I can't believe people don't like One Step Closer.

[Axver]

Well, I can believe it if we're talking about the Linkin Park song. But we're not.

This is simply one of the most beautiful songs U2 have ever made. It's a rightful member of the class of songs populated by stunning numbers such as The First Time and Running To Stand Still. Go listen to it with headphones on - the music is so gorgeous and the atmosphere rich in beauty.

This song gets better every time I listen to it.

 

[SeattleVertigo]

I've loved it from the beginning!

 

[impy13]

I definitely with you on this one, Axver.

 

[MsMofoGone]

I can honestly say that I like this song alot more than some of the other songs off 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.'

 

[Zoots]

I don't know if it's on par with Running To Stand Still but it is a pretty good track! Doesn't deserve any bashing.

 

[Aygo]

I'm with you Axver! I like One Step Closer. It has one of the most beautiful and contemplative lyrics of the band. Just because it is slow, a bit mellow and not much heavy, doesn not mean it's a bad song.

 

[Shaliz]

This is a beautiful song! I wholeheartedly agree with you on this one. I've never understood the criticism. The lyrics are complex and beautiful and the music is a perfect fit.

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

I love the song. I would love if they played it after Bullet live.

 

[doctorwho]

I can honestly say that I like this song alot more than some of the other songs off 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.'

Sadly, I'm the complete opposite - I feel it is the weakest song on the album. I feel U2 has done this type of song many times before and done it better then as well. It's an interesting song, but best left for a b-side. I feel it really pulls the album down, after some rocking, innovative and classic U2 sounds.

 

[Axver]

Sadly, I'm the complete opposite - I feel it is the weakest song on the album. I feel U2 has done this type of song many times before and done it better then as well. It's an interesting song, but best left for a b-side. I feel it really pulls the album down, after some rocking, innovative and classic U2 sounds.

I'd beg to differ. Rather than bringing the album down, I think One Step Closer works to cohesively link Crumbs to OOTS. I've thought this from the very first time I played the album: those three songs have the best flow of any grouping of three songs on the entire album. Indeed, the entire AMAAW --> Yahweh flow is FAR better than Vertigo --> ABOY.

 

[Axver]

I'm with you Axver! I like One Step Closer. It has one of the most beautiful and contemplative lyrics of the band. Just because it is slow, a bit mellow and not much heavy, doesn not mean it's a bad song.

I really have wondered if that's why some people bash One Step Closer. They demand Fly-esque rock and when they don't get it, they won't appreciate what they do get.

Honestly, I don't understand how some people can worship songs such as RTSS, So Cruel, North And South Of The River, Stateless, and especially The First Time, and then hate the ATYCLB/HTDAAB soft songs such as Grace and One Step Closer unless they have some kind of loathing of the entire era that blinds their judgement.

 

[Zoots]

Honestly, I don't understand how some people can worship songs such as RTSS, So Cruel, North And South Of The River, Stateless, and especially The First Time, and then hate the ATYCLB/HTDAAB soft songs such as Grace and One Step Closer unless they have some kind of loathing of the entire era that blinds their judgement.

The difference you don't see is in the lyrics. The lyrics of RTSS, So Cruel, Stateless and The First Time are much much better than the trite rhyming schemes of Grace. One Step Closer at least has some decent lyrics.

 

[Jack In The Box]

is boring, too slow... what? it's the worst track off HTDAAB

 

[Axver]

The difference you don't see is in the lyrics. The lyrics of RTSS, So Cruel, Stateless and The First Time are much much better than the trite rhyming schemes of Grace. One Step Closer at least has some decent lyrics.

I thought about that as I posted and I completely disagree, especially on the First Time count. "I have a lover, a lover like no other"? Yeah, genius.

We all know Bono isn't the best lyricist in history - a lot of the greatness of U2's lyrics comes from the delivery. It seems some people selectively choose what lyrics to criticise, though.

