Lyrics from the new album so far

[shart1780]

but you can only say that because you have heard them in context. Any suggestion that you could make a judgement on the new lyrics without hearing them in context is frankly ignorant

Context? How many different ways can you take "put down your guns... we need love and peace"? I can only think of so many ways to interpret that. There is no room for interpretation. Most of what Bono writes these days can only be taken at face value. They lack imagination so they're not interesting. Not only are they boring, they're cheesy.

Again, I didn't say the songs will be bad, but the lyrics so far are looking bad.

 

[dan_smee]

Context? How many different ways can you take "put down your guns... we need love and peace"? I can only think of so many ways to interpret that.

Same with the Lyric from crazy.

Again, I didn't say the songs will be bad, but the lyrics so far are looking bad.

Context isn't just interpretations of phrases. It's all about the way they sound in the song, the cadence, and the lines around it. By putting such a simplistic method of lyrical analysis forward, you prove my point.

haha, and no, you didnt say the songs were bad, but the doomsday warning we got about the lyrics left little to the imagination

 

[shart1780]

Context isn't just interpretations of phrases. It's all about the way they sound in the song, the cadence, and the lines around it. By putting such a simplistic method of lyrical analysis forward, you prove my point.

haha, and no, you didnt say the songs were bad, but the doomsday warning we got about the lyrics left little to the imagination

Well, it seems to me all of U2's worst songs are the songs with the worst lyrics, so I think it's a pretty good indication of the quality of the songs.

There's a reason critics and fans have been bashing Bono's writing skills this decade.

 

[dan_smee]

Well, it seems to me all of U2's worst song are the songs with the worst lyrics, so I think it's a pretty good indication of the quality of the songs.

you just contradicted yourself. You said it wasn't an indication of how bad a song was, now you're saying it is?

I'm saying that from tiny one line snippets of lyrics, you can't tell if lyrics are bad.

 

[astepcloser24]

If you're basically saying U2 sucks throughout this thread, why are you even a member of this site?

 

[dan_smee]

If you're basically saying U2 sucks throughout this thread, why are you even a member of this site?

dont worry, this has been covered before!

Yes you have the right to argue about something you don't like, but this doomsday shit is really destroying the experience for others. If you don't like it, have a cry to yourself

 

[ozeeko]

dont worry, this has been covered before!

Yes you have the right to argue about something you don't like, but this doomsday shit is really destroying the experience for others. If you don't like it, have a cry to yourself

I think the lad is quite negative, but i wouldn't go as far as to say he's destroying some kind of experience I'm having. I mean...it's a message board on the internet, what else would u expect? I think he makes the experience more enjoyable, because its freakin' hilarious watching all the shit he gets handed to him.

As for the lyrics, i like the cedars of lebanon line. the others i'd have to hear with the song. Maybe i've been drinking too much kool-aid, but i'm starting to like the IGCIIDGCT title. I hope it is the oddest song ever.

 

[shart1780]

you just contradicted yourself. You said it wasn't an indication of how bad a song was, now you're saying it is?

I'm saying that from tiny one line snippets of lyrics, you can't tell if lyrics are bad.

I don't know if the entirety of the lyrics will be that crappy (Like you said, I've only heard snippets). but I can tell you that I won't like the songs much if they're all that corny.

I didn't say it's not an indication of how bad a song is. I said it's not looking good judging from what I've heard. The fact that 100% of what I've heard I don't like isn't very promising though.

 

[LyricalDrug]

As for more lyrics. There's also something in Stand Up Comedy to the effect of "Stand up to rock stars / Napoleon in high heels / Josephine be careful / Of small men with big ideas" Weird lol

Yeah, I rolled my eyes when I read that one. Most of the lyrics I've read from NLOTH make me cringe a little. And I remember Lanois commenting on the lyrics in an interview recently, and he was polite but not very complimentary or anything.

But then I remind myself, Bono's singing is much important than his lyrics, and by all accounts, he's "singing like a bird" on this album.

 

[shart1780]

I'll also add that Bono's voice doesn't concern me much either. As long as it's not Wild Honey bad I'll probably be happy. Heck, Pop is one of my favorite U2 albums and his vocals weren't technically very good on there.

 

[last unicorn]

I thought "Only love can reset your mind" was a line from Magnificent also, no?

No it's definitely "leave such a mark", if you listen to bc 4.

BUT all these lyrics are from the Beach Clips and not confirmed, they will have changed by now, much of GOYB's lyrics have changed as well. We know some lyrics from several reviews from people who have already heard the album and from Q and RS (if they even listened to the final versions of the song). I think the only lyrics we can definitely say are real are the GOYB ones.

 

[The John Tree]

I'll defend shart here and say that he has a right to his opinion, and I share his opinion that these lyrics, so far at least, are not sounding too great, specifically on "crazy tonight". Though I really do like the GOYB lyrics.

If someone posting a less than stellar opinion on a freaking MESSAGE BOARD is "ruining the experience" for you then, I'm sorry, but you need to toughen up a bit.

