How brilliant is mercy?!!!!!!!!!!!

[doctorwho]

Not disagreeing with you on that. Bono's been capable of crap throughout the ages. He's written some brilliant songs, but he's also written songs that just kind of make me want to cover my U2 albums with a dishcloth out of embarrassment.

EXACTLY!

This is why I'm not a fan of picking out one era or even one line (like "heavy as a truck" - which I don't think is that bad) because I can ramble off examples throughout U2's career.

Overall though, I feel Bono is one of the best lyricists out today - his work flows and is open to numerous interpretations. And even in the songs we cited, while there are some cringe-worthy moments, there are also some brilliant lyrics in the same song (and that includes "Electrical Storm"). Plus, even if there's a token weak line, Bono's passionate vocals or U2's music often carry it.

There's one exception - Bono passionately singing, "And the Cartoon Network turns into the news". That wins, hands down, as the worst vocal/lyric of Bono's career in U2.

 

[doctorwho]

no they were better

Yes, my examples were WAY better in describing how poor Bono's lyrics can be. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[xaviMF22]

There's one exception - Bono passionately singing, "And the Cartoon Network turns into the news". That wins, hands down, as the worst vocal/lyric of Bono's career in U2.

I like that line

 

[xaviMF22]

Yes, my examples were WAY better in describing how poor Bono's lyrics can be. Thanks for clarifying.

yea you're right

 

[Zoots]

I like that line

yeah I like that line too. I don't mind this one either...

Is it like a tape recorder?
Can we rewind it just once more?

 

[xaviMF22]

Is it like a tape recorder?
Can we rewind it just once more?

love that line, actually I think POP contains some of Bono's best lyrics

 

[Tiger Edge]

love that line, actually I think POP contains some of Bono's best lyrics

He was in top form prior to 2000. Everything else is kind of hit and miss lately.

 

[kcrays]

Feelings change over time. A few months ago, I thought U2 were the best band on earth. Now look. So yeah, I admit, at one point I liked the song. But that was around the time it was first leaked to the Internet and it was just OMG NEW U2 I HAVE NEVER HEARD BEFORE! You let something like Mercy sit with you for a little while, let the initial excitement die down a little, then see what a disappointment it actually is.

Actually you said you liked it in september 2005, almost a year after it was leaked. All I know is I've been listening to it for about a year and a half, and I still love it.

 

[gareth brown]

you are absolutely right. and i'm entitled to think it's a pile of dog shit.

Haha, yes but it's the way that you go on about it as if we didn't hear you the first time that just gets on people's tits...

 

[GibsonGirl]

Actually you said you liked it in september 2005, almost a year after it was leaked. All I know is I've been listening to it for about a year and a half, and I still love it.

Well, yes. Sue me for getting a date wrong. I've been here for some time, as you can see, and can't remember when exactly I've made every last post of mine. Mercy didn't start pissing me off until a few months ago anyway.

And I have always thought it has been overrated here so that point stands. You'd swear the song was the second fucking coming of Jesus Christ with the way people here talk.

 

[Tiger Edge]

You'd swear the song was the second fucking coming of Jesus Christ with the way people here talk.

Mercy makes me see Jesus!!!!!

 

[doctorwho]

He was in top form prior to 2000. Everything else is kind of hit and miss lately.

The line I quoted from "If God..." is my least favorite lyric ever. And I think some of Bono's worst lyrics in his career are on "Pop". I defended "Discotheque" in '97, but I did so only because it was new U2 (much like GibsonGirl had done). I realize now that those are amongst Bono's weakest lyrics ever on a single. "Mofo" is just a biography, but not lyrically great. "Miami"?? HA! And I'ver already cited examples from the JT and AB eras - I can go on.

Some of you will counter with some gems on "Pop" (like "Please") - and I'll agree with them. But then, I can counter with gems from post-2000 as well. I think "Kite", "Walk On", CoBL, and OOTS are lyrically brilliant. I even like the many interpretations of ABoY and the simple, yet powerfully effective lyrics of "Vertigo" and "Beautiful Day". Many complain about the "heavy as a truck" line in ES, but the line "you're in my mind all the time... I know that's not enough" is tremendously haunting.