I actually think Grace has some great lines, though, especially:

What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings

 

[Axver]

is boring, too slow... what? it's the worst track off HTDAAB

Why is it boring?

Define 'too slow'. I presume you like at least one of the following songs: October, Promenade, MLK, Running To Stand Still, Mothers Of The Disappeared, Van Diemen's Land, So Cruel, The First Time, North And South Of The River, Stateless, Grace. They would all be considered to be 'slow' songs. Why is One Step Closer 'too slow' when those you like in the aforementioned list aren't? Why do you cast 'slow' as being a bad song attribute?

(This is not meant to be an attack. I'd like to understand your point of view, which is why I just asked those questions rather than saying something dumb like "OMFZ u hav no klu!!!!!1!!1!!11")

 

[Zoots]

I thought about that as I posted and I completely disagree, especially on the First Time count. "I have a lover, a lover like no other"? Yeah, genius.

We all know Bono isn't the best lyricist in history - a lot of the greatness of U2's lyrics comes from the delivery. It seems some people selectively choose what lyrics to criticise, though.

I actually think Grace has some great lines, though, especially:

What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings

who is being selective now??? Okay forget First Time.. do you agree that RTSS, So Cruel and Stateless have better lyrics than Grace?

Also... sure, pick an ordinary line from First Time and a good one from Grace (which is rare) and compare the two! It's like comparing that one bad line from Trying To Throw Your Arms with that one good line from Wild Honey and saying WH is better.

 

[phanan]

I'm not that big of a fan of One Step Closer. It's not that it is a quiet song, because I love slow ones like The First Time and Miss Sarajevo. But for some reason the melody of this song doesn't do much for me, and the song itself just doesn't really go anywhere - it just kind of meanders there while waiting for Original Of The Species to begin.

As for the flow of the album, take out One Step Closer and you'll see that Crumbs goes into Species quite nicely. There's really no need for it.

 

[namkcuR]

Axver: Pot, Kettle, Black. You're being selective yourself while calling others selective. That's one line from The First Time. What about this?

She gave me colours when there's none to see
She gave me hope when I couldn't believe
That for the first time
I feel love

That said, I don't think the lyrics of OSC or Grace are horrible, either.

 

[Axver]

who is being selective now??? Okay forget First Time.. do you agree that RTSS, So Cruel and Stateless have better lyrics than Grace?

Also... sure, pick an ordinary line from First Time and a good one from Grace (which is rare) and compare the two! It's like comparing that one bad line from Trying To Throw Your Arms with that one good line from Wild Honey and saying WH is better.

As I said, I think Grace has fantastic lyrics on the whole - a few lines let it down, but the song isn't a five minute loop of "Grace, it's a name for a girl, it's also a thought that changed the world". I actually think it's a pretty good elaboration on the concept of grace put to some beautiful bass-driven music.

I don't want to appear to bash The First Time as I love that song and was over the moon when U2 debuted it in Chicago. I don't believe it's some of Bono's best lyrics, though. The "lover" and "brother" verses certainly are not examples of Bono's best work.

RTSS and So Cruel, on the other hand? RTSS may have some of the best lyrics you'll ever find - and not just by Bono. Same goes for So Cruel, and is the only reason why I kept trying to listen to that song (I initially didn't like it one bit, but those lyrics kept a spark alive). I certainly would not dare say Grace or One Step Closer are on the lyrical level of those two.

 

[Jack In The Box]

I understand is not an attack

well, I find it boring because it doesn't transmit me any emotions, I can listen to it and it's the same if I'm not listening to it

I like 'slow' songs, but the beat of this one it's just flat and doesn't have textures (that makes the song boring to me)

that's it, it's a cute song maybe, but they can do it much better

 

[Axver]

Axver: Pot, Kettle, Black. You're being selective yourself while calling others selective. That's one line from The First Time. What about this?

She gave me colours when there's none to see
She gave me hope when I couldn't believe
That for the first time
I feel love

That said, I don't think the lyrics of OSC or Grace are horrible, either.

