Best U2 albums lyrically

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
I'm asking you an honest question, so I want you to answer me honestly...



Stipe's lyrics weren't always that "powerful" at the beginning, or honestly throughout. Why not give Bono the same give? Is it because it's later in his career?


Great question....
2 totally different artists and amazing in their own ways. Stipe was always a very quirky, clever, mad genius type lyricist. But he also wrote some powerful songs like Country Feedback, etc. But that wasn't his norm. He was amazing because he was unique.
Bono was very much more poetic in his lyrics. It's obviously fine, and often necessary, to have some more lighthearted songs out of the norm. But recently, his lyrics have gone way too much in that direction and much less poetic. It's not really something he's very good at either. It seemed to just flow so naturally for Stipe, but seems so forced by Bono.
I think those reasons are why U2 and REM are very difficult to cover, the artists are so unique and different, that's it hard to replicate. Stipe will never write anything even close to as poetic as One Tree Hill, but Bono will never write something as out of the box as Just A Touch or Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite. It's just the way they are...

Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
 
"Tomorrow dawns like a suicide"? "Something in your mouth to blow" (I won't hear any other interpretation of that line)? Trying to fit as many syllables as possible into The Miracle? All of Song for Someone?

You've brought this one up a lot, but I honestly don't have a problem with 'tomorrow dawns like a suicide' (or, in one instance 'like someone else's suicide'). I mean, it's not great, it's not high lyricism, it's no 'sunrise like a nosebleed', but it doesn't really leap out at me. A line has to be really pretty shit if the song is otherwise strong, for me to bail.

A good example is the 'it's the blind leading the blonde' in If God Will Send His Angels. A pretty awful line. Not a fantastic U2 song, but a strong era for them and there is some really solid writing in other parts of that same song. So I say, meh, and internally shrug and roll with it.
 
"Tomorrow dawns like someone else's suicide" suffers from an overabundance of syllables, which also kills the chorus of The Miracle. It also is so opaque that I can't get anything out if it.

Also, the "street/defeat/feet" rhymes in EBW are incredibly boring and lazy. And YOU ARE ROCK N ROLL from Volcano is pretty shit.

But mostly SOI's lyrics pass me by without incident. I guess that's good enough.
 
Last edited:
"Tomorrow dawns like a suicide"? "Something in your mouth to blow" (I won't hear any other interpretation of that line)? Trying to fit as many syllables as possible into The Miracle? All of Song for Someone?

What's the problem with "Tomorrow dawns like a suicide"? :huh:

And it's "something in you wants to blow" even though we all hear the other line. The "you are rock and roll" part is kinda crap I agree but at this point I'm nitpicking. I got no problems with Volcano other than the dumb rock song vibe it gives me. But it doesn't bother me like Boots or Vertigo does.

And the whole fitting as many syllables doesn't fly with me, I have never understood anyone who follows music to use that as something bitch about...

Do you hate on Bruce, REM, and the Smiths as well?

Bingo! I don't understand the fitting too many syllables argument at all! :scratch:

I think The Miracle is a very nice opener to the album.
 
One you have wrong...

And how could you find "tomorrow dawns like a suicide" as a problem, given the other dark subjects Bono has tackled? Do you not get it?

What's the problem with "Tomorrow dawns like a suicide"? :huh:

And it's "something in you wants to blow" even though we all hear the other line. The "you are rock and roll" part is kinda crap I agree but at this point I'm nitpicking. I got no problems with Volcano other than the dumb rock song vibe it gives me. But it doesn't bother me like Boots or Vertigo does.

Neither of you are very good at reading comprehension are you, straight-up ignoring my bracketed comment indicating a degree of tongue-in-cheek. But as for "tomorrow dawns like a suicide", I'm pretty sure there must an album with that as the title from the mid 2000s by a c-grade emo-pop band. It's just a really dumb line, and reflective of Bono straining way too hard these days.

And the whole fitting as many syllables doesn't fly with me, I have never understood anyone who follows music to use that as something bitch about...

Do you hate on Bruce, REM, and the Smiths as well?

He clearly tries to squeeze more syllables into numerous lines of The Miracles than actually fit with the meter. Of course someone who follows music would bitch about that.

