Best Song Survivor: Finals, Round Eight

[LemonMelon]

Where the hell is Angel of Harlem anyway? I used to hum along to that one in the late 80s. Everyone loved it when I did. I used to sit at this cozy pub in Dublin and it would be playing on the stereo at all hours. This one time, Bono walked up to me and sat down without acknowledging my presence. Thankfully, I was there, or we wouldn't have heard anything else from them after 1989, which I suppose may have been for the best.

He opened up a magazine with his face on the cover and cut his finger but good. He was bleeding profusely, but I supplied him with a bandage and saved his life. He said "thanks, mate" and ran off to the studio to record a song about me. I think it was called Night & Day, but the Hive could tell you more about it than I could. It didn't even make the album. He still owes me.

If you stop by O'Donoghues, ask for Donovan. He has lots of great stories about things that I did. Man, I was something. I suppose I still am.

 

[gvox]

Where the hell is Angel of Harlem anyway? I used to hum along to that one in the late 80s. Everyone loved it when I did. I used to sit at this cozy pub in Dublin and it would be playing on the stereo at all hours. This one time, Bono walked up to me and sat down without acknowledging my presence. Thankfully, I was there, or we wouldn't have heard anything else from them after 1989, which I suppose may have been for the best.

He opened up a magazine with his face on the cover and cut his finger but good. He was bleeding profusely, but I supplied him with a bandage and saved his life. He said "thanks, mate" and ran off to the studio to record a song about me. I think it was called Night & Day, but the Hive could tell you more about it than I could. It didn't even make the album. He still owes me.

If you stop by O'Donoghues, ask for Donovan. He has lots of great stories about things that I did. Man, I was something. I suppose I still am.

Sorry, I don't believe you. You left out Good Ol' Gavin. How could you? Good Ol' Gavin was everywhere. Your credibility is shot pal.

 

[LemonMelon]

What about Good Ol' Whiskey? He was there. Bono bought a Midnight Oil record from him that day. He knows.

Bono talked with me about the Midnight Oil record over pints some years later. The details were fuzzy, he said, but he remembered liking it. You know how Bono gets over 1 or 2 pints. I'm surprised he could remember what band it was!

 

[gvox]

Maybe, but apparently Whiskey is not being made available for interviews, so we can't confirm.

How convenient..

 

[LemonMelon]

It's a privacy issue, you fool.

 

[gvox]

Yes, I suppose if you were publicly known as The Man Who Saved Bono's Life, things might be get a bit...dicey - if not downright ugly - for you.

 

[LemonMelon]

If you watch the Night & Day video, you can spot a faint scar on his left pinkie finger. It's really quite amazing that he survived, but that's why he owes me.

 

[cobl04]

I genuinely don't understand why some people talk it down.

And for the record, the studio version of Bad is fantastic. I like it better than most live versions. There are only a couple live versions I've heard that I'd rate it close to, and the Wide Awake In America version is not one of those.

With you two on this.

Andrew if only you hated The Refugee, I'd say you're a champion.

 

[OpenG180]

If you watch the Night & Day video, you can spot a faint scar on his left pinkie finger. It's really quite amazing that he survived, but that's why he owes me.

Would have you done the same for, let's say, Larry? Would you save the drummer?

 

[gvox]

If you watch the Night & Day video, you can spot a faint scar on his left pinkie finger. It's really quite amazing that he survived, but that's why he owes me.

So you're basically admitting that without you there'd be no post-1989 U2? No...Elevation? Vertigo? No GOYB??

Kill him, everyone.

 

[LemonMelon]

Would have you done the same for, let's say, Larry? Would you save the drummer?

Certainly. I also nursed Adam back to health after that terrible bender in Sydney back in '93. Thankfully, he has learned to control his drinking.

So you're basically admitting that without you there'd be no post-1989 U2? No...Elevation? Vertigo? No GOYB??

Kill him, everyone.

I'll bet you voted against Desire too

Go pollinate something and return to your hive.

 

[OpenG180]

So you're basically admitting that without you there'd be no post-1989 U2? No...Elevation? Vertigo? No GOYB??

Kill him, everyone.

The worst: no peace on earth.

 

[gvox]

Would have you done the same for, let's say, Larry? Would you save the drummer?

 

[mama cass]

Instead Streets is going to win for the 100th time in a row.

it wouldn't really be a surprise though... i just listened to it for the first time in ages, and it is quite something - i've never heard another song like it, i've never heard any other band do a decent job of covering it... i think it's a very courageous song, and i think the Joshua Tree is a really courageous album looking back, when you consider what the 80s were like - there was nothing out there like it...

 

[mama cass]

oh c'mon guys don't be snarky

 

[gvox]

it wouldn't really be a surprise though...

I think you misunderstood...but I could be wrong.

 

[mama cass]

I think you misunderstood...but I could be wrong.

misunderstood what?

i was just having a nice little muse/ramble there on the merits of Streets - this IS a U2 fan forum right?!

 

[gvox]

I have a muse, but he's a demon and he drives me to say horrible, horrible things.

 

[mama cass]

I have a muse, but he's a demon and he drives me to say horrible, horrible things.

you can get good meds for that i think

 

[Moony]

This sums up everything that has been wrong about these polls from the start.

Endemic of The Hive condition.

I'll agree with you that UTEOTW is not the best song off Achtung Baby to represent "the '90s" but I also like it slightly better than Bad. I appreciate the story behind UTEOTW. I feel like U2 doesn't do "story songs" that often, so it still feels fresh to me. It should have been The Fly vs. Streets at the end. Oh well, it is what it is

 

[AndrewCowley]

Can't figure how UTEOTW is here. Awesome song and clearly a band favourite given how long it has endured in their live show. But top 3? Stunned.

 

[gvox]

you can get good meds for that i think

I usually like to wait till at least 11 am. But it is Friday, so there's that.

 

[Galeongirl]

Well fuck. These three are THE reasons why I prefer U2 live. Fuck they're all amazing. Now what do I vote for? Can't vote for Streets, UTEOTW is the only 90s representative here, though I prefer a couple others to it.... guess it's Bad then. Highly overrated song. Sure it's good, but I don't get the hype.

 

[the tourist]

With you two on this.

Andrew if only you hated The Refugee, I'd say you're a champion.

I used to hate The Refugee. It's grown on me quite a bit the longer I've been a musician.

 

[nielsgov]

I hope Bad wins this thing but that seems unlikely.

 

[cleazer]

I used to hate The Refugee. It's grown on me quite a bit the longer I've been a musician.

The Refugee has really grown on me over the past ten years. Not sure why, but it's been one of my favorites to listen to off of War the past decade.

 

[the tourist]

I wouldn't put it in the top half of the album, but I enjoy it more on the record than I do Seconds, 40, or Red Light. It's about even with Surrender to me.

 

[Rhiannon64]

I can't believe I am doing this. UTEOTW. I really love that song but I'd like to save Bad. ZooTV second leg has some really great versions of Until...World. I love all of these songs. They are all transcendent! A really difficult choice.

 

[gvox]

5 people haven't used a Q-tip in months.

 

[the tourist]

Or, alternately, 5 people prefer Bad and Until the End of the World to Where the Streets Have No Name!