I did not mean to appear selective - I simply didn't want to quote whole songs. The line from First Time was meant to be an example only that it isn't the pinnacle of brilliant lyricism like, say, RTSS is, and I simply quoted the Grace lyrics because I really love those lines.

First Time, lyrically, is a bit up and down in my opinion. Some great lines, especially "and I threw away the key" (really makes me think), and some poor lines. The individual quality isn't what matters, though - it's whether or not they work together cohesively to serve the song's purpose and whether the whole is, at the end of the day, good. I'm sure you would agree that that's true for First Time and I believe it's true for Grace and One Step Closer too.

 

[Axver]

I understand is not an attack

well, I find it boring because it doesn't transmit me any emotions, I can listen to it and it's the same if I'm not listening to it

I like 'slow' songs, but the beat of this one it's just flat and doesn't have textures (that makes the song boring to me)

that's it, it's a cute song maybe, but they can do it much better

Alright, fair enough.

I actually find quite a lot of emotion in the song, but that's the thing with emotion - different things cause different people to feel different emotions. Could I say 'different' any more times?

 

[shart1780]

I think it's a great song. I've always thought of it as The First Time's little brother. It's very relaxing and ambient and just... ahhhh. It's the kind of song I'd love to listen to while driving my car in the rain. It's a "blue" song (which are my favorite kind). It goes along great with songs like The First Time, Your Blue Room, Stateless, Slug and Neon Lights. I should make a CD of just these nice, relaxing, ambient songs.... ahhh...

Yup an awesome song. Not the kind I listen to all the time though, but when I'm in the mood it is just GREAT. Very good lyrics too. I do have one complaint though. I think it would have been alot better if they developed the end into something more. When I first heard it my blood was pumping as the drums starting getting louder. I was expecting a finale that would blow me away but then it just cut out

I still love it though

 

[caragriff]

bono has said this song is about his dad losing his faith near the end of his life, so it certainly has a lot of emotion in its back story...
i think it's beautiful. i love the slide guitar part and the rhythmic drumming.
i would love to hear them play it live, even as a snippet/intro to something else.

 

[MsMofoGone]

I feel it really pulls the album down, after some rocking, innovative and classic U2 sounds.

Well, it's true One Step Closer may be a less rockin', mellower song. But, the song is GREAT because of the overall emotion that is definitely there in the lyrics of that song ...

 

[Popmartijn]

bono has said this song is about his dad losing his faith near the end of his life, so it certainly has a lot of emotion in its back story...
i think it's beautiful. i love the slide guitar part and the rhythmic drumming.
i would love to hear them play it live, even as a snippet/intro to something else.

One Step Closer, together with All Because Of You, is the best song on HTDAAB. I love the lyrics and the contemplative mood (because it's NOT mellow) totally suits that song and makes it stand out on the album. And yes, I would love to hear them play it live, especially in Boston in December!

And BTW, Grace is indeed also a great song (with a nice mellow mood )

 

[Aardvark747]

I like u2 ending on a slow, relective kind of song. Grace was a superb song to end ATYCLB & I reckon OSC should've ended the latest album. Anyway, I love the song!

 

[tommyvill]

Same here,
Hooray for One step closer!!!
Tom

 

[roy]

One Step Closer is a beautiful song. I loved it from the 1st time I heard it.

 

[Miringeltje]

I like One Step Closer too.
Especially these lyrics:

"I’m on an island
at a busy intersection
I can’t go forward,
I can’t turn back."

I can so picture myself standing there.
Stuck.
While traffic is flashing by.

I swear I could have written it myself.

I like the text after that too:

"Can’t see the future
It’s getting away from me
I just watch the tail lights glowing"


And these two lines in the beginning of the song:

"I’m under a bridge in a rip tide
That’s taken everything I own"

have me thinking about hurricane Katrina and Rita and it's victims, everytime I hear the song.

And the "One step closer to knowing" lines after that are comforting me.