Alright That's It!(The Fly-Related)

[namkcuR]

The band has played The Fly both nights now, and I love the fact that they have brought back the ZooTV version of it. However...they have played it two nights and on two nights Bono totally disregarded the 'every artist is a cannibal/every poet is a thief/all kill their inspiration/and sing about their grief' and 'the conscience is a pest' verse. One night he made shit up and the second night it sounded like he sang the first verse again. What is up with this? That's one of the best lyrics he's ever written, why can he not sing all the lyrics?!

 

[Numb1075]

Sad but true. The Fly rules on every level. I'll still be happy to hear it even if it is lyrically inaccurate.

 

[ckonanz]

Hopefully when they get to Boston, he will remember the lyrics

 

[unosdostres14]

I agree that "every artist is a cannibal....." is one of the best lyrics Bono ever wrote. I want to hear it at every concert because it is one of their best songs. Lyrically great. A song the crowd can really get into. And a killer guitar solo.

 

[Bono's Betty]

I agree i think that those lyrics are some of their best but I do think he did a little better with San 2 than San 1. San diego 1 is just terrible.

 

[barracuda]

I love the Fly as well as many of us in these forums. I'm just so suprised that when that song is played live so many just stand still like "whats this crap song?" It was like that in the elevations shows I atended..also look at the elevation @ boston 2001.. makes you wonder

 

[KUEFC09U2]

think he is just trying to really nail it, hence singing the first verse again

 

[Bono's Betty]

think he is just trying to really nail it, hence singing the first verse again

You could be on to something.

 

[U2Acrobat8]

Yeah, I mean we know Bono can forget lyrics even if he has sang them every night on an entire tour. Give him some time. I saw both nights and the second was better. I can just picture Edge making Bono recite the lyrics backstage before the show. No!! Again!!!

 

[MsMofoGone]

Hopefully when they get to Boston, he will remember the lyrics

That goes for Chicago And New York as well !!!!

 

[The John Tree]

Honestly, I think the first night they were plagued with difficulties (not exactly uncommon with U2 tours...the first night is always a bit rough.) so Bono got nervous and totally blanked on the Fly.

Then the second night you could tell it was clear improvement, that he took a look at the lyrics, but I think he just forgot the words to the second verse, last minute.

I bet he'll nail them in Anaheim.

 

[KBRY]

Yeah, the band nailed it but Bono just blanked on the lyrics...by the time I get to see them, he should have them memorised again!

 

[ShellBeThere]

okay, I am a veritable 'newbie', but please, seriously...
could Bono actually *forget* the lyrics to the Fly?!
Yeah, I agree, those lines are some of the best in the U2 catalog (I forget...are they quoting/paraphrasing someone, or did Bono more wholly make them up?)...so, you think he'd just really *forget* them?!
I thought he's claimed he needed to get inside a song to perform it, really live through the emotions in it...sure, The Fly is perhaps a little challenging in the litanny of "what's not secret", but still?

 

[Popmartijn]

okay, I am a veritable 'newbie', but please, seriously...
could Bono actually *forget* the lyrics to the Fly?!
Yeah, I agree, those lines are some of the best in the U2 catalog (I forget...are they quoting/paraphrasing someone, or did Bono more wholly make them up?)...so, you think he'd just really *forget* them?!

Yes he can.
I have a bootleg from the second night of the ZooTV tour and Bono messes up the second verse of Where The Streets Have No Name. You'd think he would remember that, right? Guess not!

 

[u2valleygirl]

The Fly was a little messed up night two. I am sure he will tighten it up. I think Acrobat is out of the question at this point.

 

[ShellBeThere]

maybe it's a little weird, but this info somehow gives me a deeper respect for him

 

[mads]

he's bono. he does shit like this. i think it's endearing.

 

[JTRevelator15]

Bono has a photographic lyric memory compared to some artists... I've been to Dave Matthews Band shows where Dave has had lyrics to MULTIPLE songs printed out and taped to the stage beside his mic stand.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I think Interference shoud set up a paypal fund to buy and donate Bono a teleprompter.

 

[Schmeg]

he's bono. he does shit like this. i think it's endearing.

 

[karl]

honestly, I think it's a little unprofessional that he doesn't take a few minutes to at least look at the lyrics again. I mean, I am sure he could remember them given that he's sung the song at least 100x. The same goes for Zoo Station. I could understand if he wanted to make up new lyrics, but what he is singing is completely non-sensical and unintellgible. People pay good money to hear him take the songs seriously and it diminishes the value of the song to hear him string together a bunch of meaningless words.

karl

 

[vertigo_mofo]

ohh man

but wouldn't it be so good to hear Acrobat..... wishful thinking.... love the fly though....

 

[ShellBeThere]

I didn't mean to sound sarcastic above, btw...I really do think it's either cool that he goes out there and sometimes just forgets a lyric, or that he changes them/ omits some as inspired.
I just had a really hard time imagining him forgetting the fly lyrics, and was wondering if he just was re-interpreting by omitting.
Some songs are more conducive to that I think...the structure of the fly allows for some of that it seems to me, playing with the lyrics a bit. even streets too...
and then sometimes there seems to be like a little change, maybe a personal aesthetic changeofmind...like, didn't the line in Vertigo used to be 'twinkle' as the boys play rock and roll...now it seems to be 'sparkle', no? Did he just decide it was wrong string of phonemes, that twinkle? Prefered the mouthfeel of 'sparkle'? was it semantic?
acrobat does indeed seem like it relies on a specific string of lines, for the music to work as well as the message, so if memory is really an issue then yeah, a teleprompter might be needed!