Landlady Appreciation Thread

[The John Tree]

This is one of my favorites on the album. The "list" lyric Bono recites at the end slay me. I also don't understand what people mean when they say that this just sounds like U2-by-numbers: what U2 song sounds like this?

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

This is one of my favorites on the album. The "list" lyric Bono recites at the end slay me. I also don't understand what people mean when they say that this just sounds like U2-by-numbers: what U2 song sounds like this?

That’s why this song hit me so hard when I first heard it. It was disregarded by those who heard it. I’m thinking if it wasn’t called Landlady (might appear silly) it would have gotten more of a chance.

 

[AtomicLemon]

Sweet, we can see some of the lyrics here, posted on St Patrick's Day 2016 -

 

[Scorpionac]

I can see how the constant references to a landlady might sound bizarre, if you don't know the song is about Bono's relationship with his wife.

 

[womanfish]

The crazy part about this song, is that it STILL sneaks up on me as i listen through the album. I kinda forget that its coming up and then it starts and I'm like, Oh yeah! And then i'm instantly drawn into this song. Something special about this one.

 

[gvox]

She’s not his landlady. She’s his lady on land, when he’s in the air. She keeps him rooted, providing an anchor so he can soar..


..and those Spanish Eyes..takes him home, home again

 

[corianderstem]

She’s not his landlady. She’s his lady on land, when he’s in the air. She keeps him rooted, providing an anchor so he can soar..

That's a really lovely way to phrase it!

Weird question - would you mind if I cribbed that for a review I'll write this week?

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

Anchorlady

I’m Paul Henson?

 

[corianderstem]

Go fuck yourself, Dublin!

 

[gvox]

That's a really lovely way to phrase it!

Weird question - would you mind if I cribbed that for a review I'll write this week?

Not at all. It’s not entirely mine, it spawned from a convo Mark and I were having as we listened for the first time.

PS - you better be speaking glowingly of this track miss!!

 

[dezmaas]

The first word that springs to mind listening to this song was “charming”. I like it a lot.

 

[corianderstem]

Not at all. It’s not entirely mine, it spawned from a convo Mark and I were having as we listened for the first time.

PS - you better be speaking glowingly of this track miss!!

"The song is just okay, but two friends of mine had this awesome thing to say about it!!!!"

Thank you!

 

[gvox]

"The song is just okay, but two friends of mine had this awesome thing to say about it!!!!"



Thank you!

 

[The Disciple]

This is one of my favorites on the album. The "list" lyric Bono recites at the end slay me. I also don't understand what people mean when they say that this just sounds like U2-by-numbers: what U2 song sounds like this?

 

[superchuk5]

Biggest surprise on the album. Bono talks about a song where he compares Ali to a Landlady and my first thought is "oh boy, here we go.."

But it works because he goes deeper. He was never a "starving poet" because he always had Ali to support him. It's really quite lovely. Melody is great too (very strong suit for the whole album). Doesn't hurt that Edge, Adam, and Larry find the right music for it all.

 

[DontExpect]

Terrific song.

There are probably better threads for this, but here's my crack at the lyrics since I haven't seen them posted yet. Excuse my peculiar line breaks, punctuation and indentations (poet here).

_____

Landlady

Roam
The phone is where I live
‘till I get home
and when the doorbell rings
you tell me that I have a key
I ask you how you know it’s me

The road
No road without a town
and if there was,
the road would be too long
What keeps us standing in this view
is the view that we can be brand new

The landlady takes me up in the air
I go, I go where I would not dare
The landlady shows me the stars up there
I’m weightless, weightless when she is there

And I’ll never know,
never know what starving poets meant
‘Cause when I was broke,
it was you that always paid the rent

Space
A place is where I found my parking space
and when I’m losing ground
you know she gives it back to me
She whispers, ‘don’t do, just be’

The landlady takes me up in the air
I go, I go where I would not dare
The landlady shows me the stars up there
I’m weightless, weightless when she is there

And I’ll never know,
never know what starving poets meant
‘Cause when I was broke,
it was you that always paid the rent

Every wave that broke me
every song that wrote me
every dawn that woke me
was to get me home to you, see –

Every soul that left me
every heart that kept me
that strangers that protected me
to bring me back to you

Every magic potion
every false emotion
our unswerving, our devotion
to the lies we know are almost true

Every sweet confusion
every grand illusion
our we win and call it losing
if the prize is not for you –

 

[kiwilad]

Anyone sensing some subtle referencing from Promenade here?
Promenade is him and Ali and their little tower house outside of Dublin. They go up the spiral staircase to the higher ground. There are fireworks exploding.
Then with Landlady, when he gets home she takes him up in the air, to the stars.
Too subtle?

