September 1976 : A 14 - class - honest-to-god drummer posts a notice at school that he ’s looking to start a dance orchestra . Rehearsals are held in his parent ’s kitchen in Dublin , and The Larry Mullen Band is born .
The name did n’t last , but more than 30 years and 22 Grammys later , the band , which would eventually be call U2 , has rise it has what it call for to stick around on top .
The Francis Scott Key to U2 ’s longevity let in regard for each other and their fans ; the power to unendingly reinvent themselves and their melodic stylus ; and sinewy euphony with a message .
But the meanings of most U2 songs are subject to interpretation . Bono is a wizard at writing ambiguous words , provide attender to decide what each Sung dynasty means to them . Read on to take a musical journeying with the band thatTimemagazine once named " Rock ’s Hottest Ticket . "
This peppy 1980s line , turn on theBoyalbum , is still as fresh today as when it debuted about three decennary ago . The song is charged with Edge ’s mettlesome guitar riffs and a pounding drum beat by Larry Mullen , Jr. , still played with the intensiveness of an 18 yr old . According to Bono , the lyrics are about the unconditional love between mother ( or God ) and child . Whatever the tyke does , whatever his or her fault , a female parent ( or God ) still get laid her child .
2. Out of Control (1980)
Another toe - tapper fromBoy , " Out of Control " has the distinction of being the first song the guys heard played on the radio . Bono wrote the lyrics in the teeny-weeny hour of the morning following his 18th birthday . " It was one wearisome dayspring / I awake the populace with bawling / I was so sad / They were so glad . . . " The vocal is about being born – or rather objecting to it – and feeling that you have no control over your life .
3. Gloria (1981)
No , it ’s not a back of fellow Irishman Van Morrison ’s 1960s bang . This one comes from U2 ’s sophomore album , October , which was heavy - laden with references to religion and church property . Bono has said he had a difficult time spell the lyrics , so he turn it into a psalm , complete with verses in Latin . The music is quite edgy consider the subject matter , which is what spend a penny it classical U2 .
4. Tomorrow (1981)
Most U2 lyrics are reasonably enceinte . But with " Tomorrow , " fromOctober , Bono was truly speaking from the heart . When he was 14 , his mother have a brain hemorrhage at her father ’s funeral and pop off a few day after . Bono would afterward posit that the melancholy lyrics to " Tomorrow " were a verbal description of her funeral .
5. Sunday Bloody Sunday (1983)
From theWaralbum , " Sunday Bloody Sunday " is a power plant in the U2 canon , perform on every major tour since its debut . It ’s a Hellenic U2 protestation song about the troubles in Northern Ireland . Larry ’s militaristic drumming and Edge ’s harsh guitar drive the song , while Bono ’s powerful lyrics cry out " How long , how long must we let the cat out of the bag this birdcall ? "
The song , which reached issue seven onBillboard ’s Mainstream Rock chart in the 1980s , has now become a global supplication to cease the ferocity that peril the world today .
6. New Year’s Day (1983)
This Song dynasty , prompt by the solidarity drift in Poland , reached number two onBillboard ’s Mainstream Rock chart . It was also the first U2 picture to get major airplay on MTV , give the band the vulnerability that would get them named " Band of the Eighties " byRolling Stonemagazine just two yr after . During hot shows , Edge takes control on this song , playing guitar and keyboard simultaneously in parts and also singe backup vocals .
7. 40 (1983)
Also fromWar , Bono based the lyrics of this basso - drive Sung on Psalm 40 . Although the Sung was only released in Germany , it is a buff favorite that has frequently been used to come together display . When a show ends with " 40 , " guitarist Edge and bassist Adam Clayton throw instruments , and the band members leave the stage one by one – first Bono , Adam , then Edge , leaving Larry alone onstage to do a abbreviated ( but kickin ' ) drum solo , as fans chant the refrain .
8. Pride (In the Name of Love) (1984)
Released onThe Unforgettable Firealbum , this song about Jesus ( " one man betray with a kiss " ) and Martin Luther King , Jr. , reached number two onBillboard ’s Mainstream Rock chart . Bono give his all recording " Pride , " shouting the lyrics from the depths of his individual .
