Screwtape2 said:
Exactly, ISHFWILF doesn't hold up over long term listening. WOWY, Streets and Bad work because they are vague lyrically and so they apt to have a deeper meaning for a listener. Songs like ISHFWILF, Vertigo and Beautiful Day don't or won't survive constant listening because they are so superficial lyrically.
I disagree with everything single letter you wrote.
Seriously, I find your words rather odd.
"I Still..." holds up VERY well after repeated listening. I'm not even a huge JT fan, but even I still feel this way, almost 20 years after JT was released. There's a reason the song became a huge hit and is still loved in concert.
"Vague lyrically" is a really condescending and a very roundabout compliment. I would say these songs, like just about all of Bono's lyrics, are more open to interpretation. But really, lyrics only go so far - it's the music and passion of these songs. On the album, WOWY is perhaps U2/Bono at their most passionate. In concert, U2 have clearly changed how they perform WOWY. In the JT/R&H era, it was this passionate ballad with roaring Bono vocals. But that gets old fast. The song is open to interpretation and I'd be disappointed if U2 performed it the same way now as they did in 1988. So while WOWY is still this passionate ballad, Bono has made it more soulful, writhing around on stage floor with a woman or dancing slowly with her while singing. The focus shifted away from passionate singing to passionate actions. For this reason, many fans don't like it - they can't see, only hear. They hear the JT era boots and feel U2 aren't as passionate, when that's not true.
This brings my to your comments on lyrics. WOWY is a great example of VERY simple lyrics. You attack "Beautiful Day", which I feel is one of Bono's best lyrical songs as that is open to interpreation (why is it a beautiful day? what happened to that person to have this revelation? what does beautiful day really mean?), yet indirectly imply that WOWY is some lyrical masterpiece. I don't get it. "Beautiful Day" is a song about personal salvation as well as recognizing the beauty in the world as a whole. "Vertigo" is more like WOWY in that the lyrics are "vague", to use your term, but it still open to interpretation. Who is dizzy and why? Who is being saved and by whom? Plus, "Vertigo" is just a great rocking song. The best lyrics in the world won't work if the song doesn't inspire people. Great music can overcome simpler lyrics (not that I find any lyrics here "simple"), but great lyrics rarely overcome uninspiring music.
An outstanding song will always remain popular in concert. Just look at "Discotheque" - it originally captured the public's attention, but very quickly faded. People still love the hook, but this song just doesn't get the crowd roaring. In contrast, "Streets", "WOWY", "One", Beautiful Day", "Bad" and "Vertigo" do. So whether you prefer the album version, an old live version or a recent live version, these songs will remain classics with fans.
Can't say I enjoy that one anymore.
