Zooropa (song) Appreciation Thread

[Vlad n U 2]

A while ago I listened to the song Zooropa, and I loved it from that listen, i've actually realised what a beautiful and innovative track it was. I just love it slowly builds up starting from the piano and those random voices mixed together which really sounded like it was from outer space, then a little before the 2 minute mark it all ends and turns into this glorious riff, I can't really describe the sound of it but it just sounds wonderful, then about 10-15 seconds later the drums and bass kick in with the sound of people saying "What do ya want?" "Hotel call" and then into the first verse. I'm probably not going to go through the whole song because i'll probably bore you but I just wanted to express my appreciation for it and to know whether anyone out there likes it as much as I do?

Thoughts?

 

[LemonMelon]

It's actually not only my favorite U2 song, but one of my favorites by any band, ever. Hearing that for the first time, after reading so much negativity about the album...it blew my mind, really. The last three minutes are among the most exciting pieces of music the band ever recorded, and I think the production is perfect. 100/5.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

And to me it sounds like, how to explain this, you feel like your in space on your own, well thats how I feel when I hear it.

One of U2s best openers, it just doesn't get played enough! Which is a shame.

 

[The Sad Punk]

More or less what LeMel said. My favourite U2 track from the nineties, simply.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

In my opinion, the song has three sections, first you have the piano bit with the random voices, then the dark and atmospheric bit with the phrases in the verses, then thirdly the uplifting part. The songs both dark and uplifting imo.

 

[u2popmofo]

One of my all time U2 favorites as well. Love the music, love the lyrics, love it all. Great opener, great song in general.

 

[digitize]

Zooropa is simply incredible. It rivals Bad in how awesome its buildup is.

It also reminds me of 2 + 2 = 5.

 

[The Sad Punk]

It also reminds me of 2 + 2 = 5.

OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIt

 

[Dr. Lemonseed]

Yes this song is amazing. I'd also like to point out the lyrics, which I think are pretty amazing and surprisingly personal, in the context of Bono's life progression...

esp. things like "I've been hiding. What have I been hiding from?" or "And I have no religion. And I don't know what's what" Sort of a logical extension of Zoo Station, really.

Which, when you juxtapose that with the burned out lyrics of Pop, really make the song a sort of dramatic milestone in his life... of embracing the world but losing touch with his soul...

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

Simply great, yeah.

The best song of Zooropa together with Dirty Day.

 

[one4u2]

Simply great, yeah.

The best song of Zooropa together with Dirty Day.

 

[ozeeko]

Definitely one of their best songs. It's futuristic. The last 3rd of the song is a section of music so intense and inspirational i can never listen to it just once, i must keep rewinding it back over and over again to the point where it kicks in and plays to the end.

 

[lazarus]

This is in my Top 10, along with Lemon.

It seems like a mixture of three different songs, but it's a great indicator that the band is ready to try anything on the album. It PERFECTLY sets the tone for the rest of their work of the 90's; not as dark and emotionally distraut as Achtung Baby, but more akin to staggering around in confusion in a world of too much stimuli, too many choices.

I also love how the penultimate track (before the coda of Love is Blindness) on Achtung ends with "And you can dream/so dream out loud/and don't let the bastards grind you down", and in Zooropa Bono picks up where he left off with "she's gonna dream up the world she wants to live in/she's gonna dream out loud". It's a conceptual thread that makes these two albums, as well as the next two, such an amazing body of work.

Oh yeah, when the song kicks in=HEAVEN.

 

[Zoots]

It's good and I like it for all the reasons already mentioned but for some reason, I really don't know why, I've been wondering all these years... for some reason, I don't love it as much as my all-time favorite songs. Anything from Achtung Baby, Joshua Tree, Pop or even Numb, Lemon, Stay I prefer to Zooropa. I can't explain why. But I do like the song, just not at crazy levels.

 

[u2popmofo]

You're just trying to hurt our feelings and/or make us look bad, Zootsuit.

 

[Zoots]

You're just trying to hurt our feelings and/or make us look bad, Zootsuit.

I just want to be diff'rent eh, Sherlock?

 

[u2popmofo]

To spite you, I'm going to listen to Zooropa right now, and it's going to be one of my all time favorites.

 

[Zoots]

I'm going to listen to the Bends.

www.howtobeaholycow.com

 

[u2popmofo]

Link still does not work.

 

[Zoots]

Link still does not work.

And that's what really hurts?

Well, make it work!

 

[MMP]

Zooropa:

2nd best song opening an album in U2's entire catalogue. (WTSHNN is the 1st and of course, not counting Unreleased & Rare, cause Levitate is perfection.)

nuff said

 

[Zoots]

Zooropa:

2nd best song opening an album in U2's entire catalogue. (WTSHNN is the 1st and of course, not counting Unreleased & Rare, cause Levitate is perfection.)

nuff said

Incorrect!

Zoo Station will always be the #1 opener and that is a subjectively objective opinionated and irrefutable fact.

 

[GibsonGirl]

Zooropa is in my top five. Sometimes it's even number one... In my view, it is by far U2's most artistically-daring song.

 

[Zoomerang96]

zooropa is one of my all time favourite songs, and is currently enjoying a lot of spins on my itunes.

the buildup, as others have pointed out, is one of the finest ever. what a glorious tune.

 

[MMP]

Incorrect!

Zoo Station will always be the #1 opener and that is a subjectively objective opinionated and irrefutable fact.

 

[Vlaco]

It's pure brill

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

In my view, it is by far U2's most artistically-daring song.

I agree. Even though I've always viewed Zooropa as an inconsistent album, I love how freely they experimented on it, and this track is a prime example of what happens when U2 lets themselves loosen up and explore new territory. I think the lyrics are among Bono's best, and it's a song that even when I'm not listening to that much U2 (like lately), I still love.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I might add that I have 3 songs from Zooropa (including Zooropa) in my top 10 all time U2 tracks.

 

[Vlaco]

I might add that I have 3 songs from Zooropa (including Zooropa) in my top 10 all time U2 tracks.

Which one?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Which one?

Stay, Lemon and Zooropa.