Anyone else like/not hate THTBA?

[UnforgettableLemon]

I really don't think "The Hands that Built America" was such a bad song. I think putting it on the Best of was a bad move, but it doesn't make me dislike the song in and of itself. I absolutely loved "Gangs of New York", though, and that may have something to do with it. Anyway, I think this is one of those songs where mood and sentiment are what make the song more than the lyrics. Also, the soundtrack version pisses all over the Best of version.

 

[one4u2]

I that song

 

[Pearl]

Me too

 

[U2One]

there are VERY FEW U2 songs that i don't like, and this is definitely not one of them

 

[bonosloveslave]

Soundtrack version is definitely the best - I can't believe they let the horrific off-key version be played along with the video they made for it

 

[dsmith2904]

I think that's one of U2's poorest songs. The first time I heard I thought the band must have been given some kind of checklist for Oscar-winning songs. It was so over-the-top and formulaic. Even though I spent the day after the Oscars with a bunch of U2 fans who were talking about how the band got robbed, I was glad Eminem won, his song was fantastic and U2's was really poor. Hopefully there's still time for U2 to write a complete fantastic soundtrack cut with enough wide appeal to garner another Oscar nod and, maybe even, win.

 

[Bonochick]

I think it's beautiful.

 

[madonna's child]

I don't care for it, but it's not horrible. I agree that it shouldn't have been on the Best Of. There were much better choices.

*cough* The Fly *cough*

 

[WinnieThePoo]

good enough for b-side

 

[e edge]

i really really didn't like the film (though i like m.scorsese very much, so i was disappointed a lot) and the song was the only thing about it that i considered as v. good. i think it's great

 

[oceane]

Unfortunately, I think this song might be the only crap song U2 ever recorded. Seriously, although there are many U2 songs that are just ok and not mind-blowing, this one is probably the only one I would qualify as 'bad'.

I also felt they shouldn't have won an Oscar for this, and I wasn't surprised when Eminem got it instead. I agree his song was way better! THTBA is the most boring, commercial song they've ever released. It got me slightly worried about the direction they were taking musically when I first heard it... Fortunately, the new songs are nothing like that!

 

[Zoomerang96]

another song about america. no offense americans, i'm just tired of hearing bono sing about you guys all the time.

not to mention the music is really uninspired.

 

[namkcuR]

It's a good song, Bono shines vocally. I'd rather have it on the Best Of than on the new record.

 

[dandy]

eehhh... it's certainly not my favourite, to say the least.

 

[Numb1075]

Me Gusta

 

[drivemytrabant]

Soundtrack version is definitely the best

Bingo--I didn't really like the song until I got the soundtrack version.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

I really don't like it.

 

[ryanu23]

Everybody talks about the worse song this the worse song that...I thought it was common consensus that 'Red Light' was the bottom of the U2 barrel...

 

[Squishy Peanut]

I really like THTBA I thought it was perfect over the end of the movie...it gave me goosebumps!

 

[bcrt2000]

I really like THTBA I thought it was perfect over the end of the movie...it gave me goosebumps!

that movie was perverted, i stopped watching about 2/3 through because it was all topless women in every scene after the halfway point...

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

I find this song very boring.

 

[wolfeden]

I never saw the movie.

The song is haunting, beautiful, achingly sad.
Makes my hair stand on end, esp. the line "it's early fall... there's a cloud on the New York skyline..."

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

that movie was perverted, i stopped watching about 2/3 through because it was all topless women in every scene after the halfway point...

It eventually stops. Nudity doesn't really bother me, but it wasn't my draw to the movie, either. Daniel Day-Lewis is an AMAZING actor.

 

[Teta040]

It worked fantastic in the film it was in. Using it for the "NYC skyline" montage at the end of GONY was brilliant. I couldn't help thinking how Edge couldn't write string sections in the 80's so they hired John Paul Jones of Zeppelin fame to co-write All I Want Is You, and here was Edge now writing a great string section for this one, and it works very well. Very evocative.

And anybody who think Em deserved the Oscar is full of it. He told everybody long before he wasn't coming, and he didn't. In the acting categories such behavior usually costs you the Oscar, no matter how much you were in favor before. I follow the Oscars every year and this is true.

 

[-macphisto-]

Its a Great song, I love it, it's probably there best song ever created, it hope its on the best of 2000-2010

 

[RickFly]

its a great song. not one of there best but a great song.

 

[Cask]

Its a Great song, I love it, it's probably there best song ever created, it hope its on the best of 2000-2010

It would be kinda hard for it to be on that best of, since it already was on 1990-2000, so "probably" there are slim chances of it appearing there. Hehe anyway I like the song, altough it is the weakest of their soundtrack songs, not even close to HMTMKMKM or The Ground beneath her feet.

 

[bcrt2000]

the reason why THTBA was on the best of 1990-2000 is probably because martin scorscese told bono to write him a song 10 years ago for the movie idea he had, and they probably wrote it sometime in the last 5-6 years... and electrical storm was from the ATYCLB sessions but it really didn't fit on that album.. although i have a feeling it would have fit nicely on HTDAAB.. too bad they wasted it

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

Yeah, scorsese worked on that movie on and off for about 25 years

 

[Macfistowannabe]

another song about america. no offense americans, i'm just tired of hearing bono sing about you guys all the time.

I don't mind how much he talks about us during interviews or anything, but in a way, you're right. The guy is obsessed, but at least he admits it.

While I might admit that it's surely not the most amusing song in the world, I would like to see Bono and Edge do maybe half of it for a duet in concert, I think that would resurrect it a little. I won't be let down at all if they don't play it live, because they've got plenty of great material to work with.