Ashley - i'd like to hear why you think EPAA is that good, if you would.
i wish i could find the quote where bono says something along the lines of the unforgettable fire being a stream of consciousness. when i saw that quote alongside listening to elvis presley and america, it sealed the deal for me.Well for one thing it's U2 experimenting, and, in my opinion, doing so extremely well.
For another, it's one of the few songs that makes me cry almost every time I hear it.
And finally? Because it has one of the greatest endings of all time. I know the lyrics are mostly nonsense, but the ending manages to pull something together, and you remember this song is supposed to be about Elvis, and that's when the following just completely pushes me over the edge:
You know
And though no one told you sky
And you feel
Like you pretend you can
You say go, you live
Go live outside of me
Don't you leave
Don't leave out part of me
Then I can feel
Like I feel before
Like it hurt now
And I see the floor
If you pick me up
Bits and pieces on this floor
That honestly might be one of my favorite U2 lyrical pieces ever. I'm not even kidding.
Well for one thing it's U2 experimenting, and, in my opinion, doing so extremely well.
For another, it's one of the few songs that makes me cry almost every time I hear it.
And finally? Because it has one of the greatest endings of all time. I know the lyrics are mostly nonsense, but the ending manages to pull something together, and you remember this song is supposed to be about Elvis, and that's when the following just completely pushes me over the edge:
You know
And though no one told you sky
And you feel
Like you pretend you can
You say go, you live
Go live outside of me
Don't you leave
Don't leave out part of me
Then I can feel
Like I feel before
Like it hurt now
And I see the floor
If you pick me up
Bits and pieces on this floor
That honestly might be one of my favorite U2 lyrical pieces ever. I'm not even kidding.
i agree with you regarding the ending, from that first lyric you listed onwards, it's pure bliss. i just wanted to know why it produces such a strong emotional reaction in you, because i'm intrigued as i know few others feel the same way, but you don't have to answer that.
ironically despite its title i have never associated the song with Elvis, i've never made the connection.
EPAA has some fascinating pieces, but as a 6 1/2 minute composition, I just can't get into it. It drags, there's bongolese overload, it's all very rambling. But as you listen, these lovely guitar riffs rise out of the haze, Bono occasionally hits on something that sounds profound, and you're graced with Larry's most distinctive drumming (thanks to studio magic, sure) from beginning to end.
That's just it, I can't put it into words. It's sonically gorgeous and every so often lyrically brilliant. It's a reminder to me every time I hear it that Bono has the ability to do these wonderful things with music. I think to myself, now if only they had sat down and written real lyrics to it...but honestly, I think I would have died if they'd rerecorded it for the remaster.