And I love early REM, partly because Stipe is almost completely incomprehensible and his voice is just another instrument most of the time, but Bruce doesn't do much for me and I actively dislike The Smiths because of Morrissey (a shame, because instrumentally that's some fine jangle pop; put out an instrumental version of a Smiths album and I'm sure to love it).

You've brought this one up a lot, but I honestly don't have a problem with 'tomorrow dawns like a suicide' (or, in one instance 'like someone else's suicide'). I mean, it's not great, it's not high lyricism, it's no 'sunrise like a nosebleed', but it doesn't really leap out at me. A line has to be really pretty shit if the song is otherwise strong, for me to bail.

A good example is the 'it's the blind leading the blonde' in If God Will Send His Angels. A pretty awful line. Not a fantastic U2 song, but a strong era for them and there is some really solid writing in other parts of that same song. So I say, meh, and internally shrug and roll with it.

See, I don't really get much out of Sleep Like a Baby Tonight anyway, especially Bono's awful falsetto, so that line does help tip it over the edge in the nature of your example.
 
Neither of you are very good at reading comprehension are you, straight-up ignoring my bracketed comment indicating a degree of tongue-in-cheek. But as for "tomorrow dawns like a suicide", I'm pretty sure there must an album with that as the title from the mid 2000s by a c-grade emo-pop band. It's just a really dumb line, and reflective of Bono straining way too hard these days.



He clearly tries to squeeze more syllables into numerous lines of The Miracles than actually fit with the meter. Of course someone who follows music would bitch about that.

Chill, parenthesis are not an indicator of tongue in cheek.


Say what you want about the line, it hasn't been used before, but everything lyrical is subjective, I think it's brilliant.

But when it comes to syllables vs meter, you are scholastically incorrect.
 
Chill, parenthesis are not an indicator of tongue in cheek.

You really do suck at reading comprehension. The comment, which was bracketed, indicated that I was not deathly serious.

But when it comes to syllables vs meter, you are scholastically incorrect.

You keep thinking that. I've observed far too many discussions between you and other people that go around and around in pointless circles, so I don't plan to engage in one now. Run along now and think you've won like a good little BVS.
 
You really do suck at reading comprehension. The comment, which was bracketed, indicated that I was not deathly serious.



You keep thinking that. I've observed far too many discussions between you and other people that go around and around in pointless circles, so I don't plan to engage in one now. Run along now and think you've won like a good little BVS.

Have a happy new year Axver!
 
One you have wrong...

And how could you find "tomorrow dawns like a suicide" as a problem, given the other dark subjects Bono has tackled? Do you not get it?


And the whole fitting as many syllables doesn't fly with me, I have never understood anyone who follows music to use that as something bitch about...

Do you hate on Bruce, REM, and the Smiths as well?


Miracle is definitely overflooded with lyrics. That´s Bono´s problem on a couple of tracks last few albums :(
 
I agree with part of this....
I don't really think he's getting too many syllables on the Miracle and it fits with the vibe of the song for the most part. However, he totally destroys a possibly great song in Breathe with his old white guy, dad rock rapping. It's awful.
And to your 2nd statement, Stipe is way more smooth with fitting a lot of syllables into the songs and it just works with there music. It doesn't work with U2 music for the most part. This is kind of a recent gimmick for Bono because I think his lyrics aren't as powerful as they used to and their music is now less atmospheric.

Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

Breathe sounds like something Stipe would write. Nice stream of consciosness where he just goes with the flow. It beats writing slogan lyrics, cliche lines or the times when he's intentionally too clever for his own good.

Also...cramming syllables (wait what ?) ... this isn't poetry. Rock songwriters don't apply.
 
What do you mean rock songwriters don't apply? Of course they do. There is a beat behind them with a set number of measures and if they choose to cram too many syllables in, the result is going to sound awkward. That's what a handful of people are complaining about.
 
What do you mean rock songwriters don't apply? Of course they do. There is a beat behind them with a set number of measures and if they choose to cram too many syllables in, the result is going to sound awkward.

Not all the time, though.

That's what a handful of people are complaining about.

And there's plenty of people that are not bothered by it in the slightless, so it's not really a problem by itself, it's just something some people don't like, that's all.

