The one song that EVERY U2 fan loves

[Axver]

In what universe are "Did you come here to play Jesus/to the lepers in your head?" bad lyrics?

That's a good line, true.

Not to mention the whole "Love is a temple/love the higher law/you ask me to enter/and then you make me crawl" part?

Blah, nothing special there. Not even remotely on the level of the Fly lyric I quoted.

And this ridiculous "you don't really hate One, you've just heard it too much, you want to be an elitist fan and hate it because it's a popular casual fan song" blather needs to stop because it's simply untrue. Yes, some people DO hate One, it's not as improbable as some folk here might think. I've already explained that I think it fails on all levels. And while I do favour many of the obscure songs, the majority (3 out of 5) of my five favourite U2 songs are on Best Ofs (Streets, Bad, UF). I like what I like, I dislike what I dislike, and I don't give a damn if that means I like something popular or unpopular, as a song's measure of popularity has nothing to do with how I perceive its quality.

 

[LMP]

This whole thread is bogus

everyone has their own opinions and it would be virtually impossible to find one song everyone likes.

All this thread does is start a big debate on whether "you're a true fan" or "an elitist".

I would post a Richard Simmons picture, but I've already posted 2 cheesy pictures in 5 minutes.

 

[Achtung_Bebe]

I would post a Richard Simmons picture, but I've already posted 2 cheesy pictures in 5 minutes.

your avatar should count as a 3rd cheesy pic j/k (sorta)

Obviously nothing will be agreed upon 100%; however, I have enjoyed reading through this thread and do feel there can be an acceptable level of agreement on atleast one U2 song, I have faith!

I cannot recall if Please has been suggested... I don't feel it gets knocked very often.

Like many others in this thread, my first thought was WTSHNN.

 

[zepher25]

beautiful day, i will follow and pride(in the name of love) would be the ones i go for, simply beacuse they have all been played at virtually every concert since their release, ok given beautiful day has only been around for 2 tours but its still an awsome song

 

[kimby]

Sorry! It's okay, live. Does that help?

Yep!

 

[U2girl]

You dislike:

Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief
All kill their inspiration and sing about their grief

Yep, along with pretty much the rest of the lyrics.
The song just strikes me as Bono trying particularly hard to write a cool/clever lyric, but coming across as way too smart-ass for his own good. That said, it rocks live and it has the best Edge riff ever.
None of that will stop others from enjoying the song, I'm sure.

at your hate for One.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Yep, along with pretty much the rest of the lyrics.
The song just strikes me as Bono trying particularly hard to write a cool/clever lyric, but coming across as way too smart-ass for his own good. That said, it rocks live and it has the best Edge riff ever.
None of that will stop others from enjoying the song, I'm sure.

at your hate for One.

Really? Even in the context of, I guess, 'where' the story is being told from, in place and time and what it is meant to follow? I think it is very clever and I'm not sure which parts of the lyric are supposed to be him attempting smart arse/cool. Don't mind if you don't like it or it doesn't do much for you though, just don't 'get' the smart arse/cool reference. Anyway...

 

[U2girl]

By context, you mean the whole AB story of broken relationship, "phone call from hell" etc? Yes, context included I still dislike the lyrics.

How can I explain something if you don't see it that way?

 

[phillyfan26]

You said yourself, it rocks live, so it stays on under the rule maycocksean put in place.

 

[Peterrrrr]

Bad, WTSHNN,Wild Irsih,Rose,One,Acrobat,LIB,Vertigo,SYCMIOYO
,Mercy

 

[vaz02]

Vertigo,SYCMIOYO aint too popular round these parts i dont think.

Fast cars anyone ?

 

[annie_vox]

What about Love Is Blindness? I don't think it is possible not to like it... Lyricaly and instrumentaly, I think it's almost perfect...

 

[ntalwar]

This whole thread is bogus

everyone has their own opinions and it would be virtually impossible to find one song everyone likes.

I think the thread has been a good discovery exercise to see if a consensus exists among U2 fans.

It would be interesting to see the same type of thread on an equivalent Beatles or Pink Floyd message board, and see if there is consensus. For some reason, I feel that there would be more consensus there.

 

[psychou2fan]

How about Electrical Storm? I like Love is Blindness too.

 

[Peterrrrr]

It mus be Bad, I think I never heard a someone said the he/she don't like it.

