Everlasting Love - NOW I get it!

[truecoloursfly]

Where have I been?
When I first got the Best Of, I frankly didn't get Everlasting Love -- it just seemed too Phil Spectorish a pop song to make any sense in U2's hands, and I overlooked it. (What was I thinking??)
So the other day I put on the b-sides just for a change of pace, as I've done often enough before, and this time Everlasting Love blew me outta my chair: as guileless a profession of faith as I can imagine from them! Is it just me?? Lately I've been "studying" ZooTV's Unchained Melody and Can't Help Falling in Love as hymns to the Higher Love, so this time, finally, I could hear what they were actually doingwith EL.

Oh, it's beautiful! Bono sounds young, the rendition is unsophisticated but explosive in its enthusiasm -- just like their cover of Woody Guthrie's Jesus Christ, an almost manic energy... but that song is as political as any of their own, and what I find so refreshing in Everlasting Love is that it's... an unabashed love song -- no politics, no shadow, no sorrow -- to Christ, to God.
I don't even hear, although I try, the "romance" that Bono usually manages to layer into songs about Divine Love (and vice versa), I only hear pure adoration of God. (There's just that sticky line about -- I think -- "be my bride"? But I can't help but hear an allusion to "the bridegroom" in it.) Especially Bono's delivery of "...eternal love..." He just sounds so excited and... relieved, somehow! to sing out his joy with such an open heart...

Have you heard the same? Is this old news, and I'm just late to the party?? LOL I don't care, I'm listening to it over and over. Bono's faith is a huge inspiration to me, and this just brings it home. Amen, brother...

Deb D

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I wanna walk with you along an unapproved road

the greatest frontman in the world - by truecoloursfly: http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=1575

 

[dizzy]

Hmmm...really? I've always loved that version of U2's, though I thought it was just another love song. Now that you've brought this up, it makes me think.

Maybe it is a song for God. I love how ecstatic he is when he sings it, accompanied by the rapid guitar.

 

[mebythesea]

The song that blew me away on the B-sides was "Dancing Barefoot," but as for "Everlasting Love," I thought
a. why on EARTH are they covering this?
b. interesting how it sound so much more authentic than most of their covers, wonder why?...
c. MAN Bono sounds happy!
d. why does Bono laugh in the middle?

There is a real clean, October-like joy to it. Does this mean he's singing to God? Who knows. But I'm reminded of, was it Bill Graham?, giving the advice what whenever you are so sure that a U2 song is about the love of a woman that it never even occurs to you to think of it any other way, that is a sure sign that you need to stop and ask "what would this sound like if it were sung to God?" becuase it probably is.

And vice versa, he also said.

This reminds me of a story <g>. When I was first getting into U2 in the 80s I was in this intense friendship with a guy at work who often discussed philosophy and God with me, altho he was not a believer.

It turned out, when he found out I was getting into U2, that he had had some doings with them in their early club dates in the US when he was in a band, and had been wildly partisan for them, talking them up to club owners etc., until he found out about their commitment to Christianity. This deeply disillusioned him and he never forgave them for it. He was very outspoken about it with me in a kind of deliberately provocative way, how they had "sacrificed their art on the altar of dogma," etc, and it was no wonder *I* would like it, etc. All in good fun, but also very serious on another level.

Anyway, at one point early in our conversations about U2, when I was out buying albums every week, he said to me in a sort of world-weary, kind, joking way, "Well, if I know you, you're sitting up for hours analyzing the lyrics. So let me just save you a whole lot of time. 'YOU'is ALWAYS Jesus."

It doesn't quite work that clearly anymore, but it's a nice default position <g>.

 

[truecoloursfly]

mebythesea --
LOVE that story!

and I guess I ain't the only one who didn't get it after all, eh?

 

[L_Brown]

Hmm... I've never thought of it that way before.

Whenever I listen to this song I try to sing along, but I'm always caught up in a fit of giggles or a strange desire to run around yelling and jumping and screaming. I {heart} EL.
Now I know why.

It seems he's kind of changing who's talking a lot also.

Bono:
Hearts gone astray
Keeping up when they go
I went away
Just when you needed me so
You won't regret
I'll come back begging you
Don't you forget
Welcome love we once knew
Yeah

God:
Open up your eyes
Then you'll realize
Here I stand with my
Everlasting love

Bono:
Need you by my side
Come and be my pride
You'll never be denied
Everlasting love

God:
From the very start
Open up your heart
Feel the love you've got
Everlasting love

This love will last forever
This love will last forever

Bono:
Hearts gone astray
Keeping up when they go
I went away
Just when you needed me so
You won't regret it
I'll come back begging you
Don't you forget
Welcome love we once knew
Yeah

God/Bono (I always change Sun to Son in my mind)
When life really flows
No one really knows
The sun will have to show them
Everlasting love

Like the sun it shines
Endlessly it shines
You always will be mine
Eternal love

Whenever love went wrong
Ours would still be strong
We'd have our own
Everlasting love

This love will last forever
This love will last forever

God:
Open up your eyes
Then you'll realize
Here I stand with my
Everlasting love

Bono:
Need you by my side
Come and be my pride
Never be denied
Everlasting love

God:
From the very start
Open up your heart
Feel the love you've got

Everlasting love
Everlasting love
Everlasting love
Everlasting love
Everlasting love

I don't overanalyze much... LOL

 

[hippy]

Deb, you are not the only one! lol

I seem to have missed that too...but thank you so much for pointing it out! I've been listening to EL more and more since you brought this up, and it really fits.

And of course, I just want to scream Hallelujah all the time after I listen to it!

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The whole wide world feels like a shrine to the worker bees, who stole it from God anyhow.
Lay it down, child
Lay it down, child
And walk into this room all made with love for you...

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.

 

[Desert Rose]

joyful song indeed.
always love the laughter in the middle.