Am I the only one...

[WalkOn21]

... who doesn't think One is one of their best songs?

OK, it's a fairly good song, but it's not in my top 10 best U2 songs. In fact, I only like some live versions (like the 46664 version), the album version is just plain boring imho.

Yeah yeah, I know it's about the band falling apart, and that this song helped them in a tough period, but that doesn't make it a good song. If Bono would say ITABTAW is about fighting AIDS, I still wouldn't like the song.

Still, in most (stupid) 'top 1000 songs of all time' lists made by radio stations, One leads. And I just can't understand, there are so much better songs by U2.

Now, who agrees with me?

I expect a lot of in this thread.

Puns in thread title and throughout the thread not intended.

 

[U2girl]

Just wait till Axver gets here

 

[Axver]

Just wait till Axver gets here

WalkOn21, you're definitely not alone. I would have to say One is easily the most over-rated song in U2's catalogue, and one of the most over-rated songs ever, full stop. I really just don't see what the fuss is all about as it isn't the most mindblowing number ever recorded, and the studio version isn't even complete! One without the "do you hear us coming?" verse doesn't seem right.

I must say that One at Popmart Sarajevo was incredible, though, one of the four highest moments of that amazing show (the other three being Mofo, Discotheque, and especially Please).

 

[MattFromNYC]

"One" is not overrated. sorry.

i think it is indeed one of the best songs ever written by U2 and in general.

i dont care what its about. the song says so much and just the way he sings it, it grabs at your soul.

 

[Ellay]

Is walk on about the band falling apart?

Didn't know they were!!

 

[U2mixer]

One is a perfect song.

The structure, the lyrics, the production

To me, they've never reached 'that' AB sound in a live performance, but maybe PopMart was the best live performance...or was it ZOO TV....hmmmm...

Now it sounds a bit laboured and lost and doesn't give me the 'goosebumps' that it used to.

But the original ONE - perfection.

 

[Alina]

One is one of my favourite songs not only by U2, but in general really. The song is great, the lyrics are great, the music is great, the story behind the song is moving and I just love it. It's not overrated far from that, it's one of their best. I love it to pieces!

 

[Earnie Shavers]

It is a really great song. But.... it is played to death/hyped to death/incorrectly used to death/and 99 out of every 100 performances are about as lucklustre as U2 can muster. If they just saved it for a handful of special shows each tour, it would suddenly seem so much better. Having said that, I adore it and I'll bet my house that in 30 years once U2's jet has crashed, every bit of their remaining soul has been packaged and repackaged and torn to commercial shreds - One will rise above as their signature song and there won't be a damn thing anyone will be able to do about it. Overrated? Perhaps. Is there better in the U2 catalogue? There most certainly is by the truckload. Brilliant anyway? Definitely.

 

[WalkOn21]

Is walk on about the band falling apart?

Didn't know they were!!

No, Walk On isn't. This thread is about One.

Bono says that the band was having a real tough time creativity wise and was falling apart. Him and the band were fighting and arguing all the time; hence the quote We hurt each other and we'll do it again Bono assured everyone that that was the real meaning. After they wrote One and realized what they created, there creativity slump was over. The band stopped fighting and continued to record the amazing and mind-blowing album which we now recognize as Achtung Baby.

Source: U2MoL

it is played to death/hyped to death

(...)

Is there better in the U2 catalogue? There most certainly is by the truckload.

Thanks for agreeing on those points.

 

[God Part III]

Sure, it's overrated, but it has a special place in my heart

 

[Meghan]

One is my third/fourth favourite song, and being talked about lots doens't change that.

 

[chickadee]

The thing about 'One' is that it's so brilliant and so timeless that being played a lot can't make it less so. That's the mark of a really good song.

But fair enough, if that's what others think. I'm just sorry for them.

 

[Axver]

So brilliant, so timeless?

To me, it sounds like a shadow of eighties songs with a few cliche lyrics. Not to mention it isn't exactly the most exciting song musically.

If we want to talk good music in the vein of One, let's talk Stay. Not only is Stay 100x better than One, it hasn't been dedicated to every cause under the sun and been sucked dry of meaning.

 

[WalkOn21]

But fair enough, if that's what others think. I'm just sorry for them.

On the contrary! I'm sorry for the ones who think One is U2's best song.

That only means they clearly haven't discovered the more beautiful part of U2's catalogue.

 

[chickadee]

I like One AND Stay. It's not impossible to appreciate both. If that's what you think fair enough, but I think you do it a disservice to claim it's anything remotely cliche.

