financeguy
ONE love, blood, life
Does anyone have any information on the context, intrepretation and background of the song 'Beautiful Ghost'.
Interpretation/background of 'Beautiful Ghost'
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david
ONE love, blood, life
I was under the impression it was nothing more than Bono reciting a William Blake poem over an instrumental.
AchtungGirl219
Acrobat
^ Very true.The poem Bono is reciting is the 'Introduction to the Songs of Experience' (RPO -- William Blake : Introduction to the Songs of Experience).
‘Songs of Experience are poems belonging to that period of man’s development which succeeds the joyful state of innocence and takes its form in bitter disillusion, engendered by moral conventions and sordid realities.’ (Lister 1968, p.55)
(Introduction to Songs of Innocence and Experience)
zooropop40
Refugee
I love beautiful Ghost 
Lemon95
The Fly
Am I alone in thinking that if I never heard Beautiful Ghost again that would be quite alright???
zooropop40
Refugee
I never really thought much of it until my ipod was on shuffle and I was lying down with my eyes closed, and it was just such a beautiful and holy moment. It is like one step closer on steroids. I think you either love it or hate it.
you're not alone, i don't really care for it either.
last unicorn
Blue Crack Addict
I love the poem, I love William Blake's work in general, but the song is eerie. I don't listen to it much.
phillyfan26
Blue Crack Supplier
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I'm with you. I don't think it's beautiful or eerie or anything. It's a weak attempt to be atmospheric, and Bono reciting the poem makes it even less interesting. I have never understood the fuss.
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
i'm not going to skip it if it comes on, but i'm not going to go out of my way to hear it.
still better than drunk chicken/america.
BonoFox1
Blue Crack Supplier
It is an AWESOME song, glad I finally heard it
Niceman
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
I don't THINK that I like it that much..... but sometimes I hear it, unbidden, in my head.....
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
Beautiful Ghost into Streets is a great start up...
The marry up quite well if you edit them together in audacity
marik
Refugee
I suspect the piece of music Beautiful Ghost was left over from JT sessions as Edge describes in the remaster booklet, however Bono's vocals sound like they weren't recorded until 2007 (at same time of Wave of Sorrow vocals). It would also make sense that at this much later date (2007) Bono had the thought of Songs of Experience first gestating in his mind.... Idea Later to be used for the SoI/SOE project
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
No, the vocals were recorded late 80's. Someone found an interview from AB days where Bono talks about this instrumental that was recorded for JT and then they did the vocals late 80's maybe early 90's. This Blake Songs of idea has been swimming in Bono's head for quite awhile.
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marik
Refugee
Hmmm interesting. The vocals really didn't sound like Bono from that timeframe to me. Anyone have this article reference? I'd love to read more
Ps; I reviewed the song credits, and it does not list "additional recording by Carl glanville" like Wave of Sorrow does, and weirdly also, Drunk Chicken/America. On that note, I've read that Drunk Chicken piece of music existed from JT sessions.... Maybe Carl circa 2007 just. added the allen Ginsberg recitation over top?
Ps; I reviewed the song credits, and it does not list "additional recording by Carl glanville" like Wave of Sorrow does, and weirdly also, Drunk Chicken/America. On that note, I've read that Drunk Chicken piece of music existed from JT sessions.... Maybe Carl circa 2007 just. added the allen Ginsberg recitation over top?
david
ONE love, blood, life
His voice on that track really does sound like his current speaking voice. Maybe he re-recorded the vocals for the 20th JT box set?
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marik
Refugee
UPDATE: I've just read an interview in NME date June 13 1992, that took place 2wks earlier when U2 was enroute to play the London show May 31 1992. Bono says "I've just written a song for our next record called Songs of Innocence and Experience, after reading Blake".
This proves the theme idea of I+e was in his head since as far back of 92, but his saying "I've JUST written....for our next record" leads me to believe it was during this Zooropa-writing timeframe that the song gestated, and not as far back as the JT era.
However, the actual piece of music Beautiful Ghost may be from JT era- without the inclusion of the Blake lyrics. If he had actually recorded the Blake lyric vocals earlier than this interview (Between 87-92), you'd think he would have mentioned it, or used the wording "I've RECORDED" such n such a song....... Instead of "I've JUST WRITTEN" which insulates recording not done yet.
This proves the theme idea of I+e was in his head since as far back of 92, but his saying "I've JUST written....for our next record" leads me to believe it was during this Zooropa-writing timeframe that the song gestated, and not as far back as the JT era.
However, the actual piece of music Beautiful Ghost may be from JT era- without the inclusion of the Blake lyrics. If he had actually recorded the Blake lyric vocals earlier than this interview (Between 87-92), you'd think he would have mentioned it, or used the wording "I've RECORDED" such n such a song....... Instead of "I've JUST WRITTEN" which insulates recording not done yet.
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BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
Don't ever analyze the wording of a songwriter in such detail. Not just Bono, but most songwriters I know will talk that way. I knew a guy that would introduce a new song by saying "I just wrote this last night" when all the other musicians knew he had been working on it for months.
It could have been a different lyric he wrote, or put it to different music and he'd consider that 'just written', it doesn't mean anything. Obviously the theme has been kicking around in his head for a long time. There's evidence that the idea was earlier than Zooropa era.
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