 

[FitzChivalry]

Stay
The Fly
Beautiful Day
40
Eleven O'Clock Tick Tock

Ok, so back to the thrust of this thread. I think Phillyfan26 was keeping tally. Did these all get knocked off?

Strange that, by a band so beloved by its fans, so many songs are HATED by the ones that love them the most. Crazy.

I'm sticking with "Where The Streets Have No Name", "Bad". And nuttin's gonna change my mind.

Peace out U2 fans.

 

[phillyfan26]

To all that are making suggestions, they seem to have been made and knocked off already. If it's been knocked off already, please don't keep saying it over and over again!

Bad has been knocked off.

Now I must search back and make a tally.

 

[phillyfan26]

Streets is off due to zepher, so...

40
11 O'Clock Tick Tock
The Fly

 

[LemonMelon]

Until The End Of The World. It's unslaggable.

BTW, I hate:

Love Is Blindness
Bad (studio, live it's brilliant)
WGRYWH

So those need to go.

 

[Bono's shades]

Has anyone slagged One Tree Hill yet? I would find it shocking if they did, but apparently some people hate One, Streets, Stay and The Fly, so I guess nothing is shocking anymore.

 

[ntalwar]

Streets is off due to zepher, so...

40
11 O'Clock Tick Tock
The Fly

The Fly was put down already, as was UTEOTW, and One Tree Hill (in another thread).

So that leaves us with 40 and 11 O'Clock Tick Tock. 11 O'Clock Tick Tock is not played live much anymore (maybe U2 know something we don't), so that leaves us with just 40. But when you mention 40, not many people get excited.

 

[phillyfan26]

Until The End Of The World. It's unslaggable.

BTW, I hate:

Love Is Blindness
Bad (studio, live it's brilliant)
WGRYWH

So those need to go.

They weren't on ... I posted what is left already:

40
11 O'Clock Tick Tock

 

[LemonMelon]

11 O Clock is OK...I certianly don't love it.

40 is amazing.

 

[thankyou]

What about Love Is Blindness? I don't think it is possible not to like it... Lyricaly and instrumentaly, I think it's almost perfect...

 

[Peterrrrr]

Walk On
Kite
Ground Beneath Her Feat
IWF
OOC
SFB
The Electric Co.
Gloria
A Sort Of Homecoming
In God's Country
God Part II
Angel Of Harlem
Acrobat(If somebody don't like this song I want a realy good reason)
The First Time
Gone
Wake Up Dead Man
Please
When I Look At The World
Beautiful Day

 

[ntalwar]

Walk On
Kite
Ground Beneath Her Feat
IWF
OOC
SFB
The Electric Co.
Gloria
A Sort Of Homecoming
In God's Country
God Part II
Angel Of Harlem
Acrobat(If somebody don't like this song I want a realy good reason)
The First Time
Gone
Wake Up Dead Man
Please
When I Look At The World
Beautiful Day

Most of these have already been put down.
And some of the rest are rarely played live anymore.
I feel that U2 would not abandon a truly universally loved song.

 

[phillyfan26]

Most of these have already been put down.
And some of the rest are rarely played live anymore.
I feel that U2 would not abandon a truly universally loved song.

They do it often! A lot of their songs are well loved but only a few are still regulars:

I Will Follow
WTSHNN
WOWY
Bullet the Blue Sky
Running to Stand Still
Pride (In the Name of Love)
Sunday Bloody Sunday
The Fly

That's really it. And you can say that they haven't abandoned some really loved songs?

 

[ntalwar]

That's really it. And you can say that they haven't abandoned some really loved songs?

They've abandoned many of the songs I love (for multiple tours), but a lot of concert fans may not feel the same. A lot of the songs I thought were universally loved are apparently not after reading this thread, or maybe they are just less well known.

 

[phillyfan26]

They've abandoned many of the songs I love (for multiple tours), but a lot of concert fans may not feel the same. A lot of the songs I thought were universally loved are apparently not after reading this thread, or maybe they are just less well known.

None of their songs seem to be "universally loved." But the majority still matters, and I think the majority could have a different say.

 

[FitzChivalry]

I really like this thread and the different views it is bringing to light.

However, I though we cleared up that the thread should really be titled: "The ONE U2 song that every fan doesn't hate".

Why is there all this discussion about live versions? What does it matter which songs are still in the live lineup. The "winning" song is supposed to be from the fans' perspective, not which songs U2 believe to be fan favorites and therefore keep in the setlist tour after tour.