 

[Bonochick]

I've caught a bit of shit for saying that I didn't really care much for "One". I mean, it's a great song...I won't knock that...but it just never really did it for me. There were TONS of U2 songs I would prefer over it. However...I've gained a new appreciation for it, as of late. But I did go through a long period where I felt the same as you do.

 

[mackemlad]

I love the album version of One

But I have heard so many poor versions of this song live.
I agree it is done to death.

Add to this list

Pride(just short of 700 times played)
With or with out you
New years day
Sunday bloody sunday
I will follow(700 time played)

Its time these songs were given a rest.

 

[WalkOn21]

(...)

Add to this list

(...)
Sunday bloody sunday
(...)

Agreed. The only good live version I've heard of this song is the one on the Rattle & Hum DVD.

 

[Ellay]

No, Walk On isn't. This thread is about One.

Oh yeah, I got confused by your avatar lol

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

I Is there better in the U2 catalogue? There most certainly is by the truckload.

Uh, yeah...

 

[financeguy]

It's not my favourite U2 song, but if I was thinking of over-rated U2 songs, I would probably think of Pride (probably my LEAST favourite track from UF), Sunday Bloody Sunday (I would not even rank it in my top 5 from War) and ISHFWILF (I like the gospel version from R&H, but I think the album version on JT is only average, by U2 standards).

 

[mediaman44]

I wouldn't say one is my favorite U2 song, but it isn't the worst either. I would say that With Or Without You is their best song followed by Beautiful Day and City of Blinding Lights.
While One isn't their best song, it does have a heart and soul that some U2 songs don't have.

If not One that what is U2's best song?

 

[Bono's shades]

So brilliant, so timeless?

To me, it sounds like a shadow of eighties songs with a few cliche lyrics. Not to mention it isn't exactly the most exciting song musically.

Yes!! finally someone who agrees with me.

Oh, wait, I thought we were talking about Beautiful Day. My bad.

One is brilliant. It goes beyond classification. It will never, ever sound dated because it doesn't sound like any particular time period. Sure, it fits in perfectly with the theme of Achtung Baby, but it also stands completely on its own. And the lyrics are some of the best Bono has ever written - maybe not THE best, but certainly right up there.

 

[Irishteen]

One is my favourite song, because it is perfect IMO

 

[MacPhistoPT]

I love "One" but I must agree that it is the most overrated U2 song. Probably it doesn't fit in my top 30 U2 songs.

And Axver... IMO Stay it's so much better than One... Stay it's much more beautiful and it is my 5/6th favourite U2 song.

Not counting with Bad, my 2nd favourite U2 song and the zenith of U2's beauty.

 

[unoscatorce]

ONE isn't overrated at all, it has meanings on so many different levels. If you're a fan of U2 you have to remember it is the song that probably kept the band from breaking up!

I agree about STAY (FARAWAY, SO CLOSE!), though; that one is probably one of their more underrated songs (someone should start a thread about that, maybe!).

 

[angelordevil]

ONE isn't overrated at all, it has meanings on so many different levels. If you're a fan of U2 you have to remember it is the song that probably kept the band from breaking up!

I agree about STAY (FARAWAY, SO CLOSE!), though; that one is probably one of their more underrated songs (someone should start a thread about that, maybe!).

It's not my favourite, but it is somebody's....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3281327.stm

 

[rjhbonovox]

... who doesn't think One is one of their best songs?

OK, it's a fairly good song, but it's not in my top 10 best U2 songs. In fact, I only like some live versions (like the 46664 version), the album version is just plain boring imho.

Yeah yeah, I know it's about the band falling apart, and that this song helped them in a tough period, but that doesn't make it a good song. If Bono would say ITABTAW is about fighting AIDS, I still wouldn't like the song.

Still, in most (stupid) 'top 1000 songs of all time' lists made by radio stations, One leads. And I just can't understand, there are so much better songs by U2.

Now, who agrees with me?

I expect a lot of in this thread.

Puns in thread title and throughout the thread not intended.

Oh dear u need some serious ear syringing amigo! One is truly superb!

 

[the tourist]

One without the "do you hear us coming?" verse doesn't seem right.

Agreed.


And, in my opinion One is about the 8th best song on Achtung Baby. Right after The Fly, Acrobat, Until The End Of The World, Love Is Blindness, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Mysterious Ways, and Even Better Than The Real Thing.

 

[Rachel D.]

What is ITABTAW?