"Sometimes You Can't..." is one of the best songs that U2's ever written.

[TheFlyOnTheWall]

When I first saw the lyrics, before the album was released, I expected something as great as One. The words are somewhere at that level, but I don't think the music is like the lyrics - the best it could be. I was listening it last night in the car and somewhere at the end, I imagined tha guitar sound of Love Is Blindness. Or sth like that. For me it would have made the song much much better and emotional. Of course, I don't want Love Is Blindness pt. II, just a different sound, production.

And yes, it's one of the better songs from the album.

 

[TheFlyOnTheWall]

Oh, and I really don't like that BeeGees part (the chorus), but I think the "siiiiiing" part and on is one of the best U2 moments!

(see, I'm not so pessimistic at all... )

 

[neutral]

. I was listening it last night in the car and somewhere at the end, I imagined tha guitar sound of Love Is Blindness. Or sth like that. For me it would have made the song much much better and emotional. Of course, I don't want Love Is Blindness pt. II, just a different sound, production.

And yes, it's one of the better songs from the album.

Just curious, have you heard the alt version from Complete U2? I think most fans hate it but I think it's rather interesting musically.

 

[TheFlyOnTheWall]

Just curious, have you heard the alt version from Complete U2? I think most fans hate it but I think it's rather interesting musically.

No. Why? Is it like I said it should be!?
(I'd really like to give it a listen, but I don't have it... )

 

[neutral]

Nah not really, just ....different. You'll probably hate it.

 

[TheFlyOnTheWall]

Thanks a lot!
I'll let you know how I feel about it after my dial-up modem is done with getting the file!

 

[TheFlyOnTheWall]

Ok, I heard it!

Well.. It is interesting. I like some parts more than on the original, like the transition to the sing part (although there are is no singing), and the lack of BeeGees
I was surprised by the lyrics-change...
Overall the studio version is better, but not in all parts. I would have liked something between, or something different again.
Thanks again for the track!

 

[Matthew_Page2000]

My opinion amigo.............what the fuc# are u on about anyway. There is probably only a couple of songs off the past 2 albums that qualify in the top 20 U2 songs of all time. Them being Kite and Love and Peace Or Else.

Love and Peace or Else is a crap song. I loved the "beach recordings" that the Spaniards made and I thought the song was alright the first couple of times I heard it but I like it less every time I hear it. U2 are not Zeppelin. U2 are not a blues band.
I like Led Zep. I like the blues. I LOVE rock and roll. But U2 do an awful job of it on LAPOE.
And the intro...shudder. Bono screeching, "lllaaaayyy down...laaaayyy dowwwwn..."
Lyrically it's Bono at his worst making a tortured analogy of the middle east peace process to a troubled love affair with a woman. Yuck.
The song is awful.

SYCMIOYO howere, is sublime.

 

[God Part III]

I think it's boring. Not even top 100 for me.

It's simple, it's cliché, and it's not special in anyway.

And the lyrics are the worst off the whole album.

 

[Axver]

I think it's boring. Not even top 100 for me.

It's simple, it's cliché, and it's not special in anyway.

And the lyrics are the worst off the whole album.

How in the world is writing a heartfelt song for your deceased father cliché?

 

[rjhbonovox]

Love and Peace or Else is a crap song. I loved the "beach recordings" that the Spaniards made and I thought the song was alright the first couple of times I heard it but I like it less every time I hear it. U2 are not Zeppelin. U2 are not a blues band.
I like Led Zep. I like the blues. I LOVE rock and roll. But U2 do an awful job of it on LAPOE.
And the intro...shudder. Bono screeching, "lllaaaayyy down...laaaayyy dowwwwn..."
Lyrically it's Bono at his worst making a tortured analogy of the middle east peace process to a troubled love affair with a woman. Yuck.
The song is awful.

SYCMIOYO howere, is sublime.

Does Love and Peace or else sound like Led Zep.....mmmm me thinks you take too much notice of music reviewers, as this is what they said when the song was first heard. To me it sounds like the only brave song on the whole album. The only song that has a different structure about it. Maybe if they had slung a singalong chorus in there 3 times over where you can put your lighters in the air and wave your flags, then maybe it would be the peoples favourite on the album!

Let s hear it one more time in a high pitched Bee Gees voice "and its you when I look in a mirror, you when I don't pick up the phone, Sooooooooooooometimes you can't make it on your own"

 

[God Part III]

How in the world is writing a heartfelt song for your deceased father cliché?