In other words, I'm tired of all the post-2000 bashing that's suddenly en vogue here. There are weaknesses with every era. I think some of you are glorifying the past WAY too much.

 

[Tiger Edge]

The line I quoted from "If God..." is my least favorite lyric ever.

Congratulations. Maybe I quoted a little bit too much. Forget the first three words of my quoting.

Some of you will counter with some gems on "Pop" (like "Please") - and I'll agree with them. But then, I can counter with gems from post-2000 as well. I think "Kite", "Walk On", CoBL, and OOTS are lyrically brilliant.

Thanks for taking me out of context.
I said hit AND miss. Hit AND miss. Just like you can find gems in Pop, I can find gems in HTDAAB and ATYCLB. I love love love love love the bridge to In A Little While and if he continued in that same sort of track, cleaned up the harsh vocal track, it would have been a great song. But you can't compare "Please" to anything post 1997. You can't. You can't compare:
AB:
It's no secret that a conscience can sometimes be a pest
It's no secret ambition bites the nails of success
Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief
All kill their inspiration and sing about their grief
To one line in Kite that's awesome.
Can I keep going?

Zooropa:
A man builds a city
With banks and cathedrals
A man melts the sand so he can
See the world outside
A man makes a car
And builds roads to run them on
A man dreams of leaving
But he always stays behind

And when you find full verses post-2000 that aren't riddled with similies or so flippin literal that it feels like he's beating you over the head with a HELLO! stick, be sure to let me know.

Many complain about the "heavy as a truck" line in ES, but the line "you're in my mind all the time... I know that's not enough" is tremendously haunting.

You've got to be joking. I can find much more memborable things to quote in ES besides that line. Specifically the second verse.

And now to balance everything out, a picture of The Penguin.

 

[kcrays]

Well, yes. Sue me for getting a date wrong. I've been here for some time, as you can see, and can't remember when exactly I've made every last post of mine. Mercy didn't start pissing me off until a few months ago anyway.

So it took a year "for the inital excitement to die down a little"?

Not bad for a crap song.

 

[doctorwho]

Congratulations. Maybe I quoted a little bit too much. Forget the first three words of my quoting. Thanks for taking me out of context.

I apologize if I misquoted you. It was my interpretation of your words. I may have been incorrect - but based on what you wrote below, I seem to be accurate.

I said hit AND miss. Hit AND miss. Just like you can find gems in Pop, I can find gems in HTDAAB and ATYCLB. I love love love love love the bridge to In A Little While and if he continued in that same sort of track, cleaned up the harsh vocal track, it would have been a great song. But you can't compare "Please" to anything post 1997. You can't. You can't compare:
AB:
It's no secret that a conscience can sometimes be a pest
It's no secret ambition bites the nails of success
Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief
All kill their inspiration and sing about their grief
To one line in Kite that's awesome.
Can I keep going?

If I'm misquoting you, then you are doing the same to me. I too can find "gems" in ALL of U2's eras. In fact, part of the reason I became a U2 fan was because of Bono's lyrics. However, I can also find plenty of misses there too. I find the lyrics to WoWY to be overly simplistic and boring. The song comes alive only because of Bono's passionate vocals and the haunting music. But lyrically, it's one of Bono's weakest. Same with the "baby baby baby" line I quoted from "Ultraviolet". That same song has a great lyric with the line "like an opera in my head" - but it's ruined by the endless repetitions of "baby baby baby". So you picking and choosing your lyrics to "prove" something is meaningless - I can do the same. And *THAT* is my point - that it's inaccurate for one to choose a certain era, show a few token examples, and proclaim them to be far superior to anything written recently. I can do the same thing - I can pick songs like "Kite" and "Walk On" and CoBL and claim that they are far superior to some of the weaker songs from prior eras. This type of argument is illogical.