---

(also, I'm sure there's thousands of trolling posts to justify all the aversion towards EVERYTHING U2girl says, but for someone who hasn't had the pleasure to read all of that... sometimes it feels like unnecessary roughness towards some of her posts -just saying-)
 
Well, sure, theoretically anyone could like anything. One of the band members could totally lose the rhythm and some fan could draw enjoyment from that. It wouldn't surprise me.

The sticking point for me is arguing that poets are bound by meter (when free verse exists) and rock lyricists of all people are not. They have to relate somewhat to the music behind them or the result is (probably) going to sound like garbage (to most people).
 
Last edited:
Well, sure, theoretically anyone could like anything. One of the band members could totally lose the rhythm and some fan could draw enjoyment from that. It wouldn't surprise me.

They have to relate somewhat to the music behind them or the result is (probably) going to sound like garbage (to most people).

I agree with you... but I really don't think that this argument applies to The Miracle or to SOI... I don't see "most people" complaining that it sounds like garbage.

Obviously there are "some people" complaining, but it's impossible to make something that everybody likes.

I wouldn't expect you to like those lyrics, but the fact that you dislike them or hate them doesn't mean that most people would.

The sticking point for me is arguing that poets are bound by meter (when free verse exists) and rock lyricists of all people are not.

So you agree with her that Rock lyricists don't apply... the only observation you have is that you believe (fairly so) that poets don't apply neither (because free verse exists).
So that post it was not THAT bad really.
 
So you agree with her that Rock lyricists don't apply... the only observation you have is that you believe (fairly so) that poets don't apply neither (because free verse exists).

...you might want to try reading LM's post again.
 
...you might want to try reading LM's post again.

I did it, I know what he tried to say, and I agree with him for the most part, but I think that he contradicted himself when he mentioned free verse (implying that poets sometimes are not bound by it but rock lyricist are).
(And if that was his intention, then I thought that the Stipe example had been good enough).

I thought he was being nitpicky with the original post so I acted nitpicky with his.
Maybe a bit childish on my side, but I hope is no big deal, though.
 
Bono (like myself) is a big Bob Dylan fan, and Dylan has made a career -- generally as the most respected solo songwriter (in English), ever -- out of cramming "too many" lyrical syllables into apparently restricted meters. It's a kind of performance art form common to Appalachian folk music and plenty of interpretive singers. That's not to say it's always good. Of course, it can sound terrible to some and good to others. When done well, it can add an extra element of excitement to the delivery of a line.

Anyway, I think the U2 album with the best set of lyrics overall is Rattle & Hum. There are 9 studio cuts (basically an entire album's worth) and 'Silver and Gold', making 10 U2 songs having never appeared on a LP before. I think each of the 10 has some really good lyrics. Samples from each:

Hold me now, hold me now
Till this hour has gone around
And I'm gone on the rising tide
For to face Van Diemen's Land

She's the dollars, she's my protection
Yeah she's a promise in the year of election
Oh sister, I can't let you go
Like a preacher stealing hearts at a traveling show

Like thunder needs rain, like the preacher needs pain
Like tongues of flame, like a sweet stain
Like a needle needs a vein, like someone to blame
Like a thought unchained, like a runaway train
I need your love

Broken back to the ceiling, broken nose to the floor
I scream at the silence, crawling
It crawls under the door
There's a rope around my neck and there's a trigger in a gun
Jesus say something!
I am someone

An empty glass, the lady sings
Eyes swollen like a bee sting
Blinded, you lost your way
Through the side streets and the alleyway
Like a star exploding in the night
Falling to the city in broad daylight
An angel in Devil's shoes
Salvation in the blues
You never looked like an angel

I've conquered my past, the future is here at last
I stand at the entrance to a new world I can see
The ruins to the right of me will soon have lost sight of me

I was a sailor, I was lost at sea
I was under the waves before love rescued me
I was a fighter, I could turn on a thread
Now I stand accused of the things I've said

Mississippi and the cotton wool heat
Sixty-six, a highway speaks
Of deserts dry
Of cool, green valleys
Gold and silver veins
Of the shining cities

Don't believe the devil, I don't believe his book
But the truth is not the same without the lies he made up
I don't believe in excess, success is to give
I don't believe in riches but you should see where I live
I believe in love

You say you'll give me a highway with no one on it
Treasure just to look upon it
All the riches in the night
You say you'll give me eyes in a moon of blindness
A river in a time of dryness
A harbour in the tempest
But all the promises we make from the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you



Good stuff all. Bono maybe goes a little overboard with the R&B/blues-referencing-for-beginners lyrics in 'Angel of Harlem' and 'When Love Comes to Town', but hey, they were young. (It's also hard to hear the last verse of 'When Love Comes to Town' without seeing Bono smiling at B.B. King as he reads him the lyrics.)

