The Showman

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jeffarido

The Fly
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
278
Love this song. There is not drop off its solid the whole way through. Very fun and upbeat also different for U2.

Could deffently see this being a future single. Maybe for a movie soundtrack?
 
I love this song as well. That is a damned catchy chorus!!! Seems like a song they'll do on the b-stage every few shows, and Bono will try to get the audience do a call and response type of thing that will never work out.
 
A definite grower for me. I was not too convinced after the first few listens, but something clicked for me on the fifth or so listen. This song is fun, catchy (in a good way), and different for U2. I now see why Noel Gallagher said that he wished he had written this one. A real gem, very early Beatles sound. Pretty terrific for a simple pop song.
 
Best lyric to me on album might be ---

It is what is but it's not what it seems
 
Ok, folks, just heard The Showman on Sirius XM's Spectrum station during commute time! Kind of surprised, but happy about it. This is the station that had GOOYOW as #1 for like five weeks running!

I'm really hoping this means songs just sort of organically pop up on the radio, including those I really want to pop up! (Summer of Love, Little Things anyone?)
 
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It's supposed to be fun / silly!

Pete the chop!
Is that all there is, really? Lol. From the beginning I was baffled as to why such a big grammar blunder in the title here. Anyway, I love this song! It's such fun. And so different for them. Thank heavens for that. I don't think we want an album full of 13 serious thought provoking songs.
 
Is that all there is, really? Lol. From the beginning I was baffled as to why such a big grammar blunder in the title here. Anyway, I love this song! It's such fun. And so different for them. Thank heavens for that. I don't think we want an album full of 13 serious thought provoking songs.

I is just some spekulating.

:D
 
Has there been no discussion on this here? I'm quite surprised. People on this forum (or anywhere on the Internet for that matter) including me (!) like to nitpick and complain about every small thing U2 does or doesn't do. And this is a pretty Wtf song title. I can totally see them not giving a toss though and calling it artistic license or something. If so, it doesn't bother me.
 
Has there been no discussion on this here? I'm quite surprised. People on this forum (or anywhere on the Internet for that matter) including me (!) like to nitpick and complain about every small thing U2 does or doesn't do. And this is a pretty Wtf song title. I can totally see them not giving a toss though and calling it artistic license or something. If so, it doesn't bother me.

How can you nitpick such a fun song?! Who would do such a thing? On the interwebs? Here in this loving forum? No way!

Anyway, I always thought that if a title had parentheses then the song better be pretty darn good. It always represented a Babe Ruth called shot to me.

It sure worked with Stay, Pride, Iris, etc. If you look at their discography, it tends to hold true save the rare exception.
 
Despite my feelings for the song (which I won't go into because I don't want to soil the positive vibes), I have no problem with artists breaking grammar rules and injecting some funky nonsense into songs. If a song is good/bad musically (subjective, yes), it doesn't matter that much to me if the lyrics make sense or have some deeper meaning to me. Don't get me wrong though, it is a plus if they hit home on a personal level.
 
Arguably the catchiest chorus they've ever written. It's so unlike the band and yet I can't help but get caught up in the exuberance of it.

It's always nice to see them try something different stylistically, and I can't think of anything else this blatantly retro-pop. Wild Honey would be the closest but that has a tinge of melancholy/wistfulness to it.
 
I think the nitpicking was done early on when there was a rumor of a song called "Much More Better." Now that we see it's become a parenthetical "little more better," it doesn't seem so egregious.

I love the song; they lyrics in the verses are great.
 
Despite my feelings for the song (which I won't go into because I don't want to soil the positive vibes), I have no problem with artists breaking grammar rules and injecting some funky nonsense into songs. If a song is good/bad musically (subjective, yes), it doesn't matter that much to me if the lyrics make sense or have some deeper meaning to me. Don't get me wrong though, it is a plus if they hit home on a personal level.
After reading your post I cannot tell if you like the song or not. You start out sounding negative about it and then at the end sound positive. Lol.
 
This song has really grown on me, very good song. Not sure why but to me This has a very Beatles vibe to it. Also (Im speculating here) think it's so great that b-man shows he can be extremely self-deprecating.
 
I found myself incapable of enjoying the movie Mo Better Blues because of the horribly incorrect grammar in the title. I Loves You, Porgy is unlistenable. As is Is You or Is You Ain't (Ma Baby). I also would've preferred songs called (I Can't Get Any) Satisfaction, Lie Lady Lie, and There Isn't Any Sunshine When She's Gone.
 
I'm honestly kinda surprised by the amount of hate this song gets--it's an effortlessly crafted pop song (in the traditional sense, i.e. not "popular song") w/o the pandering for modern radio, home to some of the better lyrics on the album (I know, I know--that's not saying much--but still...), and has the kinda chorus you end up spontaneously humming to yourself. And while the tune isn't exactly breaking new sonic territory, it's not a road I hear U2 travel down very often. So yeah, definitely one of the surprise standouts after some early impressions left me feeling reticent.
 
I'm honestly kinda surprised by the amount of hate this song gets--it's an effortlessly crafted pop song (in the traditional sense, i.e. not "popular song") w/o the pandering for modern radio, home to some of the better lyrics on the album (I know, I know--that's not saying much--but still...), and has the kinda chorus you end up spontaneously humming to yourself. And while the tune isn't exactly breaking new sonic territory, it's not a road I hear U2 travel down very often. So yeah, definitely one of the surprise standouts after some early impressions left me feeling reticent.
'effortlessly crafted' - are you actually talking about U2? and the army of producers they employed, apparently to apply no effort to these songs?
 
'effortlessly crafted' - are you actually talking about U2? and the army of producers they employed, apparently to apply no effort to these songs?



I think they just mean it *sounds* effortless or natural, and not forced/cobbled together unlike other songs (such as Best Thing). I totally agree its a fun song, and truly embodies the defiant joy Bono has mentioned about the album. Hopefully they play it on tour, would pair up well with something like Desire (full band of course).
 
Yeah, it actually sounds like they just banged it out for fun.

Still the catchiest track on the album. And it is new territory for them, IMO.
 
i love this song

i think it has a "Dirty Dancing" (movie) (ok one of my guilty pleasure favourite movies ever) vibe

i think there's something wrong with me
 
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I now see why Noel Gallagher said that he wished he had written this one. A real gem, very early Beatles sound. Pretty terrific for a simple pop song.

Don't know what he sees in this one. This is yet another pop "tune" they've been determined to write since ATYLCB. A little 60's flavour but so was Wild honey.

The showman gives you front row to his heart
The showman prays his heartache will chart

:no:

The back vocals "little more better" don't help either, nor does dragging out the line "you help to make it true when...you...sing....alonnng, and that cheesy 80's synth sound right after.
 
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