When Everything They Know IS Wrong

[doctorwho]

Getting facts wrong is, well, a fact of life. But I hate when people are so complete in their convictions when indeed the item is erroneous.

My coworker is recently married. The son of his new wife likes U2 (and this is a pre-teen, so this is impressive). One of his son's favorite U2 songs is "Sunday Bloody Sunday". This coworker is a Beatles fanatic. So he tells this boy that U2's song is just a cover of John Lennon's song of the same name.



After I was awoken from fainting over the sheer lunacy of such a statement, I had to go online to show my coworker - who is a nice man - that he is unfortunately incorrect. I said the only parts of the song that are the same are the title and perhaps the theme. Otherwise, they are very different songs.

My coworker seemed astonished. I guess he felt that all these years, U2 had been covering Lennon. What amazes me is that if he's such a huge fan, surely he's heard Lennon's track many times. And "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is one of U2's bigger songs - clearly they are not the same.

To make him feel better, I referred him to U2's "God Part 2", which clearly has Lennon sentiments all over it. I just hope he fessed up to the boy and let him know the truth. We don't need this young kid thinking the wrong stuff for another 25+ years.

Anyone else have similar stories?

 

[U2DMfan]

I once had a real argument, this would have been around 1993, with a friend - a musical friend, he was a drummer and basically knew most of his 'stuff' that the lead singer of U2 was not The Edge, but in fact was Bono.

I couldn't believe we were even having that discussion. He was dead serious.

ETA- I should add that this dude was about 25 at the time and was in high school when The Joshua Tree was so huge in America. And again, was a musician himself that owned a shitload of albums.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I didn't get that at first, now I do...

 

[blueeyedgirl]

You could have stopped at the word "drummer" there....

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

i love the Beatles. especially JOhn Lennon, who i think is the best songwriter of a generation. Love him, miss him.

Paul McCartney shares my bday and drives the same sports car as me.

Ringo was great in a shit 80's dinosaur movie i thik.

George, God rest his blessed soul.

I love them, but they are my parents generation, much like Elvis, whom i also adore.

Love them

U2 are my Elvis / Beatles.

There will never be another.....

 

[doctorwho]

I'm not sure what Mrs. Garrison was rattling on about there, but I have another example for this thread.

The Pet Shop Boys made a cover of "Streets" that gently mocked U2's supposed over-serious nature in the late 80's. Of course, U2 then came out with AB and all that became moot. The Pet Shop Boys even acknowledged this.

A friend at the time was a Pet Shop Boys fan. And he insisted that they wrote "Streets" and that U2 did the cover version. I told him to look at the CD - it will say lyrics by Bono (or Paul Hewson), and music by U2 (or perhaps the individual members). Either way, this is U2's song. But he refused to look at it as he was positive it was a Pet Shop Boys' son.

Sigh..

Of course, he got a double for liking the Pet Shop Boys that much.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

Drwho, i think after reading your story the other day i was just stating that the Beatles, Elvis, and U2 are (in my mind) all on the same level. Icons, Legends, and they will never be replaced. I came to that conclusion at Graceland the day after an awesome Nashville show while eating a club sandwich and listening to the King on XM. People flock the world over to visit Graceland. Just like people follow U2 to the ends of the earth to watch them play and hear Bono echo towards the heavens. And people still walk by that Dakota in NYC where over 30 years ago on a December evening some a-hole stopped the Imagine-ation. Thats what it is. I am so proud to have been a part of this, 4 shows on 360 and 10 total, that i know i witnessed something very special that makes all of the blood, sweat, & tears worthwhile.

What this has to do with your thread? I dunno....guess i just found your thread and posted some random thoughts about U2, Elvis, & the Beatles. Its kind of what i do, and i'd had a bit of beverage in me the other night so there you go (Sam Adams, not Duff).

Whats wrong with the PSB? I like them...

 

[doctorwho]

Drwho, i think after reading your story the other day i was just stating that the Beatles, Elvis, and U2 are (in my mind) all on the same level. Icons, Legends, and they will never be replaced. I came to that conclusion at Graceland the day after an awesome Nashville show while eating a club sandwich and listening to the King on XM. People flock the world over to visit Graceland. Just like people follow U2 to the ends of the earth to watch them play and hear Bono echo towards the heavens. Thats what it is. I am so proud to have been a part of this, 4 shows on 360 and 10 total, that i know i witnessed something very special that makes all of the blood, sweat, & tears worthwhile.

What this has to do with your thread? I dunno....guess i just found your thread and posted some random thoughts about U2, Elvis, & the Beatles. Its kind of what i do, and i'd had a bit of beverage in me the other night so there you go (Sam Adams, not Duff).

Whats wrong with the PSB? I like them...

I like PSB too - but not to the level of adamantly thinking they wrote "Streets" - one of U2's most iconic songs.

As for everything else...

 

[Miroslava]

After the super bowl performance, my boss came to the office the next Monday and asked me when U2 got a new drummer. I informed her that they hadn't - that it was the same ol' Larry Mullen. She then replied that this was absolutely a new drummer because when she had seen Outside Broadcast in Illinois sometime in 92 or 93 it was a different guy. No amount of information could convince her. The next day I brought all my CD booklets, a print out from U2.com regarding the beginnings of U2 and confirmation of my statement that the only U2 show that featured someone other had happened in Australia and it had to do with Adam.

After being presented with all if this she proceeded to say "well, all I know is that it wasn't the same guy"

 

[corianderstem]

I love this thread.

 

[bono_man2002]

The old man thinks the Stones "Wild Horses" is the same as U2's

 

[sabretooth47]

A friend of mine, who is a pretty big U2 fan, tried to convince me that the band has never, and will never, perform One Tree Hill live because it's too heartbreaking for Bono to sing.

 

[Galeongirl]

They should move to New Zealand then. Or just, you know, check U2gigs.com.

 

[doctorwho]

A friend of mine, who is a pretty big U2 fan, tried to convince me that the band has never, and will never, perform One Tree Hill live because it's too heartbreaking for Bono to sing.

I originally heard this too - until I saw boots of JT and R&H shows where the song was performed.

Even worse, U2 just did this song in Chicago on this current tour.

So while the rumor has existed for a while, it's far from true. But as others have said, no amount of "proof" will convince people they are wrong. Hence the title of this thread.