This may or may not be of interest – but compiling it certainly amused me during a bout of insomnia! (Updated 2008 Jan)
THESE MAKE ME THINK:
- Tomorrow – 1981 (October)
- Bullet the blue sky – 1987 (The Joshua Tree)
- Even better than the real thing – 1991 (Achtung Baby)
- Zooropa – 1993 (Zooropa)
- Wake up, dead man – 1997 (Pop)
- If God will send his angels – 1997 (Pop)
- The Playboy Mansion – 1997 (Pop)
- Peace on Earth – 2000 (All you can’t leave behind)
THESE MAKE ME WEEP:
- Sunday, Bloody Sunday – 1983 (War)
- 40 – 1983 (War)
- Bad – 1984 (The Unforgettable Fire)
- A Sort of Homecoming – 1984 (The Unforgettable Fire)
- Where the streets have no name – 1987 (The Joshua Tree)
- With or without you – 1987 (The Joshua Tree)
- Stuck in a moment you can’t get out of – 2000 (All you can’t leave behind)
- Sometimes you can’t make it on your own – 2004 (How to dismantle an atomic bomb)
- Original of the Species – 2004 (How to dismantle an atomic bomb)
THESE LIFT MY SPIRITS:
- I Will Follow – 1980 (Boy)
- The Unforgettable Fire – 1984 (The Unforgettable Fire)
- One – 1991 (Achtung Baby)
- The First Time – 1993 (Zooropa)
- Grace – 2000 (All you can’t leave behind)
- Beautiful Day – 2000 (All you can’t leave behind)
- Yahweh – 2004 (How to dismantle an atomic bomb)
AND THESE ARE JUST GREAT SONGS!
- Pride (in the name of love) – 1984 (The Unforgettable Fire)
- Where the streets have no name – 1987 (The Joshua Tree)
- Running to stand still – 1987 (The Joshua Tree)
- I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – 1987 (The Joshua Tree)
- Who’s gonna ride your wild horses – 1991 (Achtung Baby)
- City of blinding lights – 2004 (How to dismantle an atomic bomb)
And so it goes on…!
This Post Has 13 Comments
Hi Mark – liked your U2 list – I am a massive U2 fan, and would add in Wake Up Dead Man as one of my faves – think might compile my own list now.
Was thinking that a guest event in All Souls on the music of U2 in relation to the Gospel would bring in many non christians – what you think? I have got some great material that can be used, which am sure you do as well.
Hi
Apart from “a sort of homecoming” and “with or without you”, the one which really makes me weep is “sunday bloody sunday”, especially when prefaced by Bono’s speech about the Enniskillen bombing in Rattle and Hum. I first watched Rattle and Hum in a cinema in Belfast and when Bono did his rant:
“And let me tell you somethin’. I’ve had enough of Irish Americans who haven’t been back to their country in twenty or thirty years come up to me and talk about the resistance, the revolution back home…and the glory of the revolution…and the glory of dying for the revolution. F*** the revolution! They don’t talk about the glory of killing for the revolution. What’s the glory in taking a man from his bed and gunning him down in front of his wife and his children? Where’s the glory in that? Where’s the glory in bombing a Remembrance Day parade of old age pensioners, their medals taken out and polished up for the day. Where’s the glory in that? To leave them dying or crippled for life or dead under the rubble of the revolution, that the majority of the people in my country don’t want. No more!
There was a standing ovation from everyone in the cinema, and we were in a mixed cinema. It was the first time I’d heard someone articulate what I felt about the troubles, and it was great to see that I wasn’t alone in how I felt, even if they were from the South.
I had to wait for Neil Hannon to write “sunrise” before someone from my own side(Nothern and Protestant, even if he was an anglican and a Bishop’s son to boot) made a similar point.
“Am I buggin’ ya?….I don’t mean to bug ya”.
That has really stuck with me for a long time. It applies to a lot of things in life – a reminder of our idolatrous tendency to want to build a nice cozy cocoon around ourselves and not place our trust in Jesus.
(BTW, what album is that from? I thought it was Bullet the Blue Sky on Joshua Tree but can’t remember now and am hoping that somewhere out in Quarentia land an overachieving U2 fan wrote the Wikipedia entry for the band and knows every song.)
Hi Drew – well, this shows I’m very sad – but the song you are thinking of is “Silver and Gold” on the album Rattle & Hum (which is where they did another take on Bullet the Blue Sky)
it is in the context of Bono talking about being part of Artists against Apartheid put together by Little Stephen, and calling for Sanctions against South Africa (back in 1988)
“Am I buggin’ you?….I don’t mean to bug ya. OK Edge, play the blues…”
What do you think of Rattle And Hum?
I love it, but primarily because of familiarity (it was the first album I ever owned in any format, a friend made me a tape of it when I was 7 or 8). This means my perspective is skewed, so I’m always interested in the opinion of other U2 fans.
Some i forgot to include:
Who’s Going to Ride Your Wild Horses? (Achtung Baby)
Pride (in the name of love) (The Unforgettable Fire)
Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms around the world (Achtung Baby)
City of Blinding Lights (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
Stay (Faraway, So Close) (Zooropa)
And the amazing:
YAHWEH (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
The whole October album….
But you can tell someone’s age by asking them their favourite U2 album. They always answer by telling you the first one they bought.
Therefore October for me.
Walk On is one of my favourite songs – and the favourite album is Actung Baby… closely followed by ATUCLB and HTAAB.
Mark and fellow U2 fans,
I highly recommend U2 in 3D. Absolutely phenomenal for a movie. I thought it was almost as good as a concert but only 12 quid. (yes, I’m cheap) Of course, I did have a guy next to me singing all the lyrics and playing the air guitar!
Kite goes in my “makes me weep” file.
Interesting. I’ve noticed recently on Facebook that some of my Christian friends are big U2 fans, and in the movie “Taken”, which I saw recently, following U2 on a European tour was part of the story, and when I saw your “U2 stuff” tab I thought, “What’s the big deal about U2?” I’ve listened to some of the songs you’ve posted and watched some of the videos, and I still am wondering what I’m missing. Can you please sum up for me why you are a U2 fan? Respectfully, Gloris
hi Gloris
thanks for the comments – I’m a fan for several reasons. In particular:
– i love their constant musical reinvention – and some songs particularly get right under the skin musically
– Lyrically, their best songs go far beyond the normal rock and roll cliches – they are articulating real life with all its pains and agonies.
– Despite that, they are one of the very few contemporary bands that ‘do joy’ in their music – far too many are too cynical or too cool for that.
– Many songs do articulate a profoundly Christian worldview
Hope that makes sense!
to get more of an overview, check out my intro to the band:
http://www.theologynetwork.org/theology-of-everything/starting-out/u2–the-stadium-psalmists-and-prophets.htm