But do n’t rely on Bono for a story lesson ; the language name to Dr. King ( " Early morning , April four / dig tintinnabulation out in the Memphis sky . . . " ) is incorrect – King was actually killed around 6:00 p.m. Bono has since realize his mistake and now sings " other evening , April four " in live shows .
9. Bad (1984)
FromThe Unforgettable Firealbum , " Bad " was never bring out as a individual , but it ’s a fan favorite that sometimes conclude shows . As always , the lyrics are subject to much debate , but fit in to Bono , the song is about drug habituation , specifically heroin , which ran rearing in Dublin in the former 1980s and had taken cargo hold of one of his friends .
Ever the perfectionist , Bono feels the song could ’ve been upright if he ’d " finished " it . Most lover think it ’s a chef-d’oeuvre as it resist .
10. With or Without You (1987)
This perpetual gang - pleaser , released on the Grammy Award - winning albumThe Joshua Tree , was U2 ’s first number - one song in America . Some feel the strain is about Jesus ( " see the spine winding in your side " ) ; others think it ’s about quixotic love and longing for someone you ca n’t be with .
The song is rife with symbolism , in both the lyric poem and the music . Adam ’s bass part is the pulse rate . Larry ’s drumming is the split second . Edge ’s guitar chords correspond the agony of a mettle breaking . And Bono ’s voice and haunting lyrics are the prosopopoeia of dear and hungriness and the agony of unreciprocated love .
When his voice cries out , you know he ’s not just reciting the words but genuinely sense the infliction of be intimate someone he ca n’t be with . . . and you sense that pain with him .
11. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (1987)
No two-fold meaning here – U2 ’s 2d song to top U.S. chart , " I Still Have n’t Found What I ’m Looking For , " is a gospel song about searching for and sympathise one ’s ghostlike beliefs . U2 even took a gospel choir with them to sing backup vocals duringThe Joshua Treetour .
Bono often says he ’s not satisfied with some of his enter lyric , so he tends to " rewrite " them during live performance . For example , the original lyric poem : " You soften the trammel / And you loosed the chains / Carried the cross of my disgrace / Oh my shame . . . " is now sung : " You broke the bonds / And you loose the chains / comport the crossbreeding / Took my shame / You took the blame . . . " The change is ever so slight , but it makes the birdsong much deeper and more meaningful .
12. Where the Streets Have No Name (1987)
Although " street " did n’t crack the top ten in the States , it ’s a rooter pet that was frequently used to give show onThe Joshua Treetour . The lyrics were inspired by a trip Bono and his wife took to Ethiopia in the mid-1980s , during which they volunteered at a refugee pack orphans' asylum . With Edge ’s classifiable scratchy chords , Larry ’s enthusiastic drumming , and Adam ’s deep bass holding it all together , even the band admits it ’s much well live .
13. Desire (1988)
With " Desire , " released as the first bingle from the albumRattle and Hum , Bono parodies and criticize evangelistic preachers , politician , and the greed ingrained in the landscape of 1980s America . But the lyrics can have a more carnal rendering as well .
Either way , the song was a smasher , reach number one on bothBillboard ’s Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts . The song also advance a Grammy for Best Rock Performance , and it was U2 ’s first birdsong to reach the top of the charts in the U.K.
14. Angel of Harlem (1988)
With " Angel of Harlem , " U2 torment up another number one onBillboard ’s Mainstream Rock chart . commemorate in Sun Studios in Memphis , Elvis ’s fabled music engineer Cowboy Jack Clement pitched in on this one , and it was all capture on film in the " rockumentary"Rattle and Hum .
The song chronicles the band ’s arrival in America for their first tour in 1980 ( " It was a frigid and wet December mean solar day / When we touched the flat coat at JFK . . . " ) . It is also a protection to Billie Holiday , the " Angel of Harlem . "
15. All I Want Is You (1989)
Bono has said that " All I Want Is You , " fromRattle and Hum , is dedicate to his married woman , Ali . The poetic and symbolical lyrics describe his desire for true , unconditional love , and the promises his fan makes show the depth of her feelings . The song closed theRattle and Hummovie , and much to the surprise of fans ( because it seldom closes a live show ) , it was the last song played on the Vertigo tour , when it closed the show in Honolulu in December 2006 .
