U2 songs Bono has written for Ali

[adam3000]

U2 songs Bono has written for Ali

Ok guys help me out here, what are the U2 songs Bono has written for Ali? And what is the evidence it's about Ali? I'll start it off

The Sweetest Thing
- "Blue-eyed boy meets a brown-eyed girl"
- written when Bono missed Ali's birthday while recording the Joshua Tree.
- Bono gave the rights to the song to Ali and she donated all the profits from the sale of the single to charity

Spanish Eyes
"I'll cross the world for green and gold
But it's those Spanish eyes
That get me home"

In a Little While
"She's mine
And I've know her since
Since you were a little girl
With Spanish eyes"

A Man and A Woman
"Brown eyed girl across the street
On rue Saint Divine
I thought this is the one for me
But she was already mine"

 

[xovonob now!]

thanks

 

[bcrt2000]

probably "All I Want Is You"

 

[SkeeK]

Luminous Times

 

[Dalton]

When I Look at the World
**During the last go round Bono said this song was written about her ability to look at the realities of the world and still be her.

 

[U2girl]

U2 songs Bono has written for Ali

Ok guys help me out here, what are the U2 songs Bono has written for Ali? And what is the evidence it's about Ali? I'll start it off

The Sweetest Thing
- "Blue-eyed boy meets a brown-eyed girl"
- written when Bono missed Ali's birthday while recording the Joshua Tree.
- Bono gave the rights to the song to Ali and she donated all the profits from the sale of the single to charity

Spanish Eyes
"I'll cross the world for green and gold
But it's those Spanish eyes
That get me home"

In a Little While
"She's mine
And I've know her since
Since you were a little girl
With Spanish eyes"

A Man and A Woman
"Brown eyed girl across the street
On rue Saint Divine
I thought this is the one for me
But she was already mine"

I think all of their love songs probably are linked to Ali.

Promenade, in their house there is a "spiral staircase"

Wild honey IMO, is about Ali.

 

[Dalton]

Re: Re: U2 songs Bono has written for Ali

I think all of their love songs probably are linked to Ali.

Promenade, in their house there is a "spiral staircase"

Wild honey IMO, is about Ali.

I thought Wild Honey was about Michael Jackson's pet monkey?

 

[adam3000]

I was looking for specific songs with actual ties to Ali. Not just general love songs.

 

[biff]

Definitely Promenade, about their life together in the Martello tower in Brae. I would also include Wild Honey, about their very early years together. (He was "stealing honey from a swarm of bees" as a reference to when he had a ton of girlfriends, and Ali is known to have said, "I don't want to be just one of Paul's girls, I want to be his only girl". Also, it's known that early on she played a sort of motherly role for him, she was his "shelter and his shade".)
I remember seeng a comment from him about how the actually straightforward love songs he has written for Ali will never see the light of day, as they would redden his face if he heard them on the radio (silly love songs, anyone?) and would produce projectile vomiting in anyone other than the woman for whom they were written.
He also has said that the best love songs must be bittersweet, so he always adds that element, though it's not autobiographical.

 

[adam3000]

Got another one:

Big Girls Are Best
About Ali when she was pregnant/gave birth to new baby Elijah?
"She's got the baby at her breast"

 

[adam3000]

Definitely Promenade, about their life together in the Martello tower in Brae. I would also include Wild Honey, about their very early years together. (He was "stealing honey from a swarm of bees" as a reference to when he had a ton of girlfriends, and Ali is known to have said, "I don't want to be just one of Paul's girls, I want to be his only girl". Also, it's known that early on she played a sort of motherly role for him, she was his "shelter and his shade".)
I remember seeng a comment from him about how the actually straightforward love songs he has written for Ali will never see the light of day, as they would redden his face if he heard them on the radio (silly love songs, anyone?) and would produce projectile vomiting in anyone other than the woman for whom they were written.
He also has said that the best love songs must be bittersweet, so he always adds that element, though it's not autobiographical.

wow. that's some cool knowledge.

 

[isabelle_guns]

I am sure that there are a lot of other songs written about ali that we nor BOno wants any of us to know.

 

[Liesje]

IMO the only ones written directly about her/their relationship are Promenade, Sweetest Thing, and Spanish Eyes. The others may contain references to Ali, but I think there's also a lot of speculation. Bono's said before that he doesn't like to write love songs or songs about his relationship.