Zooropa is good lyrically, too. I've often thought that "Stay (Faraway! So Close)" is the most perfect lyrical poetry Bono's ever done. (By this, I mean it reads beautifully as prose poetry, but also works as song lyrics.)

I like the lyrics of War and The Unforgettable Fire, if the latter is a little too vague and unformed at times. The Joshua Tree lyrics fit the music perfectly and beautifully sustain a consistent imagery, but those images are rather repetitive (fire, rain, storms, etc.) and cliched. Achtung Baby is a good change of pace, but, as befits its pop-culture-aware aesthetic, it's a weird mix of the great and the silly, often awkwardly sandwiched together.

The later-U2 lyrics seem to be far too self-referencing and self-conscious; i.e., they're rather ego-centric, which does not interest me. There have been some gems, though. "Beautiful Day" gets overlooked because people hear only the chorus, but it's probably the most perfect lyric they've done since 1993. "Cedars of Lebanon" was impressive (despite one lazy line -- the "tank" rhyme).
 
To dismiss Achtung Baby as "a weird mix of the great and the silly, often awkwardly sandwiched together" is laughable.
You may have missed my point. I didn't dismiss anything. I love Achtung Baby, and I love its lyrics as well. But isolating the lyrics from the music, I find the lyrics less able to stand alone. In part, this is because of the lyrics' self-consciousness and their humor mixed with pathos and pain. For example, 'Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses':
You're an accident waiting to happen
Baby, can we still be friends?

Both (intentional?) cliches, and oddly mixed with beautiful lines like:
Took a drive in the dirty rain
To a place where the wind calls your name
Under the trees, the river laughing at you and me


Or "Tryin' to Throw your Arms Around the World", which uses the overdone quote
A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle
and the odd (but enjoyable) bridge with lyrics about Dali and the "open-top Beetle" with more lyrical parts like
Sunrise like a nosebleed
Your head hurts and you can't breathe


The album also uses the word "baby" about 10,000 times (hence the album title), which makes sense in terms of what they were trying to do circa 1991, but doesn't exactly hold up as high poetry.

The album's lyrics are quite good, and successfully achieve what they needed. They just aren't quite as good as Rattle & Hum's when isolated from the music.
 
Aching Baby has the best lyrics with So Cruel having the best lyrics of any other U2 song.

"Between the horses of love and lust we are trampled... Under foot"


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
 
"Between the horses of love and lust we are trampled... Under foot"
I like that line, too, although thinking about it now it's odd that he sings "between" the horses. Shouldn't it be "under" the horses of love and lust? I mean, you can't be trampled if you're between the horses.

Maybe another clue Bono picked up from Dylan? Bob writes similarly odd lines like: "Nobody feels any pain / Tonight as I stand inside the rain." Why "inside"? But it sounds good.
 
Gonna stop here because you're reading far too much into the lyrics and I disagree on pretty much every point.
So, to summarize, my post was "laughable", followed up by the fact that you're not willing to engage me in a discussion. Keep up the great contributions to the forum!
 
Because won't agree and I don't want to have a sad Gvox-n66 slinging match. You posted lyrics from Van Dieman's Land as an example of R&H's great lyrics. I think it's a crap song with uninspiring lyrics I hadn't thought about in years.
 
I like that line, too, although thinking about it now it's odd that he sings "between" the horses. Shouldn't it be "under" the horses of love and lust? I mean, you can't be trampled if you're between the horses.

Have you ever seen a tug of war contest where once the contest is won the teams start falling and tripping over each with some inevitable at the bottom of the pile? The first part of the line is talking about them being caught in this tug of war between the horses, the second part is talking about the aftermath of being trampled UNDERFOOT.




Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
 
Back
Top Bottom