16. Mysterious Ways (1991)
In the nineties , U2 took a unexampled musical guidance , attempting to " chop up downThe Joshua Tree " by reinvent themselves with a funkier , more experimental auditory sensation on the albumAchtung Baby . It must have worked because " Mysterious Ways , " power by Edge ’s abrasive guitar Riff and Bono ’s enigmatical lyrics , nock U2 another number one on bothBillboard ’s Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts .
rooter disagree over the song ’s meaning – some feel it ’s deeply ghostly , with reference to John the Baptist , while others believe the lyrics are more sexual in nature , and others just think it ’s a stinking dance vallecula .
17. One (1992)
Such a simple title , such a powerful lyric . Tensions were lead in high spirits while recordingAchtung Baby , and the banding was reportedly on the brink of breaking up . " One " is the song that play them back together , essentially save the band .
The words can be render in several ways : a mirthful boy coming out to his father ; a relationship in which a couple know each other but have bruise each other too much to stick together ; or Bono ’s rocky kinship with his own father .
Whatever the meaning , the Song dynasty prompt us that all humans are adequate and that we call for to help those less fortunate : " We ’re one , but we ’re not the same / We get to stockpile each other , post each other . " " One " toppedBillboard ’s Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts and has been played at every U2 concert since its debut on the ZooTV tour in 1992 .
18. Numb (1993)
U2 got even more observational with the albumZooropa . " Numb , " the first single from that record album , reached identification number two onBillboard ’s Modern Rock chart . Edge takes lead vocal on this birdsong , verbalize the lyrics in a monotone vocalism with backup vocals by Bono and Larry Mullen , Jr. – a very rare occurrence for the drummer . Bono has said the lyrics stand for information overburden from the constant barrage of media coverage .
19. Stay (Far Away, So Close) (1993)
" Stay " is another instance of a fan deary that did not chart well , not breaking the top ten on any U.S. chart . The birdcall , which appear onZooropa , was write for the Wim Wenders ' filmFar Away , So nigh .
The song ’s import is debatable , but one take is that it ’s about a guardian angel who feels lost that he can watch over the living person but not really help them . Or perhaps it ’s about somebody capture in an abusive relationship . Fans love it , but it has n’t been play on tour since 2001 .
20. Please (1997)
" Please " appeared onPop , the band ’s most data-based and terpsichore - orient record album to date , which band members harmonize needed a few more week to really round it . " Please " is a Sung dynasty about terrorist act and the troubles in Northern Ireland , but the song and its prophetic lyrics ( " September , streets capsizing . . . /Shards of glass , matchwood like rain . . . " ) get hold of on unexampled substance following 9/11 .
In transcription from the Popmart turn , Bono pour out his fondness and someone , cry out " please , please , " almost despairing , pray . But then , just as your heart starts to soften for him , you learn the Ping River of Larry ’s drumstick against the cymbal as " Streets " take off . It ’s like a security blanket or the voice of an honest-to-god admirer , and with the reassuring sounds of an old favorite , lover love all will be okay .
21. Beautiful Day (2000)
With the release ofAll That You Ca n’t leave behind Behind , U2 once again reinvented themselves , ditch their dance - oriented experimental phase angle and returning to their ancestor , albeit with a harder , rock - found auditory sensation . " Beautiful Day , " the first single from the multiplatinum , Grammy Award - winning record album , is a monitor that no matter how bad life can get , we should always be thankful for what we have .
The call conk out to number five onBillboard ’s Modern Rock chart , and it secured three more Grammys for the Dublin fellow – Song of the Year , Record of the Year , and Best Rock Performance .
22. Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of (2001)
" Stuck , " the second single fromAll That You Ca n’t Leave Behind , reached only figure 35 on U.S. charts . Nevertheless , this in - your - aspect act take in the boys another Grammy for Best Pop Performance .
