When I Look at the World

[europop2005]

i've never really sat down and payed attention to this song, but it really is fantastic, such an underrated gem, its a good message, a good harmony, and it has a great solo to it. Thoughts?

 

[No spoken words]

My favorite song on ATYCLB.

Love Bono's voice as he sings "I can't wait any longer.....I can't wait till I'm stronger....I can't wait....any longer...to see what you see...."

 

[Axver]

On editions of ATYCLB without The Ground Beneath Her Feet, this is the best track.

 

[SeattleVertigo]

Totally love this song. Very rich with meaning. One of my favorites by U2, and some of my favorite lyrics:


So, I try to be like you
Try to feel it like you do
But without you, it's no use
I can't see what you see
When I look at the world

 

[2861U2]

My favorite song on ATYCLB.

Ditto, and one of my favorite U2 songs. I love the whole story of the song- a conversation with Jesus done brilliantly.

 

[topplehatU2]

My second favorite ATLYCB song, right behind In a Little While. Love the guitar solo in the end, this song is really a gem.

 

[blm]

Ditto, and one of my favorite U2 songs. I love the whole story of the song- a conversation with Jesus done brilliantly.

Hmmm.... a favorite of mine, too. I thought I read somewhere, though, that he wrote it about Ali, ( how she stayed so balanced and positive at the height of her involvement with Chernobyl). Could be mistaken, or is it just Bono and his ambiguous writing?

 

[kingofsorrow]

this is 1 off the only 3 good tracks on the album.

 

[An Cat Gav]

One of the better songs on the album, only TGBHF and Beautiful Day are better. I'm pretty sure the song is a conversation with Jesus.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

Yeah, I love this song.
Best song with Kite and In a little while.....
Edge's solo is making me fly above the clouds..... too short though....

 

[U2girl]

The guitar saves the song.

 

[alanah]

Yeah, one of my favorites on ATYCLB too!
This song has really a great solo, good lyrics and Bono's voice sounds very nice as well.
Btw europop2005, I loved this thread....thanks!

 

[europop2005]

no prob

 

[waynetravis]

Babydoll hooked me onto this
I always skipped it when I played the cd.

Now its one of my fave songs along with Kite and GBHF

 

[The Disciple]

Absolutely beautiful song.... shame they only played it live once, I think.... and it was a snippet at that....

 

[Swan269]

yeah, Edge forgot how to make the sound for his guitar for the song. It was a beautiful snippet during Bad in Kansas City.

 

[The Disciple]

^
That's true! I 4got that I read that once! LOL...

 

[Babydoll]

Very, very underrated in my opinion! I'ts a beautiful song

Bono's singing is soo soulful and from the heart.

 

[scottyT]

at least it was a snippet that was most of the song. longest snippet ever. Great tune.

 

[RavenBlue]

Adore this song as well

 

[Pero]

amazing track

 

[LemonMelon]

Great tune. I especially love the intro.

 

[manana69]

I started listenin' to this song just recently and really thought it's one of these songs that most ppl hate and I like. What a nice surprise to see this topic! ;]

my fav part:
"tell me tell me what do you see,
tell me tell me what's wrong with me?"

SOOO coool =)

 

[RedRocksU2]

My favorite song on ATYCLB.

Absolutely.

 

[roy]

It's a great song but I'd still rank it behind:

Beautiful Day,
Kite,
Walk On,
Stuck,
In A Little While,
TGBHF

 

[lazarus]

First: The Ground Beneath Her Feet is NOT "on" the album. It is a bonus track. It was PREVIOUSLY RELEASED on the Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack, and the lyrics aren't even written by anyone in the band. It may be better than anything on ATYCLB (on some days I agree with this) but that's a different argument.

Second: When I Look At the World was one of my favorites the first time I heard the album, and unfortunately it's buried in the middle of a mostly forgettable "side two". I always felt New York was a little too tongue-in-cheek to be the penultimate song on the album (esp. in comparison with former songs in that place like Acrobat, Please, Exit, Dirty Day), and that WILATW was more deserving of that spot due to being much more thematically strong. Wouldn't you know it, it HAD the #10 slot on the original tracklisting; yet another reason why they had the right idea before they rearranged everything.

Listen to the album that way and it's the showstopper it deserves to be. And I think it would have been awesome live if they would have performed a more electric guitar-based version.

 

[Swan269]

First: The Ground Beneath Her Feet is NOT "on" the album. It is a bonus track. It was PREVIOUSLY RELEASED on the Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack, and the lyrics aren't even written by anyone in the band. It may be better than anything on ATYCLB (on some days I agree with this) but that's a different argument.

Second: When I Look At the World was one of my favorites the first time I heard the album, and unfortunately it's buried in the middle of a mostly forgettable "side two". I always felt New York was a little too tongue-in-cheek to be the penultimate song on the album (esp. in comparison with former songs in that place like Acrobat, Please, Exit, Dirty Day), and that WILATW was more deserving of that spot due to being much more thematically strong. Wouldn't you know it, it HAD the #10 slot on the original tracklisting; yet another reason why they had the right idea before they rearranged everything.

Listen to the album that way and it's the showstopper it deserves to be. And I think it would have been awesome live if they would have performed a more electric guitar-based version.

what was the original tracklisting...I have forgotten

 

[coolian2]

Great song.

 

[lazarus]

what was the original tracklisting...I have forgotten

Always happy to repost this for those who are missing the better ATYCLB experience.

1. Beautiful Day
2. Elevation
3. Walk On
4. Stuck
5. Peace on Earth
6. Kite
7. New York
8. In a Little While
9. Wild Honey
10. When I Look...
11. Grace

This was changed after a back and forth between Bono & Edge. I think Bono felt you shouldn't have a slow song in the #2 slot. I agree, as Elevation sounds so obnoxious after a song inspired by Hutchence's suicide. Elevation is the most, poppy lightweight song on the album (save Wild Honey), and works in the tradition of EBTTRT and DYFL. Walk On to me is the most thematically important song (and where the album gets its title), and it's nice to have it up a notch where it can introduce the specifics that follow.

Stuck segues better into Peace on Eath, the personal trauma to the public trauma, and then another rumination on mortality/parenthood in Kite. New York marks a nice side 1/side 2 break and kicks the album back into rock mode again; with the release version you have to wait all the way until the end of the album for it to pick up. Then you're right into the Bono/Ali love songs with IALW and Wild Honey, before the return to the larger themes in WILATW, and the coda of Grace.

I read about this track order right when the album came out, burned my own copy, and haven't listen to the release version since a couple days after buying it. It just doesn't flow right, musically or tonally.

 

[trevgreg]

love this song... and thanks for posting the original tracklisting!