Has One become a 'catch-all' song?

[prmdbr]

I remember when "One" first came out it seemed to be a tribute to AIDS victims and their struggle. Now, it seems like they kind of, well.. use it for everything well-meaning.

Not to take away from it, there are powerful lyrics in the song indictive of strife, hope, fear, hate and love. But I dunno, I'd like to hear some of the other inspirational material whenever there's an ad-hoc benfit U2 performance.

Acoustic versions of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" always go over nicely in these occasions.

 

[WalkOn21]

This has been discussed at great length, let me summarize the discussion for you:

YES

 

[Liesje]

I remember when "One" first came out it seemed to be a tribute to AIDS victims and their struggle. Now, it seems like they kind of, well.. use it for everything well-meaning.

Key phrase being "it seemed to be". The point of 'One' is that it IS a catch-all, it doesn't really have a specific meaning or a single story behind it.

 

[Danny Boy]

I always thought it was a horrible song to dedicate to Michael Hutchence.

"Is it getting better, or do you feel the same?"

Of course it's not getting better, he f'n' killed himself...

 

[Canadiens1131]

I always thought it was a horrible song to dedicate to Michael Hutchence.

"Is it getting better, or do you feel the same?"

Of course it's not getting better, he f'n' killed himself...

It deals with a lot of themes, you can't pick out one lyric from the damn thing and use that as a catch-all within a catch-all.

 

[OpperGoeroe]

I always thought it was a horrible song to dedicate to Michael Hutchence.

"Is it getting better, or do you feel the same?"

Of course it's not getting better, he f'n' killed himself...

Michael Hutchence committed suicide about 6 years after One came out, so this can't be possible (luckily referering to your point).

 

[J_NP]

Thats right , One lyric started to be written in 90 if I'm not wrong , and yeah mate Hutch killed himself in 97

 

[neutral]

I'm guessing they mean when One was dedicated to Michael Hutchence when played live, like at Popmart Mexico.

 

[an_cat]

Stuck In A Moment was written for Hutchence, not One.

 

[gareth brown]

This has been discussed at great length, let me summarize the discussion for you:

YES

Oh, for FUCK's sake, could you PLEASE stop wandering into threads like you're in charge and just saying "Yeah yeah...it's been discussed...get with the times!" It's pathetic, rude and completely pointless! Who are you to go on as if people are in the wrong for asking a simple question about a song? Just because YOU'VE taken part in a discussion previously and have said what you want to say doesn't mean other people don't have an opinion on it. Grow up.

 

[LemonMelon]

It means all; it means nothing.

The answer is: YESSSS!!!!

 

[Canadiens1131]

YESSSSSS!!!!!!!

 

[Danny Boy]

I'm guessing they mean when One was dedicated to Michael Hutchence when played live, like at Popmart Mexico.

Exactly.

 

[prmdbr]

Oh, for FUCK's sake, could you PLEASE stop wandering into threads like you're in charge and just saying "Yeah yeah...it's been discussed...get with the times!" It's pathetic, rude and completely pointless! Who are you to go on as if people are in the wrong for asking a simple question about a song? Just because YOU'VE taken part in a discussion previously and have said what you want to say doesn't mean other people don't have an opinion on it. Grow up.

Thank you very much!

I'm freakin' new here and didn't have time to parse the entire forum for what seemed to be a legitimate and stimulating question.

Thanks again, Gareth.

 

[WalkOn21]

Thank you very much!

I'm freakin' new here and didn't have time to parse the entire forum for what seemed to be a legitimate and stimulating question.

Thanks again, Gareth.

Don't be fooled by gareths 'helping' posts. They're usually intended to make himself feel like a big man, not to help the newbie.

And Gareth, "grow up"? Judging by the language you use, I take it I'm actually much more adult than you are.

 

[gareth brown]

Blah blah blah, oooh dear I said the word 'Fuck' I am a bad boy aren't I?!