It's just "It's you when I don't pick up the phone, it's you when I look in the mirror, I know we don't talk - I'm sick of it all - sometimes you can't make it on your own"

Cliché. Simple, basic lyrics.

 

[U2Soar]

How about the Sometimes (DVD acoustic version)? Like it?

 

[Axver]

It's just "It's you when I don't pick up the phone, it's you when I look in the mirror, I know we don't talk - I'm sick of it all - sometimes you can't make it on your own"

Cliché. Simple, basic lyrics.

Maybe you've never had troubles with your father.

Those lines tear me in two because they're so true, both for Bono and I. If it's cliché to be honest, then that's really sad.

 

[God Part III]

Honesty is not a cliché, but don't you see the typical, slow-paced song about feelings and so forth? Troubles with my father? Well, some, my stepfather is an alcoholic so that may be more of an issue, but anyway don't you see how it's just a slow song all over again.

Everybody has done it before. I'd surely like it better if it was a better song though. Like One.

 

[Lancemc]

NO song is ever going to be like One. One is One. If you expected another song as good as One, then it's no ones fault other than your own that you are dissappointed.

 

[bazza]

Let's not compare and look at the song on it's own right. It's a great song from the start - i think now that i've seen the video for it it's made it a whole lot more! It may not be their best song but they have the best clip for it!

bazza

 

[sallycinnamon78]

It's just "It's you when I don't pick up the phone, it's you when I look in the mirror, I know we don't talk - I'm sick of it all - sometimes you can't make it on your own"

Cliché. Simple, basic lyrics.

Clichés only become clichés because they are universally applicable (generally speaking).

 

[popacrobat]

NO song is ever going to be like One. One is One. If you expected another song as good as One, then it's no ones fault other than your own that you are dissappointed.

i like sometimes better than i like one.

i also like a pretty good handful of songs better than one. its overrated by interference severely.

 

[rjhbonovox]

i like sometimes better than i like one.

i also like a pretty good handful of songs better than one. its overrated by interference severely.

Oh dear, overrated......One.............overrated? I am at a loss for words. One of THE greatest songs EVER written, from THE greatest album ever made......and its not as good as Sometimes. Oh dear................. Oh dear, Oh dear, Oh dear......

 

[Dima]

sometimes is a good song (nothing more, nothing less) and to me we won't remember it in 2 years time...let's face it: if we talk about ballads then One, Stay, Staring at the Sun or even Walk on (in the UK single version, the one with "halleluja" part) play in a different league.
Don't get me wrong: i like Sometimes but I don't think it's a great tune and i think that on HTDAAB there's plenty of better songs (Vertigo, Miracle Drug, Love and Peace, All Because of you, A man and a woman, Crumbs, Yaweh and Fast cars are in my opinion better songs)

 

[Neenie]

sometimes is a good song (nothing more, nothing less) and to me we won't remember it in 2 years time...

I don't know about the others, but I'll remember it. I'll remember it as a heartrenching song Bono wrote about his father.I don't understand how you can think the other songs are better. Thats your opinion though...

 

[TheFlyOnTheWall]

NO song is ever going to be like One. One is One. If you expected another song as good as One, then it's no ones fault other than your own that you are dissappointed.

You always turn to that.
No one here ever says he/she want another One, another WOWY, another AB or JT. It's all in your mind. It's the best defense of the new stuff criticism. But it's not. It's the worst answer you can give.

 

[neutral]

sometimes is a good song (nothing more, nothing less) and to me we won't remember it in 2 years time...let's face it: if we talk about ballads then One, Stay, Staring at the Sun or even Walk on (in the UK single version, the one with "halleluja" part) play in a different league.

I don't think I'll ever forget it and I think it's much better than Staring at The Sun (which I do like) so I'm not going to "face it".

 

[glenn]

sometimes is a good song (nothing more, nothing less) and to me we won't remember it in 2 years time...let's face it: if we talk about ballads then One, Stay, Staring at the Sun or even Walk on (in the UK single version, the one with "halleluja" part) play in a different league.
Don't get me wrong: i like Sometimes but I don't think it's a great tune and i think that on HTDAAB there's plenty of better songs (Vertigo, Miracle Drug, Love and Peace, All Because of you, A man and a woman, Crumbs, Yaweh and Fast cars are in my opinion better songs)

I basically share the same thoughts about "Sometimes...". It's a good song, not to be compared to One, or any of the other classics. For me the first 150 seconds or so don't do much for me.

