Go to your 'Beach clip archive' and hear something interesting

[beachball]

Did anyone notice this?

When I heard the alternative lyrics in the interview with Bono on South African radio (U2.com), I thought I recognized some of the lyrics.


Here they are: (thanks to @U2.com)

(1st verse) 18th of July on the banks of a not well-known river, I started a journey to where I am now. Troublesome, troublemaker, guided by the drums of my creator towards a rhythm, a rhyme, a melody line of a song called freedom, which once heard will never leave your head. Rolihlahla, on a day like this, it's love that gives us courage to resist.

(chorus) Agape love forged like steel in the fire. Agape love like a whisper that calls us to walk out into the street with your arms out and the people you meet are neither down nor out, hey there is nothing you have that I need. I can breathe. I can breathe.

(2nd verse) All those who stand together, fist in air, now know this -- that real division is not a scar on the land, but in the hearts of every man who began as a kiss not to resist, and not a fist. Now an open hand, an open face, an open page where history might rewrite its rage.

(chorus) Agape love forged like steel in the fire. Agape love whispering to us to walk out into the street, sing your hearts out to the people you meet, neither down nor out, hey there is nothing you have that I need. I can breathe, I can breathe.


The 2nd verse has the rhymes: land, man, began and face, page, rage.

I thought I heard these or words that sounded like them in an early beach clip, when we all had fun trying hard to find out, what Bono sang.

I found an early beach clip with the file name: Walk OUt Into The Streets Main Version_mp3

In the beginning of the clip, I think Bono sings this second verse!

Do you think Bono wrote it about Mandela first and then they all decided to change it, because they didn't want it to be about one person? Like when they changed Native Son, which was written about Peltier and then it became Vertigo.

This is possible, because it was an early beach clip. We have a beach clip, which came later, where the lyrics are identical, I think, with the album version.

Or Bono might just have written it one day, when he was inspired and wanted to sing about Mandela.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Like when they changed Native Son, which was written about Peltier and then it became Vertigo.

nothing?

 

[beachball]

It's 2 am here right now, so I'm a bit slow

Please, tell me what you mean,

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Almost 1.30am here. Sorry, not on topic, nothing to do with Breathe.

Native Son, a song about Peltier that sounded like it had really great potential, became Vertigo, which was a pretty good jingle, or a very good single.

Annoying.

But off topic.

As you were.

 

[beachball]

I actually like both of them.

Off topic again.

 

[bonocomet]

Actually, those lyrics are found in the NLOTH box set, in the book that came with that set. There is a photo of Bono's handwritten lyrics for Breathe in an earlier version that says "Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela version of Breathe" at the top. I don't remember now if they are exact word for word, but they are much the same.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I actually like both of them.

Off topic again.

I kind of wish we had... both. Vertigo was certainly a better sales pitch, a better single. And live now, they rip through a much sharper, better version of it. It's a good thing. (And it would be better if that main riff from Vertigo, on record, was a sharp as they play it live. It's kind of lacerating.) But I really wish we had a finished version of Native Son, for all those times you're not in a stadium at a U2 concert. That 'alternate' version is underdeveloped, but definitely on its way to a very good song. The riff means something, at least. It's not just a hook. One is good for the stadium, the other for the iPod.

 

[beachball]

To bonocomet:

Interesting. I actually own the box set, so I probably read that in the book the day I received it, and then forgot about it!

I only thought about it now, because I heard the words from Bono's mouth and recognized them.

I had also forgotten that we had two Breathe beach clips.

 

[beachball]

I kind of wish we had... both. Vertigo was certainly a better sales pitch, a better single. And live now, they rip through a much sharper, better version of it. It's a good thing. (And it would be better if that main riff from Vertigo, on record, was a sharp as they play it live. It's kind of lacerating.) But I really wish we had a finished version of Native Son, for all those times you're not in a stadium at a U2 concert. That 'alternate' version is underdeveloped, but definitely on its way to a very good song. The riff means something, at least. It's not just a hook. One is good for the stadium, the other for the iPod.

I often wish that too. A better version of Native Son! But they probably thought it was too close to Vertigo.

Another choice of theirs, I'll never understand, is why they never released Xanax And Wine. Those two songs rock!

 

[bonocomet]

oops sorry my internet freaked out and double posted.

 

[bonocomet]

To bonocomet:

Interesting. I actually own the box set, so I probably read that in the book the day I received it, and then forgot about it!

I only thought about it now, because I heard the words from Bono's mouth and recognized them.

I had also forgotten that we had two Breathe beach clips.

It might be why you thought you recognized it! I don't know if it really is an earlier version or just alternate, I shouldn't say earlier because who knows really. But Bono himself does call it a "version" indicating there is another version.

There is also that trash can that he signed and gave to a charity auction. He put some of his lyrics inside it from the same song as well and called it "Bono Trash" and wrote "Not good enough 4 the great man" on it.

I can only find this small pic of the lyrics at the moment. It's from 2008.

 

[beachball]

You have a great memory! I had forgotten all about that trash can too! I saw it when it was in the news.

The reason I thought it was an early version, is that the beach clip is older than the one that came with the other beach clips of Magnificent, Boots and Unknown Caller, but who knows, really.

 

[bonocomet]

I've got 2 Breathe beach clips, one from Eze and one from Dublin. Is it one of those?

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I often wish that too. A better version of Native Son! But they probably thought it was too close to Vertigo.

Another choice of theirs, I'll never understand, is why they never released Xanax And Wine. Those two songs rock!

Well, it would have been one or the other, Vertigo or Native Son. No way there could have been both, which should be obvious. I personally never, ever listen to Vertigo. I don't think I've ever chosen to listen to it, ever. Great single, in that it did the sales job, and I love it when I'm in the crowd on the night, but it just seems like a really, really weak song otherwise. Completely shallow.