Bono wrote the lyrics as a conversation he care he ’d had with his friend Michael Hutchence to prevent the INXS Isaac Merrit Singer from institutionalise felo-de-se in 1997 . The language are somewhat argumentative with Bono shouting : " You ’ve got to get yourself together / You’ve got stuck in a moment and now you ca n’t get out of it . . . . " Still , the words are very powerful and uplifting , prompt the downtrodden that " It ’s just a moment / This time will go across . "
23. Elevation (2001)
" Elevation , " also fromAll That You Ca n’t Leave Behind , climbed to number eight onBillboard ’s Modern Rock chart and won the band a Grammy for Best Rock Performance . This crew - pleaser is even better live , so it ’s not surprising that it appeared in every concert on the Elevation and Vertigo tours .
With Adam ’s head - bobbing bass voice origin , Edge ’s toil chords , and Larry ’s hefty drumming , " Elevation " is a rockin ' tune that makes fans ( and Edge ) want to start up and down during live appearance . Some sense the song is simply about passion and sex . Others feel there is a deep meaning and that Bono is bring up to his otherworldliness when he sings the melody .
24. Walk On (2001)
" Walk On " scored U2 another Grammy for Record of the Year . This Song dynasty was supposedly inspired by Aung San Suu Kyi , a unbloody Burmese political activist who has been under mansion arrest off and on since 1989 .
But many people feel the call is a tribute to someone nearing the end of his liveliness ( possibly Bono ’s father ) , who realise that love is really the most important , and only , thing to take on his journeying . ( " You ’re packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been / A shoes that has to be believe to be run across . . . " and " Home . . . I ca n’t say where it is but I know I ’m going home . " )
During the Elevation tour date after 9/11 , the lot took NYC firefighters and police ship’s officer on tour with them and brought them onstage during this call , which adopted a particular significance after the terrorist attack .
25. Vertigo (2004)
" Vertigo " was the first single fromHow to take down an Atomic Bomb , which is harder and more upbeat than their previous efforts . No assorted message with this U2 powerhouse – " Vertigo " is an adrenalized rocker about an evening at a cabaret .
The song reached number one onBillboard ’s Modern Rock chart , garnered the band two more Grammys ( Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song ) , and was featured in a commercial message for Apple ’s iPod . The fellas had so much playfulness start the song that it was played at every concert of the Vertigo tour – sometimes twice !
26. Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own (2005)
U2 racked up two more Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Rock Performance with " Sometimes , " which is a protection to the somewhat distant relationship Bono had with his sire , who extend away in 2001 . The song reach a climax when , from the depth of his soulfulness , Bono cries out , " You ’re the ground I sing / You’re the reason why the opera house is in me . . . , " and buff are often act to tears by his presentation of raw emotion .
27. City of Blinding Lights (2005)
U2 cleaned up at the 2005 Grammys , take home five awards include Best Rock Song for " City " and Album of the Year and Best Rock Album forHow to break apart an Atomic Bomb . Inspired by Bono ’s love for New York City and the ring ’s love for their fans ( " I miss you when you ’re not around " ) , this peppy , upbeat song quickly found a home as the untier on the Vertigo turn with Adam playing the opening notes on the keyboard .
28. The Saints Are Coming (2006)
U2 team up with Green Day for this cover version of a 1970s punk careen song by The Skids . " Saints , " one of two new Sung dynasty on the compilation albumU2 18 Singles , was recorded in the legendary Abbey Road studio in London where The Beatles recorded most of their albums .
The song , which mentions New Orleans , storms , and flooding , take on young meaning when the two bands played it live when the New Orleans Saints returned to the Superdome for the first clip following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 . This energetic and mighty rocker reached phone number one in Australia , Canada , and all over Europe , but did n’t incur much airplay in the States .
29. Window in the Skies (2007)
Another new song fromU2 18 Singles , this pollyannaish , snappy tune was also record at Abbey Road studios and has a tenuous " Beatles " sound to it . Although it did n’t fare well on U.S. charts due to lack of airplay , it reached the top ten in many other part of the mankind and became an instant fan darling .
Some argue that the lyric are about quixotic beloved , but most die - hard fans agree that this one is all about God ’s love and the grace , buyback , and pardon we have by accepting his gift .
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Helen Davies , Marjorie Dorfman , Mary Fons , Deborah Hawkins , Martin Hintz , Linnea Lundgren , David Priess , Julia Clark Robinson , Paul Seaburn , Heidi Stevens , and Steve Theunissen
