You're the Best Thing About Me - Song Discussion

[dan_smee]

He left out the word "to" a boy to make it flow better. So to me that's how I am interpreting the meaning.

But that is "convenience license" to just assume what he meant. Wasn't the previous argument that it meant someone else to Bono?

I'm not saying you can't enjoy it, but there's a difference between overlooking a flaw because the good outweighs the bad, and trying to explain the flaw with cracked logic.

 

[Salome]

And of words to drop why the hell did he drop the word 'to' and not 'a' at least "happened to Boy" could've been some play on words with the album Boy and even if not it sounds a hell of a lot better than "happened a boy"

yeah, I take it to be a reference to the person he was when they recorded Boy

 

[jeffarido]

Is that what we're saying now? That these lyrics are OK because poetic license?

Well i think the lyrics should go a lìttle like this:

You're the best thing about me...Fred
The best thing that ever happened to Ned
You're the best thing about me Fred
I'm the kind of trouble that Zach enjoys
You're the best thing about me Fred
The best things are easy to destroy Jack
You're the best thing about me Fred
The best thing about me Fred

 

[SecretFly]

But that is "convenience license" to just assume what he meant. Wasn't the previous argument that it meant someone else to Bono?

I'm not saying you can't enjoy it, but there's a difference between overlooking a flaw because the good outweighs the bad, and trying to explain the flaw with cracked logic.

Yep, and it could mean something else to Bono. Who knows lol. I still love the song so..yeah

 

[dan_smee]

Yep, and it could mean something else to Bono. Who knows lol. I still love the song so..yeah

My only response to this is:

It thinks one are on pancakes to listening flat.

It means something to me.

 

[rennowba]

This song is growing on me fast, can't get the damn chorus out of my head.

The boy lyric sounds fine to me

 

[God Part III]

It can only make sense in three contexts:

a) joined to the previous line - "the best thing that ever happened a boy" - fail.
b) joined to the next line - "a boy you're the best thing about me" - fail.
c) independently - "A boy." Fail.

Poetic license doesn't exist to allow songwriters to flub a line that makes no sense and have a nonsensical excuse.

It's the dative object. He skips 'to' like you would in German or Latin, but it still means 'to' a boy.

 

[super fly guy]

It's definitely a grower,but still feel it will fade fast once the full album is out.

 

[trainmaniac]

This song grew a lot for me this last 12 hours.

 

[hasin73]

This song is growing on me fast, can't get the damn chorus out of my head.

The boy lyric sounds fine to me

 

[dan_smee]

It's the dative object. He skips 'to' like you would in German or Latin, but it still means 'to' a boy.

"A boy" is dative, not "to".

But is your argument Bono wrote the song in Latin, and then couldn't. E arsed fixing it once he'd translated it?

 

[aMansAman]

I would not blame U2 this time, but the production kind of ruins much of the heart of this song.

 

[SecretFly]

I would not blame U2 this time, but the production kind of ruins much of the heart of this song.

The production is fine for me. Raw and fresh.

 

[drazan1]

ITunes single chart in Czech Republic TBT is no. 1 right now.


Sent from my iPad using U2 Interference

 

[Mack_Again]

ok got it, i'll treat Bono's lyrics like how i treat Cocteau Twins' lyrics.

 

[God Part III]

"A boy" is dative, not "to".

But is your argument Bono wrote the song in Latin, and then couldn't. E arsed fixing it once he'd translated it?

No but maybe he saw the phrasing in reading Rilke in translation or something. Or some German fan or whoever told him how German grammar works, and he ran with it. I'm not sure but it doesn't sound implausible to me

 

[aMansAman]

The production is fine for me. Raw and fresh.

I mean the obvious production "errors" .. at least for me this is not a good production, the Sci-Fi Soul Mix is more cohesive in my personal opinion

 

[ChargedVT]

Still loving this song. A few notes...
Bono singing good but very high. The song being a semitone lower might have sounded better.
The verses and chorus are a semitone apart which might be why they seem jarring.
This song reminds me of Miracle Drug, especially with the whole "Edge singing a verse then straight back into the chorus and abrupt end" thing.

 

[rennowba]

15 uk iTunes

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

They broke up weeks ago.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

What it means maybe personal to Bono or the band. Fans can interpret it for how they want to. There are lyrics in most songs not just U2 that have different interpretations and meanings and don't make sense to listeners. One prime example is the lyric "dancer" in The Killers song Human. I think people are just overreacting. It sounds perfect to me and flows well.

Except the are we human or are we dancer line was also fucking stupid

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

No but maybe he saw the phrasing in reading Rilke in translation or something. Or some German fan or whoever told him how German grammar works, and he ran with it. I'm not sure but it doesn't sound implausible to me

Here, I'll help.

The line is stupid on its own and makes zero grammatical sense. It's also one of those stupid lines that some marketing idiot at Live Nation will think is cute and put on a t-shirt on the next tour, which is infuriating to think about because you know it's true. But I like the song and it doesn't bother me when I hear it, because the whole outweighs the sum of the parts.

There. There's your answer.

 

[super fly guy]

This is from Edge on a Spanish radio show. Do you think Bono had a real health scare recently?

"Yes, this song is very good.We began to devise a melody, I composed a piece of music that has certain influences of the joy that has Motown music.Because for us the most important thing to resist in life is joy and positivism.Bono was writing the lyrics and his life went through a very important personal challenge.He was not sure how long he was going to stay between us.It was quite serious, so many of our lyrics are personal messages to important people in your life.This was a song for his dear Ali.These are pretty tough personal issues.And that's the power of the song.This song is beautiful and cheerful and with a very magical and very emotional lyrics. "

 

[trainmaniac]

Wow... anyone knows what kind of problem did Bono have? And if it's still pending (guess not)?

 

[super fly guy]

Wow... anyone knows what kind of problem did Bono have? And if it's still pending (guess not)?

Dont think we will really find out,hopefully he is better now.

 

[An Cat Gav]

Here, I'll help.

The line is stupid on its own and makes zero grammatical sense. It's also one of those stupid lines that some marketing idiot at Live Nation will think is cute and put on a t-shirt on the next tour, which is infuriating to think about because you know it's true. But I like the song and it doesn't bother me when I hear it, because the whole outweighs the sum of the parts.

There. There's your answer.

 

[An Cat Gav]

Except the are we human or are we dancer line was also fucking stupid

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Wow... anyone knows what kind of problem did Bono have? And if it's still pending (guess not)?

Bike crash?

 

[trainmaniac]

Bike crash?

If that's the case I don't understand that much Edge's words... the doubt on whether he would be with us for a long time or not lasted just a couple of hours, maximum 2-3 days.
Just guessing.

 

[mikal]

This is about the worst way to bolster an argument that a song is good. So what, if it wasn't doing OK on iTunes, that would mean it sucks? Some people like the song, some people don't (I think it's a terrible lead single), fair enough. But blipping on iTunes (OF COURSE a new U2 song is going to make splash) isn't exactly an endorsement of quality, or even really long term popularity.

I went back and looked...there was an entire thread of people celebrating how well Boots was doing on iTunes. So there's that.

lol I was making a joke because I found that blip really funny.