The Little Things That Give You Away - Appreciation Thread

[Aardvark747]

Wonderful. I was worried that the studio recording wouldn't cut the mustard but it really is superb. The build up and ending of the song sound great and I love the .."and I can see you through the tears" part.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I like that it has a little more urgency building throughout the song, rather than it just kicking in toward the last section in the live version.

Yes!

This is how they actually made what was actually great better. They moved the quieter part to the middle. There actually is a build up in the start, and then it drops down at the start of the "sometimes..." part before crescendoing back up.

God I fucking love this song.

If they don't release it and don't play the fuck out of it during the promo period it'll be fucking criminal.

 

[Hollow Island]

I think we can preemptively add it to the long list of puzzling U2 decisions.

I'm listen to the album again and just finished this one. It's one of their best songs. I'm stunned.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

If they don't release it and don't play the fuck out of it during the promo period it'll be fucking criminal.

Maybe one of the reasons that I love Kite and MOS so much is due to the fact that they never pushed them commercially. I'm okay that.

I also have to say that I'm enjoying the live version (Seattle) off the sub site too.

 

[U2FloridaFan]

Even though we've heard this one live on JT, this album version is just gorgeous. I hope they give it a little more "body" on E&I tour than they had on JT.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

I really think this song should be more upbeat. It kinda just slugs along. For whatever reason I’m hearing this song in the vein of wire.

 

[PauloX]

This song has potential to be a classic...

 

[BVS]

I really think this song should be more upbeat. It kinda just slugs along. For whatever reason I’m hearing this song in the vein of wire.

I’m sorry what?! The entire meaning and point to this song is melancholy and epiphany, which they’ve captured perfectly.

Wire is frantic and rage.

 

[Catman]

Absolutely love The Little Things. It has a somewhat similar ebb and flow to it as one of my favorite James songs ("English Beefcake"), but this one hits my gut a little bit harder. Really grateful that U2 can still produce pieces like this with such resonance and emotional weight behind it--the song floors me.

 

[Yahweh]

Wouldn't change a thing about it on the record - It had the proper build up that Every Breaking Wave was missing on SOI....but they hit it out of the park with this one.

 

[Scorpionac]

Everyone here seems to love this song, it's got a classic U2 sound, and it's just the sort of mature, complex late career song you'd expect from a band of U2's age, stature and talent. The "sometimes" section is really gripping and captures some dark feelings that a lot of people can relate to.

So are they going to release this as a single or what.

Sorry, but all the mushy pop they've been pushing just isn't cutting it. It's time to move past that stuff. They've just released an album called Songs of Experience. Time to lean into that.

 

[TinKnight]

"Song will reappear" or "sun will reappear"?

 

[purpleoscar]

sun

 

[TinKnight]

sun

Yesssssss. I kept seeing "song" online and did not like that one bit.

 

[purpleoscar]

Yesssssss. I kept seeing "song" online and did not like that one bit.

It's a good song. I'm still wrapping my mind around the lyrics. It's like Bono's seeing how he's changed and worried about the innocence dying an actual death in him.

 

[silkensky]

God, this song is simply gorgeous. Ethereal, emotional, the way it builds, and such a heartfelt lyric by Bono that hits right in the feels. Centerpiece of the album for sure and my favorite. Edge’s guitar work in the first half of the song reminds me of Promenade. Beautiful stuff. I love it.

 

[U2girl]

Didn't think of it much on the Kimmel show, but the biggest grower on the album. Would be my fave had there not been a Landlady...

 

[RademR]

might have gotten choked up the first time I heard this song. It's insanely good.

 

[ozeeko]

IMO Edge's playing gets too aggressive too fast. The Streets-style chugachugachugachuga doesn't work for me until the bridge. A shame because the first half is so lovely and ethereal. He should have waited.

 

[victor_f]

"Song will reappear" or "sun will reappear"?

Both?

 

[jamesbond6]

Truly epic finish!

They are so good at this, why trying all those different directions for the last few albums?

 

[rosephile]

I think I can best sum it up as follows:

The Little Things That Give You Away is to Songs of Experience as Bad is to The Unforgettable Fire

I can get behind this.

 

[danm]

After several listens of the entire album, this song is still the standout.

 

[gweeps]

"I see myself from a distance
and I can't get back inside"

Some folks who have near death experiences claim they are outside their body in some other form, looking at their earthly shell.

 

[RoKKeR]

Y'all, I think this is one of the best songs U2 has ever written. The studio recording brings it into new territory for me.

 

[gweeps]

While I like the spaces in the song where Bono isn't singing like he would live, I still miss those parts.

 

[purpleoscar]

The lyrics are masterful. All of us have some younger version of us that's saying "You need to see me."

 

[YBORCITY]

Stunning is all i can say about this masterpiece, as an old-timer there's not much that can move my needle... MOS I thought was prolly the watershed from the latter albums but this is just beautiful. Then throw in landlady and blackout it's a pretty good 123 punch. I just love the outro do much and of course the lyrics are so relatable.... What a beauty.

 

[Kinsa]

How has the general reception been to Little Things when played live? I imagine not great, considering it's a slow song played at the end of the show and people don't know it.

I first hear this in Vancouver on opening of JT tour - I loved it because it had a "classic U2" sound and I wasn't expecting to hear new music on the tour, especially not opening night. I would say the reception was tepid amongst the general crowd, and loud amongst us diehards lol.

Haven't really thought about it much since, saw it performed live during 2 other shows, always liked it fine and wondered how it would sound on the album.

Fast forward to today and after 3 days of listening to this album I am blown away by this song - The sound, the lyrics, the second half starting with "Sometimes..." those lyrics just kill me. How Bono, arguably one of the biggest rock stars to ever walk this earth can sum up what are basically all normal over 40s anxieties/fears/thoughts is just unbelievable to me. I still haven't been able to listen to this song without tearing up. That's some powerful music.

 

[YBORCITY]

I first hear this in Vancouver on opening of JT tour - I loved it because it had a "classic U2" sound and I wasn't expecting to hear new music on the tour, especially not opening night. I would say the reception was tepid amongst the general crowd, and loud amongst us diehards lol.

Haven't really thought about it much since, saw it performed live during 2 other shows, always liked it fine and wondered how it would sound on the album.

Fast forward to today and after 3 days of listening to this album I am blown away by this song - The sound, the lyrics, the second half starting with "Sometimes..." those lyrics just kill me. How Bono, arguably one of the biggest rock stars to ever walk this earth can sum up what are basically all normal over 40s anxieties/fears/thoughts is just unbelievable to me. I still haven't been able to listen to this song without tearing up. That's some powerful music.

You have beautifully summed up how this song has effected me.... Even describing how the 3 performances that I saw personally... I certainly liked it enough but the polished version on the album and quite possibly where I find myself since the months I first heard this.. Its just stunning plain and simple. And thanks for saying what I've been trying to get across.