Two years ago, my happiest moment as a U2 fan happened....
U2 played ?When I Look at the World?!!!!
Why such a highlight? Because they played it for ME!!!
Okay, Tim, Molly, Meghan and James played a part in it as well. But all summer I had been going on ?I?d really like them to play ?When I Look at the World? on the fall tour. Then at the start of the fall tour Tim and I thought for sure that they?d be playing it in their Chicago shows. They didn?t. So it was our mission to get it played. The whole process of getting it played started back at my college. I was getting ready to leave when I remembered that I should bring a typed copy of the ?WILATW? lyrics. So I quickly found the lyrics and printed up five copies.
Somehow, while in the general admission line, we got to talking about the song. I brought up the fact that I had copies of the lyrics with me. Someone decided that five copies wasn?t enough ? of course, but now the question was where to make copies. So Tim and I set off to find a place. We walked a couple of blocks to a gas station. The lady didn?t have a copy machine but was very helpful in trying to locate one for us. Tim was a little bit in aww of how nice she had been and I reminded him, ?you?re in Missouri, not Chicago.?
We ended up going across the street to an office building. There was a post office there, but they didn?t have a copy machine. Nobody knew where the nearest Kinkos would be so Tim and I sat down inside and enjoyed the warmth for a few moments.
We noticed a restaurant across the way from where we were sitting with a young lady behind the desk inside. I told Tim that he should use his charm and go see if she can make some copies. After a bit of ?hmmmmm?well?.maybe?? Tim went for it.
A few minutes later he came out of the restaurant holding 100 freshly made copies of ?WILATW? lyrics. Success!
We walked back to join the line and later on Tim handed out the lyrics to other fans in line. He pointed out the fact that we really wanted to get the song to be played. Also, we took one copy of the lyrics and had some people sign it. We figured that would be the best one to give the band ? like a petition.
Molly had also made a sign (with yours truly providing the large I). It read ?when? ?I? ?look? ?at the? ?world?. It was decided that each one of us would hold the words up during the show so the band could see. We did, but I think only Edge (maybe Larry) read it.
Before Garbage took the stage, I spotted Security John off to the side. He happened to look over and I motioned for him to come over. He did and Tim then proceeded to tell John about us wanting to hear ?When I Look at the World.? We said we didn?t care if it was even one line, just to hear a bit of the song would be great! John said he thought it was a great song and wished it would be played himself. We gave the signed lyrics to John and he said he?d give it to the band and see.
Fast forward to the show?.
The band is onstage playing ?Bad? when Bono?s right-hand man A.J. comes in front of Tim and I with some lyrics in his hand. Tim and I take a closer look and realize that it?s the lyrics to ?When I Look at the World?! We yell, jump, go absolutely crazy! Bono must have thought we were silly as he was just getting into the later parts of ?Bad? a few feet in front of us and we were yelling like mad! Bono then moved out onto the heart ramp. A.J. followed him with the lyrics but not before turning to Tim and I and giving us a wink.
Then it happened?.
Bono turned to Edge (who was back on stage) and we heard?.
?When you look at the world. What is it that you see? People find all kinds of things that bring them to their knees?..?
From that moment on I was literally feeling the best high anyone could possibly feel. There it was. My band, my boys onstage singing a song that I (along with my friends) had requested them to sing! They could have never sang it, just took our request as a laugh, but instead they played it!!
The song finished with Bono singing nearly all of it and John came over to see how we liked it. We gave him thumbs up and he smiled at us. He then told how he had brought the lyrics backstage during Garbage?s set, given them to Bono and said ?a bunch of fans in the heart would like to hear this tonight.? To which Bono replied ?if that?s what they want to hear, we?ll play it.? Then Edge grabbed a guitar and worked out the guitar parts as Bono read over the lyrics (ehem, the ones I had printed up)!
Amazing, truly amazing.