starts out with a conversation between younger Bono and older Bono, except neither can hear what the other is saying because they’re saying the same thing. It’s as easy to apply the cockiness of younger Bono to the lyrics as it is to apply the politics and schmoozing of older Bono. The Edge plays his best guitar of at least their past three albums, if not more. It’s a cold, crystalline song in the same way “If You Wear That Velvet Dress” is.
Then the song shifts to an anxiety attack in the middle of the night. Waking up in a confused sweat, scared of the shadows, of all the bad things that can happen and have happened. It is a moment of true despair that is completely self-generated. It comes from internal tragedies, not external.
And with the site coming to its final fate, the line “The end is not coming, the end is here” couldn’t be more relevant.
“Mofo”
I’ve always described this song as a wrecking ball covered in glitter and oil. It starts off with a very techno beat and then shifts to a bass line that can only be described as a dog growling. This song is relentless and cruel to its narrator. This is someone worried about his dead mother and his living children. This is a crisis of faith, all wrapped up in the shards of a mirror ball. The Edge’s guitars are relentless, Larry’s drums are perhaps the most organic part of the heavily processed song, and it might be my favorite bass line Adam has ever done, especially live.
Some of my favorite U2 songs are the ones about Bono’s mother. “Lemon,” “Iris” and “Mofo.” When Bono finishes his “mother, mother, mother” bit, The Edge’s guitars almost sound like an angel coming down from the sky for just a moment to shine some light on the poor soul below.
I still don’t know why, at 2:16 into the song, you can hear someone say “happy.”
“Surrender”
I remember hearing this song for the first time. I was working my way through U2’s catalog as a teen, and I remember thinking that this song suddenly made the rest of the album feel… constricted, is the word I guess I would use. Yeah, I know, it’s got “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “New Year’s Day” and “The Refugee,” but this song conjured real images in my mind of the city, the space the song was happening in. Getting someone with a voice like Jessica Felton to sing the chorus definitely sells it. I can’t exactly explain why I like this song as much as I do, as much as just how much it creates a story and a vibe. I can feel the street they’re walking on. I can see the streetlights on at night. I can smell the piss and garbage and food and feel the energy. I love the song itself, and I love the image it creates in my mind.
The Edge’s guitars in this song show exactly where he was going to go regarding “Bullet The Blue Sky.”
“Walk On”
This song probably saved my life the first time it came through for me, and it has helped me through two other rough times.
The first time it helped me was when I was coming out of the closet. The words of reassurance, of staying true to your path and of not worrying about the others and their small minds ran through my head all the time when I was in college listening to this song. I still remember this album being the first one I ever downloaded illegally (don’t worry, I’ve bought about one billion versions of it since) and the chorus of the song almost brought me to tears. Adam and Larry provide the foundation, but Bono’s lyrics and The Edge’s guitars are the true guiding lights of the song.
The second time was during 9/11, when it looked like so much was falling apart. MTV played this song with a specially-made tribute video to the victims, and it was shown once or twice an hour, 24 hours a day. It was gratifying to see so many other people respond to its message as well.
The third time is now. This song, and All That You Can’t Leave Behind as a whole, have been a balm to my soul as every week seems to get worse and worse. It is a beautiful, beautiful song on a beautiful, beautiful album about keeping your hope in the face of death. All That You Can’t Leave Behind gets a lot of grief, but it is truly U2’s third masterpiece album.
“Walk on, walk on, what you’ve got they can’t steal it, no they can’t even feel it. Walk on, walk on, what you’ve got they can’t deny it, can’t sell it or buy it. Walk on, walk on, stay safe tonight.” Those words still make my heart break 20 years later. There’s a reason why this song is the trade decoration of the 20th anniversary box set and not “Beautiful Day” or “Elevation” or “Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of.”
“Where The Streets Have No Name”
I think this song is about as misunderstood as “One,” in its own way. This is a song about ruin, destruction and the loss of love. Look at these lines:
“I want to take shelter from the poison rain.”
“We’re still building then burning down love.”
“The cities flood and our love turns to rust.”
“We’re beaten and blown by the wind, trampled in dust.”
And then if you look at some of the alternative lyrics that have been released in remixes:
“Where the streets have no faith, where the streets have no love, where the streets have no name.”
This is a song about someone in a dire situation. But it cons the listener with the jumpable beat and The Edge’s jubilant guitar.
So why do people love this song so much? Same reason I do! It’s just about the best thing ever live! You ever want to see 80,000 people bouncing in unison in a single building? Get U2 to play this song for them. Plus, Bono just sells the song so much. The energy four people can bring with this song to a stadium of people is nothing short of a miracle.
“Zooropa”
This is another song that U2 gave me that was vital to me as a confused gay teen who didn’t know what the hell to do with himself. I’m just going to leave these lyrics here, because there’s not much else I can say. These are some of the dearest words to my heart that I’ve ever heard.
“And I have no compass, and I have no map
And I have no reasons, no reasons to get back
And I have no religion, and I don’t know what’s what
And I don’t know the limit, the limit of what we got
Don’t worry baby, it’ll be alright
You’ve got the right shoes to get you through the night
It’s cold outside but brightly lit
Skip the subway, let’s go to the overground
Get your head out of the mud baby
Put flowers in the mud, baby, overground
No particular place names, no particular song
I’ve been hiding, what am I hiding from
Don’t worry baby, it’s gonna be alright
Uncertainty can be a guiding light
I hear voices, ridiculous voices
I’m in the slipstream
Let’s go overground
Take your head out of the mud baby
She’s gonna dream up the world she wants to live in
She’s gonna dream out loud”
Well, I think that’s it for AtU2 Lists. The end is not coming, the end is here, but don’t worry baby, it’ll be alright.
© @U2/Ryan, 2020