Hands that Built America appreciation

[AnnRKeyintheUSA]

I was relistening to Best of 90-00 yesterday and I never noticed just what a great song this is. It uses so many instruments, layers and musical techniques I don't hear in their other songs. The lyrics and the tune are good too but the musical work on it is amazing. It's a fine piece of work and did not deserve to lose to Eminem. What an awesome example of what this band is capable of doing. Can we get some love for this song over here.

 

[Swan269]

i love edges guitar on the instrumental mix at the end of the movie..but i agree with you great song...(you gotta live with your dreams, don't make them so hard) is a great lyric

 

[rwhite]

I like this song too. It fit the movie which was also great.

 

[phommel]

I don't know the 'rule'in this thread. can you only join if you appreciate this song? In that case I should leave now, because I consider 'Hands that built America' as one of the worst U2-songs ever! A huge mistake.

 

[Swan269]

typically its to appricate but you are entitled to your opinion of course

 

[monsieur fly]

I do like it- it has an ethereal quality to it- William Orbit is good at ethereal. That said there is something cynical about it too- they were after an Oscar and the song, with its "poignant" reference to 9/11 and its take on the American Dream was always going to get one. But on the whole, yes, it's a fine song.

 

[monsieur fly]

PS- I hope my 9/11 reference isn't misunderstood- it only forms a small part of the song after all but taken in totality with the American dream idea, and the slightly orchestral feel it has "Oscar winner by numbers" written all over it.

 

[Abycka]

I was relistening to Best of 90-00 yesterday and I never noticed just what a great song this is. It uses so many instruments, layers and musical techniques I don't hear in their other songs. The lyrics and the tune are good too but the musical work on it is amazing. It's a fine piece of work and did not deserve to lose to Eminem. What an awesome example of what this band is capable of doing. Can we get some love for this song over here.

I love this song. It reminds me of 9/11 and in a good way where I see there is possibilty for all of us, things to work out right for all countries. obviously it's not gonna take time but we have to have hope.

 

[digitize]

THTBA is an awesome song.

 

[KristenCaNaDiAn]

I absolutely love this song
I listen to that album all that time and i just think it's beautiful!

 

[lazarus]

i don't know the 'rule'in this thread. Can you only join if you appreciate this song? In that case i should leave now, because i consider 'hands that built america' as one of the worst u2-songs ever! A huge mistake.

QFT.

You're not alone.

 

[nadie]

Love the song, beautiful, one of my favorites. I don't understand why so many hate it, and normally my taste is pretty aligned with the "common opinion." I only have one problem with it: What's with the xylophone? Is there a xylophone-free version? -.-

 

[lazarus]

It's boring, the verses have an unmemorable and awkward melody, the string arrangement is generic.

Ask yourself how U2 at such a huge level of popularity failed to win the Oscar for this song. The answer: because it's not good.

 

[JCOSTER]

I actually really like this song, I thing it suited the movie perfectly and thats what it had intended to do. I don't think it was for the top 40. Some of the lyrics are quite beautiful and the last verse is in regard to 9/11.

It's early fall, there's a cloud on the New York skyline
Innocence, dragged across a yellow line

 

[SpaceBoy]

Good track, overall. Not mind-blowing, but it was a nice treat during the wait between ATYCLB and HTDAAB.

A few things I always liked about the Best Of version-
*the marimba!
*Edge's guitar together with the strings during the "Of all of the promises..." part
*the Bono vocals that are mixed really low
*The section where Bono gets really operatic...pretty impressive vocal moment from their more recent material

 

[Rosebud]

love this song. It kicked ASS live at the awards show. The one where Colin Farrell introduced them...hmm, whcih one was that again? I have the video somewhere.

Anyway, it is awesome.

 

[Rosebud]

Oh, Oscars..

YouTube - U2: The Hands That Built America (live 2003)

Hey, why isn't it embedding?

 

[Rosebud]

Let's try this one shall we...

EDIT: I give up. U2ube it yourself then.

 

[LemonMelon]

I really don't mind it at all.

Now this version:

YouTube - U2 - THE HANDS THAT BUILT AMERICA

It's just so damn bad.

 

[The Sad Punk]

I sort of got into U2 around the time this was released, it was a coincidence. I always thought it was disastrous, at the very least boring and generic.

 

[65980]

I really like this song, too, although I will admit that the string arrangement is generic and it is kind of a "made-to-order" bit of craftsmanship more than an inspired piece of rock and roll. But, since U2 were outside of their post-punk safety zone and into the realm of the Scorcese soundtrack tune, i think this one really hit the spot. It just suits the movie perfectly.

 

[65980]

Oh, and by the way, what exactly does the "innocence dragged across a yellow line" mean? I have no idea. . .

 

[powerhour24]

Gorgeous song, and that fading shot of NYC through the ages as the song cues up is haunting, and one of my favorite film moments of the decade.

 

[Aardvark747]

I always enjoy this song

 

[JCOSTER]

Oh, and by the way, what exactly does the "innocence dragged across a yellow line" mean? I have no idea. . .

Since the line has to do with 9/11 I would say that people on that day lost their innocence, people that where killed, people that where there, and the people that went down to visit the site. Loosing their innocence across the yellow line (yellow tape) that surrounded the towers aftermath.

 

[AnnRKeyintheUSA]

Thanks for the nice comments. It does have so many qualities and emotions in it. Only the last part is about 9-11, after the opera part, before that it's about the Irish coming to America and being some of the main ones to build it, though, like the slaves, they were treated badly. That's probably why they were chosen to do the song, since they were Irish. It also has an idea of hope for the future. I also love the fade at the end of the movie with the NY through the years, very goosebump- causing.

I admit the first time I heard it I wrote it off as 'boring' too but the more I listened the more I appreciated all the work that went into it, and the beauty of it. U2 does a lot musically in 'Hands' they don't do in any other song. You don't have to make a lot of loud or odd noises to be 'experimental', there are other ways, such as some of the artsy and high quality work they did in this song. I hear instruments and sounds in there they've never used before or since. How is that not 'experimenting?' It did deserve the Oscar. Eminem didn't even appreciate winning.

 

[Pearl]

I love this song, especially Bono's opera part. Maybe its because I'm of Irish descent, that is the reason why I'm biased with the song.

I remember being so mad that Eminem won.

 

[rihannsu]

Yeah, but how many people even remember that Eminem won? Whereas U2's win on the Golden Globes will be remembered forever just for Bono's "really, really, fucking brilliant" comment in the acceptance.

Dana

 

[chikite]

I've always appreciated this song. It certainly didn't deserver to lose to Eminem. I think watching/ listening to the use of the song at the end of "The Gangs of New York" gives an alternative insight into its emotional effectiveness. They were, after all, writing the song for use in the context of the film. As such, it is much more powerful when listened to with that context in mind.

 

[Muldfeld]

I quite like this song.