 

[DontExpect]

Anyone sensing some subtle referencing from Promenade here?
Promenade is him and Ali and their little tower house outside of Dublin. They go up the spiral staircase to the higher ground. There are fireworks exploding.
Then with Landlady, when he gets home she takes him up in the air, to the stars.
Too subtle?

Just subtle enough.

I see some Landlady connections to In a Little While, too:

If I crawl, if I come crawling home
Will you be there?

+

A man dreams one day to fly
A man takes a rocket ship into the skies

 

[SecretFly]

The best song on the album for me. Absolutely love it

 

[dan_smee]

Terrific song.

There are probably better threads for this, but here's my crack at the lyrics since I haven't seen them posted yet. Excuse my peculiar line breaks, punctuation and indentations (poet here).

_____

Landlady

Roam
The phone is where I live
‘till I get home
and when the doorbell rings
you tell me that I have a key
I ask you how you know it’s me

The road
No road without a turn
and if there was,
the road would be too long
What keeps us standing in this view
is the view that we can be brand new

The landlady takes me up in the air
I go, I go where I would not dare
The landlady shows me the stars up there
I’m weightless, weightless when she is there

And I’ll never know,
never know what starving poets meant
‘Cause when I was broke,
it was you that always paid the rent

Space
Her place is where I found my parking space
and when I’m losing ground
you know she gives it back to me
She whispers, ‘don’t do, just be’

The landlady takes me up in the air
I go, I go where I would not dare
The landlady shows me the stars up there
I’m weightless, weightless when she is there

And I’ll never know,
never know what starving poets meant
‘Cause when I was broke,
it was you that always paid the rent

Every wave that broke me
every song that wrote me
every dawn that woke me
was to get me home to you, see –

Every soul that left me
every heart that kept me
the strangers that protected me
to bring me back to you

Every magic potion
every false emotion
unswerving, our devotion
to the lies we know are almost true

Every sweet confusion
every grand illusion
I win and call it losing
if the prize is not for you –

Couple of changes:

No road without a turn. Metaphor for ups and downs in relationships, and The turns mean you have to stay close in view (in the rear view). Roads are too long without turns - life is boring if it’s easy.

Her place is where I found my parking space.

Plus some small ones I made in the quote.

Good song

 

[SpaceBoy]

Anyone sensing some subtle referencing from Promenade here?
Promenade is him and Ali and their little tower house outside of Dublin. They go up the spiral staircase to the higher ground. There are fireworks exploding.
Then with Landlady, when he gets home she takes him up in the air, to the stars.
Too subtle?

Interesting that you mention this, I was actually thinking about how it kind of reminds me of Promenade musically. Similar profile with the dreamy, mid-tempo atmosphere and lyrical delivery.

 

[Scorpionac]

I love the big note at the end of the line "the landlady shows me the stars up there." That stood out to me on a first listen.

I would have liked to hear an Edge solo, maybe at the end.

 

[Hollow Island]

Larry's drums are really great on this. Edge is great on on too. Adam as well. Bono too. It's so light, and the tiny riffs that Edge tosses out are so much more effective than a solo. Not that I'd have minded if he'd let it rip.

unswerving, our devotion
to the lies we know are almost true

just brutal.

 

[womanfish]

Larry's drums are really great on this. Edge is great on on too. Adam as well. Bono too. It's so light, and the tiny riffs that Edge tosses out are so much more effective than a solo. Not that I'd have minded if he'd let it rip.



just brutal.

That line blasted out at me on first listen. Incredible stuff, and anyone in a long term relationship can feel, top to bottom.

 

[TinKnight]

Ugh this song is pretty perfect.

 

[Irvine511]

just brutal.

Agreed. Right now, my favorite lyrics on the album.

A gut punch.

 

[TinKnight]

Maybe its early, but I think this is U2's best love song.

 

[womanfish]

amazing that it seems so many of the "professional" reviewers ignore or don't like this song, and it seems to be the under the radar hit with fans, at least around here.

Even on UTalkintoU2 podcast guys, seemed much more into the BIG songs like Am. Soul, Get Out, Love is Bigger, etc... and Scott said he thought that Landlady would be the one he might skip at first, but its grown on him.

For me, it just grabbed me right away and is better than the BIG songs.

 

[gvox]

Well it’s a bajillion times better than AS I mean come on

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

I’m shocked at the majority of the forums rankings. I haven’t seen Landlady dead last anywhere, I don’t think, but it seems to be toward the bottom or somewhere in the middle of the pack. A lot of people are like “meh, whatever” at this gorgeous song and praise Love is bigger (which to me is pop 101). Head scratcher for me for sure.

I’m convinced sub consciously it’s because the song is called LandLady. If it was called She Shows Me The Stars I think there’d be a different result. [emoji6]