Xanax vs Fast Cars - similar in a way. I like Fast Cars a lot. But with those Bomb Alternate versions, it just kicks back to what they originally wanted from that album, four guys in a room. I think that would have been great. U2 almost always take something from what's going on around them, and I'm sure that idea came from the return in the early 00s of the standard, straight up, four piece band.

They, in part, took the direction they did on ATYCLB because that was what Brand U2 needed, but also if you go back to their justification at the time, there's a good argument there about the state of rock at the time, where popular music was at, and what they saw as a need for someone to float 'good', positive, rock back up there (and interestingly, not wanting to bring them up again, but Radiohead were actually having a similar internal argument at the time as they were heading into what became Kid A - go left field, or fill the good-rock hole that seems to have been completely vacated?) But then, by the time they were starting on Atomic Bomb, 'straight' rock was definitely back. Bands were back. And that's where they were headed, to prove they could be the best of that. 25 years playing together, thought they could prove that they could kill it. That's where Chris Thomas came from - make a band sound good. And how cool would that have been? U2, 25 years in, showing off what they've got as a simple, straight up, no bullshit, four piece band.

That's where I hear Xanax and Wine (imagine that as U2 As Pub Band), Native Son, and the alternate All Because of You heading. Those versions we have aren't quite there, but definitely heading there. It's a shame we don't have that album. In the end, we're just a four piece band, and we're pretty good at it. Would have been cool. And that is what they were talking about early on, as they were going. And they even kept it up in the Bomb promos. But in reality they let it go. Shame.

Perhaps if they'd gone with Rubin then, not Thomas? Might have been different. More confidence.

 

[beachball]

I've got 2 Breathe beach clips, one from Eze and one from Dublin. Is it one of those?

I can't see if they are from Dublin or Eze, but the first one is called Walk OUt Into The Streets Main Version_mp3 and the date in 'properties' is 7th July 2008 and it's probably the Dublin version, because you can hear no waves

The later version has the date 11th August 2008. Lots of waves, yes this one, I remember is from Eze, and it's located in a map called ben's beach clips. The title is ben's beach clips - song2_mp3.

Listening to the Eze version now, and the lyrics are not completely identical to the album version either. Love the way they end the song.

 

[beachball]

Well, it would have been one or the other, Vertigo or Native Son. No way there could have been both, which should be obvious. I personally never, ever listen to Vertigo. I don't think I've ever chosen to listen to it, ever. Great single, in that it did the sales job, and I love it when I'm in the crowd on the night, but it just seems like a really, really weak song otherwise. Completely shallow.

Xanax vs Fast Cars - similar in a way. I like Fast Cars a lot. But with those Bomb Alternate versions, it just kicks back to what they originally wanted from that album, four guys in a room. I think that would have been great. U2 almost always take something from what's going on around them, and I'm sure that idea came from the return in the early 00s of the standard, straight up, four piece band.

They, in part, took the direction they did on ATYCLB because that was what Brand U2 needed, but also if you go back to their justification at the time, there's a good argument there about the state of rock at the time, where popular music was at, and what they saw as a need for someone to float 'good', positive, rock back up there (and interestingly, not wanting to bring them up again, but Radiohead were actually having a similar internal argument at the time as they were heading into what became Kid A - go left field, or fill the good-rock hole that seems to have been completely vacated?) But then, by the time they were starting on Atomic Bomb, 'straight' rock was definitely back. Bands were back. And that's where they were headed, to prove they could be the best of that. 25 years playing together, thought they could prove that they could kill it. That's where Chris Thomas came from - make a band sound good. And how cool would that have been? U2, 25 years in, showing off what they've got as a simple, straight up, no bullshit, four piece band.

That's where I hear Xanax and Wine (imagine that as U2 As Pub Band), Native Son, and the alternate All Because of You heading. Those versions we have aren't quite there, but definitely heading there. It's a shame we don't have that album. In the end, we're just a four piece band, and we're pretty good at it. Would have been cool. And that is what they were talking about early on, as they were going. And they even kept it up in the Bomb promos. But in reality they let it go. Shame.

Perhaps if they'd gone with Rubin then, not Thomas? Might have been different. More confidence.

Well, we can only guess, what it would have sounded like, but personally, I think the reason it would be difficult for them to work with Rubin, is they 'write' better in a studio. And he wanted them to write the songs before they went into the studio and then record them quickly, as I recall. i just can't see them work that way. That was the experiment, really. They experimented with their work routine, and they didn't like it.

Just my guess, of course. I thought, they are gonna call in Eno/Lanois or Lillywhite, and they did.

 

[bonocomet]

I can't see if they are from Dublin or Eze, but the first one is called Walk OUt Into The Streets Main Version_mp3 and the date in 'properties' is 7th July 2008 and it's probably the Dublin version, because you can hear no waves

The later version has the date 11th August 2008. Lots of waves, yes this one, I remember is from Eze, and it's located in a map called ben's beach clips. The title is ben's beach clips - song2_mp3.

Listening to the Eze version now, and the lyrics are not completely identical to the album version either. Love the way they end the song.

Hmm I don't have anything called "walk out into the streets" but the HQ version one I have is 1:52 in length. Maybe they're the same one.

 

[beachball]

Hmm I don't have anything called "walk out into the streets" but the HQ version one I have is 1:52 in length. Maybe they're the same one.

Yes, I think it's the same one. It's the same length. Bono starts singing 'Breathe, breathe, I can breathe, and then he goes right into the second verse from the interview.

I just didn't change the file name, when I got it, so it's the original file name, error and all (Walk OUt...)

 

[bonocomet]

Ah ok!