Has U2 ever written really dodgy lyrics?

[cobl04]

Lyrics like these ones from Fix You -

The lights will guide you home
And ignore your bones
And I will try to fix you

"And ignore your bones?"

That line makes me cringe. Any really dodgy lyrics from U2?

 

[LJT]

Its ignite your bones and not ignore

 

[{paintedroses}]

But does it make any more sense that way?!

 

[LJT]

No..but at least ignite makes it seem a bit more vague and mysterious even though it doesnt make any sense...ignore would just be stupid stupid....like i was born yesterday slap me around the face a bit look at me i am the missing link between humans and chimpanzees kinda stupid

 

[Lo-Fi]

Elevation is pretty ropey.

 

[{paintedroses}]

"The air is heavy, heavy as a truck"

 

[LJT]

Elevation is pretty ropey.

Elevation isn't ropey....it is just meant to be fun...the lyrics are not meant to have deeper meaning...Chris Martin here on the one hand went for deep meaning but came out sounding stupid...Bono on Elevation i think went for fun and came up with fun lyrics..the Es storm truck lyric though is bad..

Elevation in my view though is lyrically brilliant

It does what it was meant to achieve

 

[Bonochick]

"The air is heavy, heavy as a truck"

"Electrical Storm" is one of my favorite U2 songs, but I don't really like that line.

 

[Bono's Doll]

I'm still having problems with the Intellectual Tortoise.

 

[MumblingBono]

The newborn baby's head needs to be kept away from me

 

[LJT]

I'm still having problems with the Intellectual Tortoise.

I like that one

 

[BEVERLY56]

From Kite:

The last of the rock stars
When hip hop drove the big cars
In the time when new media
was the big idea...

To me these 4 lines just don't fit within the context of the rest of the song, it seems like they were just stuck there at the end.

 

[unoscatorce]

I'm still having problems with the Intellectual Tortoise.

Hey Bono had to find SOMETHING that rhymes with choice and voice.

 

[LJT]

Hey Bono had to find SOMETHING that rhymes with choice and voice.

But it works with the next line It wasn't just used because it rhymed

Tortoises are slow....they would have trouble keeping up with a bullet train

 

[Meghan]

I'm still having problems with the Intellectual Tortoise.

I love the tortoyse

 

[U2DMfan]

How could someone highlight 'intellectual tortoise' over the dozen clumsy lines on HTDAAB? That line from ABOY is excellent. One of his best thoughts on the whole album, which is lyrically Bono's worst, IMO.

From Kite:

The last of the rock stars
When hip hop drove the big cars
In the time when new media
was the big idea...

To me these 4 lines just don't fit within the context of the rest of the song, it seems like they were just stuck there at the end.

Now I agree 1,000% with this. A beautiful song with a horrible last verse. Terrible.

 

[LJT]

I have a big essay somewhere on Interference whihc i did abou a month or two ago that basically says that the last verse of Kite is good and fits with the rest of the song

 

[Zooropa1310]

I love the tortoyse

This has made my day.............

 

[U2DMfan]

I have a big essay somewhere on Interference whihc i did abou a month or two ago that basically says that the last verse of Kite is good and fits with the rest of the song

Bono said it was a time signature.

I see the song as a deep universal thought of love for those who have departed. It's really a great song and it just gets clunky on that verse. Imagine "One" with a verse mentioning flannel shirts, gansta rap and goatees or something flippant as a signature of the time it was written.

I just think it is a song meant to be taken seriously and that verse leads you to think uh.....this is fluff.

 

[Zoots]

Imagine "One" with a verse mentioning flannel shirts, gansta rap and goatees or something flippant as a signature of the time it was written.

Ugh... that would be horrible! I see what you're saying.

I never liked those verses from the get go...actually including the 'life should be fragrant, rooftop to the basement' line.

 

[LyricalDrug]

"The air is heavy, heavy as a truck"

That is really bad. I love Bono of course, but some other terrible lines:

"You left my heart as empty as a vacant lot" [vacant means empty, Bono]

"Freedom has a scent / like the top of a newborn baby's head" [too Oprah and cheezy]

"Some things you shouldn't get too good at / like crying, smiling, and celebrity" [also too Hallmark card-ish and cheezy]

 

[LyricalDrug]

How could someone highlight 'intellectual tortoise' over the dozen clumsy lines on HTDAAB? That line from ABOY is excellent. One of his best thoughts on the whole album, which is lyrically Bono's worst, IMO.

HTDAAB is definitely Bono's worst lyrical performance, agreed. The lyrics are pretty shoddy -- it's as if he just emailed them in at the end.

No wonder Adam says all Bono's politicking adventures put a strain on the band's relationships.

 

[jonnytakeawalk]

What about 'party girl?' No one ever seems to mention party girl when a 'worst u2 lyric thread' comes up,

'I know a boy, a boy called trash, trash can,
I know he does all he can, wham bam!'

awful

 

[YBORCITY]

Staring at the Sun


There's an insect in your ear......

That whole verse is kinda to me.

Don't get me wrong I REALLY love that song but that part of the song just pisses me off!!!!

 

[LemonMelon]

That is really bad. I love Bono of course, but some other terrible lines:

"You left my heart as empty as a vacant lot" [vacant means empty, Bono] <----I like that one.

"Freedom has a scent / like the top of a newborn baby's head" [too Oprah and cheezy] <----I don't know, it's cool I guess.

"Some things you shouldn't get too good at / like crying, smiling, and celebrity" [also too Hallmark card-ish and cheezy] <----- That, and it sucks horribly.

 

[Chizip]

To sing this song makes me angry
I'm not angry with you
Is that all
Is that all

To sing this song makes me happy
I'm not happy with you
Is that all

To sing this song makes me dance
Is that all
Is that all
Is that all
Is that all you want from me
Is that all
Is that all

 

[U2Man]

 

[cobl04]

I agree with the comments reagrading Kite, I dedicated it to my late grandfather but that last verse doesn't really fit in.

But it is still my third favourite U2 song.

The lyrics to 40 have always annoyed because there isn't many. You've got the 'I waited patiently for the lord' verse, but after its mostly just 'I will sing, sing a new song'.

HTDAAB's lyrics have always bugged me sort of as well. Some of them are obvious, some are stupid, some are actually pretty good. I love LAPOE, but never really liked the title.

OOTS is good but only has two verses which are three lines each -

Baby slow down
The end is not as fun as the start
Please stay a child somewhere in your heart

and

Some things you shouldn't get too good at
Like smiling crying and celebrity
Some people got way too much confidence baby

The rest is filled with 'and you feel like no one before...'

The newborn baby's head has always annoyed me as well.

And I don't get 'I don't wanna see you smile'

 

[Meghan]

I was never too fond of:

"Weather 'round here choppin', changin',
Surgery in the air."

How the hell does surgery get in the air?
And speaking of Miami, there's always

"Some places are like your aunty,
But there's no place like Miami. My Mammy."

 

[Ellay]

What about 'party girl?' No one ever seems to mention party girl when a 'worst u2 lyric thread' comes up,

'I know a boy, a boy called trash, trash can,
I know he does all he can, wham bam!'

awful

Ha - I really like party girl - 'you know what I mean'

Not so keen on tortoises, babies heads or the sight of a puppy though.