You're the Best Thing About Me - Song Discussion

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This may sound weird but I enjoy it now after a few listens. Only because I know when all the clunky parts are coming up,I can brace myself!
 
As someone who's run into this situation before while writing songs...

A lot of the times, you have a nice melody in your head and are coming up with words that go along with it. Then you run into a situation where you have the right words or phrase for a line, but it's one or two syllables too long. It frustrates you, but you see if you can fit something similar into it without losing the effect. If that doesn't work, then you either adjust the melody line (which might throw things off) or see if you can shorten the line another way. A lot of times, it might be the later "play on words", and then you look at it and sing and think "Hey, not bad!"

I suspect that's what happened here.



That sounds plausible - only this is Bono we're talking about. If he hears/comes up with a phrasing or wordplay that he likes he'll stop at nothing to make it work - even if it takes years to show up in an actual song (e.g. 'there is no them' etc.)

I like 'the best thing that ever happened a boy'. It assumes that English uses the dative case, and almost sounds like something from German poetry in this regard. Maybe he read it in Rilke or something. All I'm saying is: You're all presuming he took stuff out of the original lyric to make it fit - we don't know that :)
 
Um......:huh:....why the hate?!


This sounds like a fresh new U2 single. Sounds like U2 doing indie pop and they do a great job.

Really excited about SOE!!
 
Alt mix is better but still too much mash. They left the obvious hook abandoned in the song.
 
Um......:huh:....why the hate?!


This sounds like a fresh new U2 single. Sounds like U2 doing indie pop and they do a great job.

Really excited about SOE!!

Good lord I have no idea what indie pop you listen to, but this is generic radio pop fodder, nothing indie about its sound whatsoever.
 
That sounds plausible - only this is Bono we're talking about. If he hears/comes up with a phrasing or wordplay that he likes he'll stop at nothing to make it work - even if it takes years to show up in an actual song (e.g. 'there is no them' etc.)

I like 'the best thing that ever happened a boy'. It assumes that English uses the dative case, and almost sounds like something from German poetry in this regard. Maybe he read it in Rilke or something. All I'm saying is: You're all presuming he took stuff out of the original lyric to make it fit - we don't know that :)

I wouldn't doubt that either, honestly. I mean, think of Brandon Flowers when wrote Human by The Killers, and the famous "are we human? or are we dancer?" line. That was one case where he had likely had it in mind from the get-go and wasn't trying to make it fit anything. It was just a play on words he liked.

But I was just speaking from personal experience. It could have been either or, I'd think.
 
Good lord I have no idea what indie pop you listen to, but this is generic radio pop fodder, nothing indie about its sound whatsoever.

That's debatable, imo. I hear a lot of indie-leaning stuff that's as light as this or uses similar structures. Not all of it is aggressive synths or loud guitars and whatever.
 
I can't believe I'm still up talking about this misstep. Oh, U2. Let's hope what's as yet unheard from SOE is a bit more coherent in its composition.
 
So who did that mix?

This could be a very radio friendly single a la Beautiful Day where the majority won't be analysing it like we are. I see the potential for the general public to enjoy it but also sounds like a missed opportunity.

Although you could argue that we've got two very different styles of songs from the album and that's a promising sign?
 
Axver, Do you agree that the song is better than GOYB & The Miracle?

GOYB? No way. That's a legit good and fun song. This feels just soooooo generic. Like someone trying to copy a U2 song.

Like if you got ALL of the U2 songs and averaged them together... this is what you'd come up with.

So disappointing after The Blackout.

Bono's lyric writing is just a disaster. He needs to be sparser and let the music come through more.

At least the Sci-Fi Soul Mix is kinda fun.

Maybe this will be a song that gets reinvented on the road much like EBW.
 
I think the release of The Blackout was album damage control for the crazies in here (like me). This song is for everyone else.

They may know what they are doing.
 
Good lord I have no idea what indie pop you listen to, but this is generic radio pop fodder, nothing indie about its sound whatsoever.

Best Coast
Purity Ring
Grimes
Passion Pit
Hot Chip
Tame Impala


U2 released 2 singles for SOE (in a way 3). Blackout, Little Things, & Best Thing all different audiences & listeners.
 
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GOYB? No way. That's a legit good and fun song. This feels just soooooo generic. Like someone trying to copy a U2 song.

Like if you got ALL of the U2 songs and averaged them together... this is what you'd come up with.

So disappointing after The Blackout.

Bono's lyric writing is just a disaster. He needs to be sparser and let the music come through more.

At least the Sci-Fi Soul Mix is kinda fun.

Maybe this will be a song that gets reinvented on the road much like EBW.

Where is the Sci-Fi Soul Mix from?

It's a vast improvement that fixes some of the cut and paste issues!
 
Somebody get Kygo on the phone, because U2 took this incredibly infectious, euphoric chorus (which was, IMO, one of the few things the song had going for it), and Tom Brady'd the hell out of it; the song just feels that much emptier now :/

...also, due to my morbid curiosity, since this is the "winning" mix, I kinda wanna know what the other sounded like :eek:
 
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