Elvis Presley and America

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LuckyNumber7

LuckyNumber7

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What the devil is this song about?

I'm assuming it's got something to do with Elvis Presley, as TUF seems to have that recurring theme of U2's idols (MLK being Bono's, Elvis being Larry's).

Furthermore, is it true that Eno reversed the tracks or something to that extent from A Sort of Homecoming in the mixing for this song? The drums are the same exact thing.

I've never really looked into anything too far from TUF until now.
 
Not even kidding, that is like my third or fourth favorite U2 song...and the other three are from tuf as well.
 
you are right...the drums are from a sort of homecoming slowed down. the rough sketch is really cool...glad the band listened to eno when he said..."this is done". wish they were a little more like that today :hmm:
 
You know
And though no one told you sky
And you feel
Like you pretend you can
You say go, you live
Go live outside of me
Don't you leave
Don't leave out part of me
Then I can feel
Like I feel before
Like it hurt now
And I see the floor
If you pick me up
Bits and pieces on this floor


:heart:
 
bono_212 said:
You know
And though no one told you sky
And you feel
Like you pretend you can
You say go, you live
Go live outside of me
Don't you leave
Don't leave out part of me
Then I can feel
Like I feel before
Like it hurt now
And I see the floor
If you pick me up
Bits and pieces on this floor


:heart:
Click to expand...

I love that part... Especially the "Then I can feel like I feel before,..."
 
ElectricalStorm said:
I love that part... Especially the "Then I can feel like I feel before,..."
Click to expand...

That part and the 'bits and pieces' as well.


But when I say I want to write lyrics for it... I literally mean write my own words to the song. I'm no singer, and I don't mean to discredit or put this song down in any way, but I think I'd like to give it some meaning for me because it's so awesome.
 
Oh man, I would never want to be famous and ever get on the internet. Just reading some of those comments...glad Travis has a sense of humor :lol:
 
bono_212 said:
I was actually going to mention that but didn't want to seem like I was pushing my husband's cause :lol:. Glad you did it for me.

But yes:

YouTube - U2 - Elvis Presley And America cover

I love this cover.
Click to expand...

It's nice and a really job well done.

I'm no musician, but what exactly is it that they used with Bono's voice? It's some form of synthesizer or something, and sounds probably like it's double-layered vocals?

Yeah, I would never have the balls to record my own voice singing and posting it on YouTube.
 
Singing just takes time, patience, and some work effort. In no time most people can learn to sing properly, if they practice. :wink: I started vocal lessons in October and I've gotten better by miles in just about six months. So all I'm saying is if you can train yourself correctly you CAN learn to sing.

Anyway about the subject of discussion, I really love EPAA. It's grown on me for sure. At first when I got the album and heard it I wasn't so sure I liked it. I knew it had some potential but it has those parts of mumbling, which at first I didn't like/understand. Now that I've listened several times I've started to like the song more and more. The atmospheric feel and the part the guitar plays that starts at the 2:45 mark, gah I love that part! It lasts for about 4-5 seconds but it's magical. I think the thing with the vocals is there's a "big" sounding reverb on Bono's vocals. Also there seems to also have an echo on there too. I don't know for sure but about the double vocal thing it could be the echo. This is an ambient album so I wouldn't be surprised to see delay and reverb on vocals. It's also possible they double layered vocals. It's been widely popular for artists to do that and make their voice sound bigger/more rounded.
 
Yeah I was gonna say, I believe most artists use layered vocals. I just think there's an offset on the layering to create that echoing effect, although once again I'm not a musical person at all. Just what it sounds like.
 
I adore this song. There's something special in the things that U2 do that are rough and kind of whatever just comes out (Rise Up being another good example, for me).

bono_212 said:
You know
And though no one told you sky
And you feel
Like you pretend you can
You say go, you live
Go live outside of me
Don't you leave
Don't leave out part of me
Then I can feel
Like I feel before
Like it hurt now
And I see the floor
If you pick me up
Bits and pieces on this floor


:heart:
Click to expand...

And I love how I could just hear that in my head as I read it.
 
Great song but I've never understood a thing Bono sings.

The cover is pretty good too. :up:
 
LuckyNumber7 said:
Yeah I was gonna say, I believe most artists use layered vocals. I just think there's an offset on the layering to create that echoing effect, although once again I'm not a musical person at all. Just what it sounds like.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I hear the same. They definitely put some kind of tremolo effect on the vocals, although maybe they just double-tracked it. Didn't affect the pitch the way I would expect a double-tracked vocal to, however. Hmm.

Thanks for the compliments on the cover...in hindsight, I wish I had come up with a solid vocal melody myself, but I wanted to match the careless spirit of the original, which does lack a specific vocal melody. Bono could be singing over anything, really, but that's part of the charm. I'm not an obsessed fan of the original, I feel like it could have been much better had they fleshed out Bono's portion of it, but it's still pretty good as is.
 
theedgeu2 said:
Singing just takes time, patience, and some work effort. In no time most people can learn to sing properly, if they practice. :wink: I started vocal lessons in October and I've gotten better by miles in just about six months. So all I'm saying is if you can train yourself correctly you CAN learn to sing.
Click to expand...

Yes... and no, patience, practise and proper instruction can teach you something as with any other instrument, but being a trully gifted singer is something different, as it is different when someone plays the piano or the guitar (after learning to) and when a real master does it. I can tell you because after years of training I'm not a good singer, of course, I'm better than I used to be, but not good.
 
Never understood what Bono is singing on this song and I've never wanted to - like other people have said, it's part of what makes the song and gives it mystery.
 
This is one of the best lyrics ever, it's a mirror of Elvis, he was a jigsaw that needed peicig back together, he was a creschendo and the song captures that perfectly x
 
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