Posts like that are nothing to do with me feeling like a "Big Man". I get sick to death of people going on at "Newbies" simply for bringing up a subject you feel has been done to death. I know how it feels to have people acting like they're beter than someone simply because they signed up before them...Every forum has newbies and every band gains new fans every day who will want to know more about the music.

A post such as mine is simply to vent my ire when stupid morons go round acting like big shots who can provide an all too vivid account of the wallpaper up their own ass.

 

[annie_vox]

First: Hi prmdbr and welcome!

Second: could you please stop the fight? I agree with Gareth buts there's no need to go further... Let's just respect everybody and specially the newbies...

 

[prmdbr]

First: Hi prmdbr and welcome!

Second: could you please stop the fight? I agree with Gareth buts there's no need to go further... Let's just respect everybody and specially the newbies...

Agreed.

Hi Everybody!!!

Anyone here love U2 as much as I do????

 

[Utoo]

Hi Everybody!!!

Anyone here love U2 as much as I do????

Hallo, prmdbr!

If you've got some U2-love, you've come to the right place.

 

[WalkOn21]

My post wasn't exactly a newbie-flame, it was just answering the rhetorical question from the first post. Did the thread starter expect anyone to answer 'no'? --> rhetorical question.

Plus, the newbie-flaming is not really my fault, it's administrators who disabled the search function to those who need it most: the newbies.

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

Plus, the newbie-flaming is not really my fault, it's administrators who disabled the search function to those who need it most: the newbies.

Good point.

 

[neutral]

My post wasn't exactly a newbie-flame, it was just answering the rhetorical question from the first post. Did the thread starter expect anyone to answer 'no'? --> rhetorical question.

Plus, the newbie-flaming is not really my fault, it's administrators who disabled the search function to those who need it most: the newbies.

Flaming of anyone is really always the fault of anyone who is doing it, and is never appropriate. We get new members every day and they are allowed to start discussions too, no matter how many times others may have seen it or no matter what pops up in the "Similar Threads" area.

The rudeness/nasty language, bickering, and personal attacks in this thread need to stop immediately.

 

[Nate Dogg]

"One" is my favorite song ever.By anyone. I don't care who covers it, how many movies it's in, or what commercials or benefit concerts I hear it in. The original version from Achtung Baby is a kodak moment of a time when the band had little going on, and it ignited them for years to come. It can mean different things to different people, and from those interpretations come different uses for the song. If you have problems with Mary J. Blige's version, that's fine (I happen to think it's great, and I don't really care for Mary J. Blige), just turn the lights down, pop in Achtung Baby, and listen to it as a whole, and you'll see how it is a part of something bigger, a jewel in the crown of the greatest album ever.

 

[pgv]

It's such a shame, because I really love one. But now whenever i say i love one i feel like one of those people who probably heard it on american idol, or think im talking about the mjb version. It's a fab song, but in short, i think u2 made a big mistake in releasing it with mary j blige. But hell i can forgive them for it, they made it in the first place didn't they? They can do what they want with it! So everyone stop the bickering. And for once talk about how great a song it is!

 

[Bono's shades]

I don't have any problems with the song being used for charity benefits or with MJB recording it with U2. Having it being performed on American Idol is a big pukeworthy, but hey, it's not like U2 themselves appeared on AI. Besides, lots of classic songs have been used on AI. Using it to promote ABC as the "One" network, however, is going way too far. It's just weird and inappropriate. It wouldn't have bothered me much if they had used Elevation or Vertigo, but One is just too meaningful to be used for something like that.

 

[U2girl]

"One" is my favorite song ever.By anyone. I don't care who covers it, how many movies it's in, or what commercials or benefit concerts I hear it in. The original version from Achtung Baby is a kodak moment of a time when the band had little going on, and it ignited them for years to come. It can mean different things to different people, and from those interpretations come different uses for the song. If you have problems with Mary J. Blige's version, that's fine (I happen to think it's great, and I don't really care for Mary J. Blige), just turn the lights down, pop in Achtung Baby, and listen to it as a whole, and you'll see how it is a part of something bigger, a jewel in the crown of the greatest album ever.

