What do U2 have to say to the unemployed?

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you know, i'm rather dissapointed that U2 hasn't said anything about the AIG bonuses yet.
 
That would be AIU, now. Spluh!

Their new name may be a common word in Bonoglese, though. Bono's probably mentioned them numerous times (particularly in the eighties, when everything was good).
 
I reckon they all think the 'unemployed' are good-for-nothing underachievers who need to 'snap out of it' and move on...in the direction of U2. You know, see the light, be like them. Ha ha. :lol:
 
financeguy said:
I think it's a reasonable question, with unemployment rates trending upwards and set to burst through the 10% mark in many countries.

Much of U2's earlier (and, let's face it, better) material - songs like Bad, Running to Stand Still, Silver and Gold, Red Hill Mining Town - and many more - spoke to the dispossessed and marginalized.

But U2 have changed, and it's hard to see what a gang of multimillionaires and property developers can possibly have to say to the dispossessed and marginalised.

Back in the mid '80's, U2 were heavily involved in the organisation of a concert called 'Self-Aid' in Ireland, aimed at generating awareness of the plight of the unemployed and Bono even sat briefly in a committee put together by the then Irish Prime Minister Garret Fitzgerald. While the project was, arguably, misconceived, I think most people viewed it as a genuine and well intentioned gesture.

I doubt if they'd try to do the same thing now, but if they did, I reckon it would be treated as a rather tasteless joke.

How can fat Bono possibly think he's relevant any more?
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Hmmm...I don't think Bono is fat. Though, back to topic.

To compare Bono's lyrics to Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp who are both American and have made a lucrative career, singing the blue collar, working man blues is a bit unfair. Considering that Bono's life experience is much different than the two men listed above.

For example, my ancestors (all of them) came from Ireland, but for me to say, I know what the "Troubles" was like would be arrogant on my part. The same to those of you, who grew up on the Emerald Isle. You have no idea how it was growing up during the Nixon/Vietnam War years. You have only read about it in your American History books.
 
You guys did know that all of The Joshua Tree is written about stealing from the poor?
Here are some of the original song names:
Where The Poor Have No Money
With Or Without You I'll Still Steal From The Poor
Bullet's Help Us Steal From You
Running To Steal From The Poor
Red Hand Bandit Town
In God's Pocket
Trip Through Your Checkbook
Capitol One Card Hill
Exit(So I Can Take Your Money From Your House)
Owners Of The Disappeared Money

There are really countless others..............:|
 
So, in summary, FG, you think U2 (the band) is hypocritical because Bono (the person) doesn't donate enough of his own money to the causes he preaches about? Is that safe to assume?
 
INSTCUWSUMVC said:
You guys did know that all of The Joshua Tree is written about stealing from the poor?
Here are some of the original song names:
Where The Poor Have No Money
With Or Without You I'll Still Steal From The Poor
Bullet's Help Us Steal From You
Running To Steal From The Poor
Red Hand Bandit Town
In God's Pocket
Trip Through Your Checkbook
Capitol One Card Hill
Exit(So I Can Take Your Money From Your House)
Owners Of The Disappeared Money

There are really countless others..............:|
Click to expand...

I'm sure you're right. You sound like you know what your talking about. :yes::lol:
 
LemonMelon said:
Let's see what ol' Bruce is up to nowadays:

YouTube - SPRINGSTEEN: QUEEN OF THE SUPERMARKET (WORKING ON A DREAM)

Yep, he's still at it. Writing songs about the poor checkout girl at the local supermarket, scratching for a living while being stalked by Bruce Springsteen.
Click to expand...

LemonMelon, you're on to something here! The only artist I can think of, who wrote about the working class and actually live as one of us, was Harry Chappin. Sorry if I misspelled his last name. But, us old timers would remember him as the singer and songwriter/poet, of classics. "Taxi,
The Cat's In The Cradle" and "A Better Place To Be." Harry would perform concerts and his charges would be. Bring some food for the homeless.
 
A stor said:
Hmmm...I don't think Bono is fat. Though, back to topic.

To compare Bono's lyrics to Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp who are both American and have made a lucrative career, singing the blue collar, working man blues is a bit unfair. Considering that Bono's life experience is much different than the two men listed above.