 

[HyperU2]

Achtung Baby?

 

[adam3000]

Achtung Baby?

Achtung Baby was written about Edge's first wife (and their divorce (YIKES!)).

 

[dsmith2904]

I though "Walk to the Water" was written about Ali. "Two Hearts Beat as One" was written for Ali on their honeymoon.

 

[wolfeden]

There's references to her in lots of songs that aren't all about her either; witness In A Little While.. and currently I really have to wonder about A Man And A Woman.. in the face of all the affair talk over the years =P (blech, don't know and I don't WANT to either.....)
but he's openly (publicly) dedicated All I Want Is You, and Two Hearts... to her, that much I know.

 

[madonna's child]

I wonder how Ali feels when she hears U2 songs that she is obviously being referenced in? I mean, Bono's lyrics seem pretty obscure to me. If I heard Man and a Woman, I would be like "Excuse me, honey, what has been going on in that mind of yours? Have you contemplated romance instead of love!?"

But I'm sure Ali understands Bono on a level that none of us will ever understand. How else could they have made it this long?

 

[Keocmb]

He also has said that the best love songs must be bittersweet

That's really cool. I hadn't thought of that before though I had noticed that most of U2's "love songs" usually have that weird twist where I'm like "Aww. Oh, ouch. Wait, no... aww."

 

[Aardvark747]

Spanish Eyes is my fave about Ali....

 

[drumkeeran]

Having been in a loving relationship for over 22 years myself, I can vouch for the bittersweet part. You take it day by day with some wonderful, some not so wonderful, some awful...but they're all precious.

Bono writes reality in his own way.

 

[Jamila]

very well said, drumkeeran -

And I agree with Bono when he says that would never give up love to find romance.

Romance often has to do with the fantasy of love (the wine and the roses) which isn't bad, but often falls flat as two people struggle to live in the real world of their other's imperfections.

Love is beyond romance - it reaches for the welfare of the other sometimes at the expense of ourself. It is often not romantic, but ultimately more fulfilling and longlasting.

Romance stays stuck on the earth, True Love reaches for the realm of the Divine.

Bono knows this - and I honor him for bringing this difference to our attention.

Much Love and Respect due to Bono and Ali.

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU....

 

[elffriend]

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU....

I always though With or without you was about drugs, although the sentiments are the same when looking at love too!!!

 

[wolfeden]

Bono said that With Or Without You was about being in a band, and the decisions of how much of yourself to "give away", what's left of you for the people in your life after you give it away to the audience every night for months on end....

 

[elffriend]

Although songs have a profound meaning to Bono and the boys, we all put our own meaning on the lyrics and they become personal to our own lives.

 

[drumkeeran]

Definitely elffriend!!

I usually find quite a lot of relative thoughts from Bono's lyrics and the daily ups/downs of life, motherhood, marriage (Electrical Storm) and then on a more macro, global scale (Crumbs).

 

[Phi]

NEW YEARS DAY.


Its a love song, just doesn't come across as one.

 

[4EVRU2]

song meanings

Where do y'all find this information for the song meanings? I always inferred what I thought they meant, and reading some of your posts, I was right on some-- A man and... being about Ali, as well as Love is the sweetest..., but did not know about Spanish Eyes and all the rest! Interesting. I've always taken more of an interest in Bono's personal stance in his songs, and wondered if I would ever hear him speak of his marriage or see pics of Ali with him, etc. I love this whole site! I've learned so much...

 

[4EVRU2]

I found an interesting reference in Vertigo (I think) where Bono says right at the beginning, "Turn it up loud, Captain". I'm wondering if this is a reference to the guy they called captain, he was a DJ I believe back in their very early days, in Dublin? He was Dave Fanning I think? Anyone confirm/dispute?

 

[Liesje]

Re: song meanings

Where do y'all find this information for the song meanings?

The Into The Heart book describes every song through ATYCLB. However, I'm not sure how "official" the book is and take a lot of what it says with a grain of salt. There are quotes from band members and friends, but even Bono says that sometimes he either doesn't care to disclose what a song was actually about, or that he just kind of writes songs and they don't always have to have some specific meaning or autobiographical element to them.