City of Blinding lights is absolutely the “intro song to _____” for whatever event going on. It’s a song that people don’t know is U2 and don’t know the name of, but some people generally know the song.
It’s not Beautiful Day and it’s not Vertigo, but it’s definitely a highly relevant post-2000 tune that has staying power.
That's a great point. COBL has absolutely stayed around and is viewed as a great, energetic, uplifting and inspirational song by many. U2 and non U2 fans alike.
I saw your point in action last September. I was visiting Manhattan and eat at the same place 2 nights in a row. It was slow, so I had a lot of conversation with the bartender. She was 26 and we were going on about music. I forget how U2 even came up, but as soon as I mentioned them, she LIT UP and was like " I LOVE U2!" I don't think I've heard someone under 30 say that since 2006. Of course, I immediately asked her what her favorite songs were to test her legitimacy as a fan. Lol.
She thought about it, then said "sunday bloody sunday," "with or without you," "who's gonna ride your wild horses," and "beautiful day." I shared some of my favorites then mentioned COBL. She kind of gave me a blank stare and said "if I heard it, I'd probably know it." I pulled it up on youtube, handed her my phone and within 3 seconds she says "oh, of course, this is an AMAZING song, just didn't know the name of it."
So there's the public consciousness piece. Just as a song, quality, I always loved it, but in my personal rankings, it has gone from just under top tier U2 almost into classic level. To me, it's almost like Pride in how it contains every single element of U2 in a few minutes. The soaring vocals. Chiming guitar. The passion and energy. Throbbing drums and bass.
In addition to the uplifting message, it also reflects on the innocence and experience narrative that's been out there since the band's early days. With the same level of energy in parts- the riffs coming out of the bridge when Bono is screaming "time, time" into that last verse is straight early U2 electric energy.
My opinion on it has also been cemented by live performances. It will always have a special place in my heart since it was the first song I saw U2 do live (Vertigo Tour). It was performed extremely well on 360, but I don't remember it bringing the house down or being a highlight. Innocence was a whole different story. It hit hard, energetically and emotionally, all 5 times I saw it on that tour.
I would go as far as to say COBL was the ABSOLUTE high point of the one E&I show I saw. Yes, Acrobat was amazing. As was staring at the sun into Pride (even though Pride fell off after the intro, the message was poignant). However, in the absence of Streets and a bunch of other staples, COBL carried the emotional weight. It did so almost alone, whereas the previous Innocence shows had Streets, MOS/Bad, 40, Raised by Wolves, Invisible, the list goes on.
I was shocked at how moved I was by the whole performance- seeing Sian appearing from behind the buildings on the Boston skyline as the band played. It was the only moment that night that reached that spine tingling, hair raising, band, crowd and city as one level that we've all seen at U2 shows.
I think COBL was somehow re energized and given new meaning by the "Songs of" era. Like I said, I was happy to hear it but get the sense I wouldn't have missed it on 360. After seeing it on I&E, the absence was very noticeable on JT 30. Same for its presence on E&I.