Now, if overall you find yourself connecting more with previous lyrics, then that's a very subjective personal issue - and that cannot be argued. However, you must acknowledge that. For example, I can relate to virtually nothing on "Pop" and perhaps half the songs on "Zooropa". JT songs are good, but mostly because of Bono's passion and the underlying message - which I find is often very obvious and blunt (the same criticism you use of today's lyrics, which I feel is erroneous - for example, tell me exactly what ABoY is about - go ahead...). But I acknowledge that I don't fully connect because of personal reasons. And that's fine. It's a good thing U2 is so diverse - they allow people to connect to their music for a plethora of reasons.

Oh, and thanks for the penguin pic!

 

[GibsonGirl]

So it took a year "for the inital excitement to die down a little"?

I don't even know why I'm bothering to explain this to you, but no, it didn't. You're not reading properly. Initially, I was just like everyone else here, touting Mercy as U2's best song since 1997. After a few weeks of listening, I found that I wasn't feeling quite so strongly about it and that the initial excitement for new U2 material was beginning to wear off. I still liked the song, however, hence my positive comment a year later. It didn't take a whole year for the excitement to fade, for heaven's sake. Know the full story before you assume.

Originally posted by PlaTheGreat

And when you find full verses post-2000 that aren't riddled with similies or so flippin literal that it feels like he's beating you over the head with a HELLO! stick, be sure to let me know.

 

[Tiger Edge]

 

[kcrays]

I don't even know why I'm bothering to explain this to you, but no, it didn't. You're not reading properly. Initially, I was just like everyone else here, touting Mercy as U2's best song since 1997. After a few weeks of listening, I found that I wasn't feeling quite so strongly about it and that the initial excitement for new U2 material was beginning to wear off. I still liked the song, however, hence my positive comment a year later. It didn't take a whole year for the excitement to fade, for heaven's sake. Know the full story before you assume.

I didn't assume. I quoted you. I accept what you're saying, but you originally said,

So yeah, I admit, at one point I liked the song. But that was around the time it was first leaked to the Internet and it was just OMG NEW U2 I HAVE NEVER HEARD BEFORE."

 

[GibsonGirl]

I accept what you're saying, but you originally said,

So yeah, I admit, at one point I liked the song. But that was around the time it was first leaked to the Internet and it was just OMG NEW U2 I HAVE NEVER HEARD BEFORE."

I thought I explained that too? I don't care enough about things I said in the past to go back and actually check the dates on them. As I told you before, it was a mistake. Now please, can we drop this? The fact remains that I can't stand this song now, never mind how I felt before.

 

[kcrays]

 

[chickadee]

So basically all that's been concluded in this topic is that different U2 fans like different songs and appreciate different lyrics.

Well, glad that got cleared up!

In my own humble opinion, Mercy is good but it doesn't do anything for me the way most of the 00s albums do. Sorry if that makes people go 'WHAT?!' but, y'know, whatever.

 

[doctorwho]

For every "obvious" simile (yes... explain again what ABoY is about...) there's the glory of "Walk On", "Kite", CoBL and OotS.

And even if the lyric is more obvious, it doesn't make it less beautiful or less open to interpretation. For example, the whole discussion of earth from space in "Beautiful Day" or the prayer of "Yahweh" is very interesting and moving. Not everything has to have a million interpretations, like "One", to be powerful.

And now, for something silly.

 

[randhail]

And now, for something silly.

is this you at your old job?


Actually, I think it's my HR person.

 

[chickadee]

Looks more like George W Bush at his current one.

 

[Utoo]

Doctorwho wins this thread.

 

[Utoo]

Oh, and for the hell of it:

 

[Tiger Edge]

 

[AtomicBono]

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

The song is bursting at it's seams with a feel-good energy that I haven't seen since Beautiful Day! It's like they've been born again!

dude... beautiful day was one album ago.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Haha, yes but it's the way that you go on about it as if we didn't hear you the first time that just gets on people's tits...

you just summed it up for the 90% of interference who's sick and tired of threads about mercy.

yes, we know you think it's great. but you just go on about it as if we didn't hear you the first time... and that just gets on people's tits.