For example, my ancestors (all of them) came from Ireland, but for me to say, I know what the "Troubles" was like would be arrogant on my part. The same to those of you, who grew up on the Emerald Isle. You have no idea how it was growing up during the Nixon/Vietnam War years. You have only read about it in your American History books.
Click to expand...


I'm not sure that I fully understand some elements of your post.

Firstly, Bono actually has at times made a bit of a big deal about being from a 'salt-of-the-earth' working class background, albeit maybe not quite in the sense of people like Springsteen and Mellencamp. Indeed, back in the '80's or early 90's, Bono's late father complained in an interview that Bono was presenting his upbringing and background as being desperately tough, whereas in fact, though they certainly didn't have it easy, that was mainly due to Bono's mother unfortunately passing away at a young age. They were not well off, but they were not poor either, not by the standards of 1970's northside Dublin.

I don't really understand your second paragraph. You seem to be assuming that I am talking purely of the US economy situation, which is not what I am saying at all.

Thanks, at least, for addressing my thread in a respectful way and not with the trollish comments some have made.
 
Earnie Shavers said:
I can’t see U2 taking their private jets to the South of France to put the finishing touches on their new album, Songs for the Unemployed (Fuck Capitalism), going down too well. I can maybe see it being reflected in some more of their 00s penchant for general touchy feely Beautiful Day type stuff (along the lines of whatever pains you, there’s hope, walk on, blah, blah, oh so emotive etc), but nothing explicit or punchy. They’d get torn apart for it, and it would make them look stupid in a way that would effect every other issue they try to raise or defend.

I would go so far as to say that Bono is <this> close to tipping over into majority annoyance and it would take far less than something like this for the general opinion and reaction to him and them to completely swing. Bono railing against the man now would just look utterly ridiculous. I’m surprised you think this is something they could go anywhere near at all. He runs a venture capital company, owns a share in Forbes for fucks sake.
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Er, yeah. Which, if you look very closely, you will see that that is precisely the point I made in the OP:-

financeguy said:
But U2 have changed, and it's hard to see what a gang of multimillionaires and property developers can possibly have to say to the dispossessed and marginalised.

Back in the mid '80's, U2 were heavily involved in the organisation of a concert called 'Self-Aid' in Ireland, aimed at generating awareness of the plight of the unemployed and Bono even sat briefly in a committee put together by the then Irish Prime Minister Garret Fitzgerald. While the project was, arguably, misconceived, I think most people viewed it as a genuine and well intentioned gesture.

I doubt if they'd try to do the same thing now, but if they did, I reckon it would be treated as a rather tasteless joke.
Click to expand...

Of course, I could just be nostalgic for the past (of U2). Maybe that is the case. But you won't see U2 put out another record like the Joshua Tree. Better to venerate a brilliant past, in my view, than pretend, as some do, that everything U2 has done recently is equally brilliant.
 
financeguy said:
Of course, I could just be nostalgic for the past (of U2). Maybe that is the case. But you won't see U2 put out another record like the Joshua Tree. Better to venerate a brilliant past, in my view, than pretend, as some do, that everything U2 has done recently is equally brilliant.
Click to expand...

But was does "brilliant" have to do with the unemployed?

You seem to be blurring two lines...

But what is more head scratching is that you say they can't do anything equally brilliant, yet you admit to not even knowing everything on their new album...:scratch:
 
financeguy said:
One thing I can't stand is hypocrisy, and from my perspective we've seen an awful lot of that from U2 in recent years.
Click to expand...

A while ago, Bono wrote a good part of an album (and one entire song) about his own hypocrisy. It was called Achtung Baby.

Anyway, back on topic, I'm not really sure from your original post what you expect U2 to do with the economic crisis. Like people have said, a majority of No Line was written before things got really bad. If the band made comments on the economy to the media or during shows, they'd get slammed for making those comments while on their way to their next gig in their private plane. They give a lot to charity but disclose the amount because as Bono's said, then it becomes PR, not charity.

Plus, selling tickets on a stadium tour for $30, about how much I spent on an indie band with one album playing in a small theater, says all they need to say about the economy. They're showing their concerns through their actions. The words are unnecessary.
 
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