 

[prmdbr]

I find U2 fans to be a dicotomy of super ecclectic and super closed minded folks.

The latter are the ones that ultimately give me angst. The Bono / Mary J Blige version of One is a fabulous presentation of the song. It transcends simple rock and R&B and showcases a different spin on a classic U2 song.

I applaud this.

I find that some people complain using this argument: "One" is sacred -- it doesn't need to be a duet. Sadly, I think this is a cop out. If Bono did a One duet with Noel from Oasis or Eddie Vedder or Gwen Stefani, I would wager the core response would be much different than what Mary J. endures on this forum. A causal observer can make the intutive leap that most of the folks complaining have a, "who the hell invited her" taste in their mouth.

Lighten up, folks.

If you would stop being put off by the obvious cultural walls that you're building and listen to the woman's voice, you'd realize that Bono made a wise choice; and critically speaking, she sings circles around the old boy.

I don't think that true U2 fans are capable of being racially biased, so I would never throw that out there. I think however, that some fans lack the same objectivity that Bono's proven to have. As an artist, he has perogative to do whatever he wants to his songs and as fans, we have a right to rebuke it.

But lets do so for the right reasons.

 

[prmdbr]

.. dblpost

 

[Utoo]

I find U2 fans to be a dicotomy of super ecclectic and super closed minded folks.

The latter are the ones that ultimately give me angst. The Bono / Mary J Blige version of One is a fabulous presentation of the song. It transcends simple rock and R&B and showcases a different spin on a classic U2 song.

I applaud this.

I find that some people complain using this argument: "One" is sacred -- it doesn't need to be a duet. Sadly, I think this is a cop out. If Bono did a One duet with Noel from Oasis or Eddie Vedder or Gwen Stefani, I would wager the core response would be much different than what Mary J. endures on this forum. A causal observer can make the intutive leap that most of the folks complaining have a, "who the hell invited her" taste in their mouth.

Lighten up, folks.

If you would stop being put off by the obvious cultural walls that you're building and listen to the woman's voice, you'd realize that Bono made a wise choice; and critically speaking, she sings circles around the old boy.

I don't think that true U2 fans are capable of being racially biased, so I would never throw that out there. I think however, that some fans lack the same objectivity that Bono's proven to have. As an artist, he has perogative to do whatever he wants to his songs and as fans, we have a right to rebuke it.

But lets do so for the right reasons.

Dude, you like the song, that's fine. I don't. Why isn't that fine? Why must you assume that I don't like the song because 1). I don't like change, 2). I may be racist (though you'd never throw that out there), 3). I'm closed-minded, 4). I think that 'One' should never be touched, and 5). I've built up imaginary cultural walls?

You like the song. I don't. My reasons? I believe that the power of 'One' lies in its subtlety. Like many of U2's greatest songs, the energy builds and builds, but never completely reaches climax. With MJB's version, she blows her load on the very first run of vocal acrobatics.

Would I like covers of it? Sure. I love Johnny Cash's cover of it. Why? Because he keeps the subtlety that makes the song strong, and you can palpably feel the hurt in his voice. It has nothing to do with him being white. Nothing to do with hating hip-hop and liking country (I dislike most country music). Nothing to do with culture.

You like the song. I don't. Why am I suddenly an ignorant idiot?

 

[prmdbr]

Like many of U2's greatest songs, the energy builds and builds, but never completely reaches climax.

This is a decent analysis however, One does climax, specifically in the live versions. The Rattle and Hum version of ISHFWILF is full of vocal runs, see Bono, et al.

I'm not attempting to vilify you, nor am I a Mary J. Blige evanglical. There just seems to be a negative vibe about this duet yet, no one seems to be able to "critically" explain why they don't like it.