But, shart1780, shame on you! Wild Honey?! One of my favorites!!!

 

[last unicorn]

We actually have many more lyrics from the album by now, coming from several reviews.

A German review yesterday said that in "Cedars" Bono sings something about complicated situations and simple headlines.

 

[standrums]

Ok, those all suck.

The whole "I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight" lyric is ridiculous sounding. As a lyric it sounds awkward and doesn't make much sense and as a title it's way too long. It's the kind of title they'd have to shorten before they could even imagine releasing it as a single.

These lyrics are horrible. Exemplifies everything that is wrong with U2's lyrics today. Cliche'd "let's all make the world a better place by doing our very best!" crap. Annoying. If this is an indication of the album I'll very disappointed. Boots' lyrics were only passable.

A song writer yourself?

 

[standrums]

from the beach clip - can't remember which song, might be Magnificent, something like
"heal me, teach me, so I may see" - sung like a chant, totally beautiful - not sure on the lyric but I'm sure "so I may see" is definitely there

 

[last unicorn]

OK, some more lyrics from the songs - these are only taken from the u2tour.de review, I know there are many more from other reviews, but maybe we can complete the list:

Unknown Caller:

- Reboot yourself, you're free to go
- I was lost between the midnight and the dawning
- Escape yourself and gravity

Crazy Tonight:

- There`s a part of me that wants to riot
- Every generation get's a chance to change the world

Cedars:

- Return the call to home

 

[Registered Dude]

"dream out loud"

 

[mikal]

I'll defend shart here and say that he has a right to his opinion, and I share his opinion that these lyrics, so far at least, are not sounding too great, specifically on "crazy tonight". Though I really do like the GOYB lyrics.

If someone posting a less than stellar opinion on a freaking MESSAGE BOARD is "ruining the experience" for you then, I'm sorry, but you need to toughen up a bit.

But, shart1780, shame on you! Wild Honey?! One of my favorites!!!

you probably haven't seen his posts repeatedly slamming U2 over 5 years before you posted this.

 

[shart1780]

A song writer yourself?

No, but I could write better lines than that. I bet you could too.

 

[shart1780]

you probably haven't seen his posts repeatedly slamming U2 over 5 years before you posted this.

The reason I come to this board is because I love U2. I like almost all of U2's music a lot. When I first came here I spent a lot of time praising U2 and talking about songs I liked over and over again and that only held my interest for so long. Now I talk about what U2 is doing currently, and I haven't liked it in a while. I'm not bailing on them or trying to convince myself everything is spectacular and I'm not forcing myself to hate the band, I'm just talking about how I feel about the band right now.

And the only times I post somewhat frequently are around the new album releases.

 

[U2girl]

Awesome lines.

 

[BVS]

When I first came here I spent a lot of time praising U2 and talking about songs I liked over and over again and that only held my interest for so long.

Um, you should really be honest with yourself... We have your posting history on file, you never came here to sing praise.

Post about how Bono's not a real "Christian", how much U2 "sucks" over and over, homophobic rants and trollings, etc...

Don't try and pretend... we all know who you are.

 

[last unicorn]

Most of the lyrics I've read so far make me really excited about the album. Of course you cannot judge any lyrics without knowing the context or hearing the actual songs, but I'm really excited about the lyrics for MOS, and I'm also looking forward to Bono's storytelling in White as snow.

 

[astepcloser24]

The Sydney Morning Herald lists a couple lyrics:

Magnificant: "I was born to sing for you/I didn't have a choice" ... before declaring "only love can leave such a mark"

MOS: ""I tied myself with wire to let the horses run free/playing with fire till the fire plays with me" (I think) to matters closer to the heart: "it's not if I believe in love but if love believes in me."

Unknown Caller: It's 3:33 a.m. "in a place of no consequence or company" and he's "speed dialling with no signal at all."

I'll Go Crazy: She's a rainbow and she likes the quite life/I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight.

Breathe: Did Bono really just say he is "not somebody's cockatoo"? He definitely says "I'm running down the road like loose electricity while the band in my head plays a striptease"

Cedars: "Choose your enemies well for they will define you...they are going to last with you longer than your friends."

 

[dan_smee]

No Line On the Horizon

"I knew a girl who's like the sea/I watch her changing every day for me."

Magnificent

"I was born to sing for you, I didn't have a choice, but to lift you up. And sing whatever song you wanted me to, I give you my voice back."
“Only love can leave such a scar.”
“Only love can make such a mark”
“Only love can reset your mind”
“You and I will make a fire!”

Moment of Surrender

“We’ll set ourselves on fire.”
“I did not notice them, they did not notice me”
“ATM machine”
"I tied myself with wire to let the horses run free, playing with fire till the fire plays with me"
"it's not if I believe in love but if love believes in me"
"I've been in every black hole, At the altar of the dark star, My body's now a begging bowl, That's begging to get back."