 

[-Macphisto-UK]

sometimes is a good song (nothing more, nothing less) and to me we won't remember it in 2 years time...let's face it: if we talk about ballads then One, Stay, Staring at the Sun or even Walk on (in the UK single version, the one with "halleluja" part) play in a different league.
Don't get me wrong: i like Sometimes but I don't think it's a great tune and i think that on HTDAAB there's plenty of better songs (Vertigo, Miracle Drug, Love and Peace, All Because of you, A man and a woman, Crumbs, Yaweh and Fast cars are in my opinion better songs)

I respectfully disagree on every single point. It will definitely be remembered in 2 years time. Infact it will be recognised as one of their greatest pieces.

I remember when first hearing it and people came on ehre saying it was awesome and I was thinking, well it is like well down the list for me. Infact it was a skipper. (althugh I don't think I actually skipped any of the album for the first month))

After about two weeks it became my favoruite song, taking over from OOTS and LAPOE which have gone down quite a bit in my estimation. Or should I say, I have realsied how good that sometimes is, that anything else is another league below it.

There is nothing on the last 3 albums even close to this, infact I only rank One above it, and that's been the case since the turn of the year this is and will become recognised as the ebst rack of the last decade for U2.

And most of your other better album choices I can respectfully understand, but to say A man and a woman or fast cars is better is simply taking the piss.

A man and a woman is an absoloute stinker, I've replaced it with Mercy, because quite frankly it doesn't belong on the album. It's plain crap.

 

[D'oh!]

Sometimes is an absolute classic.... it will be a highlight live...... they lyrics are amongst the most honest and direct Bono has ever written
undoubtedly one of the best songs ever by U2

 

[U2girl]

sometimes is a good song (nothing more, nothing less) and to me we won't remember it in 2 years time...let's face it: if we talk about ballads then One, Stay, Staring at the Sun or even Walk on (in the UK single version, the one with "halleluja" part) play in a different league.
Don't get me wrong: i like Sometimes but I don't think it's a great tune and i think that on HTDAAB there's plenty of better songs (Vertigo, Miracle Drug, Love and Peace, All Because of you, A man and a woman, Crumbs, Yaweh and Fast cars are in my opinion better songs)

We will remember Sometimes in 2 years' time, trust me. It walks all over Staring at the sun, Walk on and Stay. (I could see a tie with One)
It is by far the best song on the album.

 

[Dima]

ok, i've just expressed my point of view...let's see if in 2 years time we will remember Sometimes as one of the great ballads written by U2.

BTW taste is sujective so if I prefer Fast Cars and A Man and a woman over Sometimes it's just me and you don't have to agree with me necessarily: we can discuss and i'll respect your opinions as valuable ones but i won't step back on my point of view before this 2 years time has passed


Obvously i've got something more than my point of view for stating this and for example i've noticed that those friends of mine that don't know U2 very well don't think that Sometimes is a particularly good song, while more than one after listening to Fast Cars said it was a cool one and asked me a copy of it...and you don't even have to think what they'd say if i asked them if they prefer One (thet 98% of my friends consider a great tune) or Sometimes: i've made this question and there's simply no match for everyone i've asked to.

to me the main problem with sometimes (as glenn already said) is that the building of the song is way too long and unfocused...2 minutes or so to get into the climax is simply too much to make Sometimes a valuable contender to a song like One: everytime i listen to it i have the temptation to skip the first 2 minutes

anyway let's play a game: bring your friends on your car with HTDAAB on the Cd player and observe their reactions to Sometimes...i don't think that is the kind of song that gets noticed and i bet that hardly no one will ever ask you a copy of it while i bet that someone in the past has asked you a copy of One or of With or Without you.

 

[-Macphisto-UK]

I've already got no u2 fan friends not only interested in this song, but one fan who I had to originally drag t othe concert claimed sometiems to be his new favourite song. Which surprised even me to be honest. Especially as he his to more rocking tunes.

Other friends have claimed it's an outstanding track although I have not realyl discussed the comparison with One to be honest, as I haven't felt the need.

The only reason for me to compare it to one is that they are my two favourite songs.