Unknown Caller

"Restart and reboot yourself"
“you know your password, key it in.”
“3:33 in the morning and the numbers dropped off the clockface”
"in a place of no consequence or company"
“Escape yourself and gravity.”
"speed dialling with no signal at all"
"Hear me, Cease to speak, That I may speak, Shush now."
"I was lost between the midnight and the dawning"

Crazy Tonight

"Every generation has a chance to change the world"
"There`s a part of me that wants to riot"
“Baby, baby, baby”
"She's a rainbow and she likes the quite life, I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight."

Stand Up Comedy

"On a voyage of discovery stand up to rock stars, Napoleon is in high heels. Josephine, be careful of small men with big ideas."
“I'm not a lover or a fighter, failed at both”
“Stand up for your love!”

Fez-Being Born

"Six o 'clock on the autoroute, Burning rubber, burning chrome. Boy of Cadiz and ferry home, Atlantic sea cut glass, African Sun at last"

White As Snow

“Come get me ghosts”
"Where I came from there were no hills at all, The land was flat, straight highway and the wider, My brother and i would drive for hours"
“The water was icy, the road refuses strangers.”
“They were hunting in the woods.”

Breathe

“Walk out, into the street, sing your heart out”
"not somebody's cockatoo"
"I'm running down the road like loose electricity while the band in my head plays a striptease"

Cedars of Lebanon

“the shitty world sometimes produces a rose”
“the best of us are masters of compression.”
"choose your enemies carefully 'cos they will define you, Make them interesting' cos in some ways they will mind you, They're not there in the beginning but when your story ends, Gonna last with you longer than your friend."
“Return the call to home”

 

[last unicorn]

Thanks dan!

Most of these lyrics sound really exciting.

With Magnificent I'm pretty sure it is: Only love can leave such a mark.

 

[astepcloser24]

Thanks, Dan. I cannot wait for this album!!! lol. Only a month to go.

 

[Chief43]

Based on these lyrics it sounds like its going to be very interesting in its themes and interpretations.

Shart, its funny how you mention Bono's lyrics are cheesy and you are sick of him preaching to everybody. It simply comes with the territory as that is what he has always been like.
However, instead of calling it cheesy I consider it more sincere and political than anything else and I actually prefer that he takes a more specific topical approach in his song writing in comparison to some other bands I listen too whom cover the same old topics as vague as possible (love, life's obstacles and hardships). I mean half the time bands like Feeder in particular (for as much as I love them) seem to just put words that fit in for the music rather than to develop any real meaning for the song.

And I'm not saying Bono is not guilty of doing such a thing but you have to take into account when you have a back catalogue of 12 albums you are bound to repeat yourself every once in a while or have a few songs which really don't seem to be anything more than a bunch of cliched lines put together. (Edge has been guilty of repeating guitar progressions, licks and ideas every so often which is also bound to happen - but we will reserve the bashing to Bono).

Anyway, I love the fact that while Bono may write about a certain idea he also notes that the song may be interpreted differently based on somebody's context. For example, my friend who went through a hard time a few years back took Miracle Drug more as a song for his inspiration to perservere in order for him to achieve great years ahead. In my years of pining I took it as a love song and not as a song about the guy (I forgotten his name) who wrote poetry while almost being physically incapable. It's much better than Chris Martin who walks out of press conferences when a journalist has a different interpretation of the song that he wants them to have.

Finally, one of favourite U2 songs Red Hill Mining Town has some of the most cheesiest lyrics yet they work

"we scorch the earth, set fire to the sky
we stoop so low to reach so high"

If that's not preaching I dont know what is!

 

[last unicorn]

I'm totally happy and excited with the new lyrics so far, it's totally not what I had expected and I'm surprised in a good way. I love to hear more storytelling from Bono, more third person perspectives, a more literary and narrative approach. What I've heard, seen and read so far has really got me very excited about those lyrics.

 

[ozeeko]

Finally, one of favourite U2 songs Red Hill Mining Town has some of the most cheesiest lyrics yet they work

"we scorch the earth, set fire to the sky
we stoop so low to reach so high"

If that's not preaching I dont know what is!

Yea, but those lyrics rule! I mean, to me at least they sound good, not clumsy like these new ones from MOS: "It's not if I believe in love but if love will believe in me"- It's like, come on..what is that? Like some kind of self-motivational jargon. Lame as all hell. Not everything has to be profound and have a significant meaning and must be ultra clever, but take this line from Bob Dylan: "she know's there's no success like failure. And failure is no success at all." - A line sort of like Bono's, in that contradictory, "one cancels out the other" kind of style. But it just reads and sounds better. And i haven't a clue what it means! It's actually nonsense.
I think where Bono runs into trouble is with his sort of Hallmark Card, sentimental way of phrasing things. It's like, if Bob Dylan's lyrics are Lions, Bono's are cute cuddly bunnies. And I don't mean all the time. Just more than usual lately.

Of course, I haven't heard the songs yet, and this is all based on speculation and here-say.