Was that a new song?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
U2Lynne

U2Lynne

War Child
Joined
Nov 12, 2001
Messages
539
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Was that a new song in Nebraska?

I was watching/listening to Bono giving his speech in Nebraska tonight for World AIDs Day (great program/speech, btw). At the very end, he grabbed a guitar, walked over to the boom box and adjusted it, said something like 'this was not planned' and then said 'I'd like to introduce you to Larry, Adam and the Edge' and then he said something like 'this is a new song we have been working on with Dave Stewart' and then he started playing a song and all I could really hear was..... STATIC! I think he was saying 'and these are the hands' and so it *could* have been the live version of The Hands that Built America, but I don't know.

Did anyone else hear a clearer version of this song?
 
Last edited:
Oh, wait, a news article claimed that that was a new song! Let me go back to my damn mailbox and see what that was about. Be back shortly!!!
 
The press is claiming that this song is called "American Prayer". The source is the World Herald Bureau, which I'm not familiar with. It's tough to keep up with all of the names of the press organizations when you read as much U2 news as I do. :lol:
 
at guatemala.com there's a partial video of the event and they show bono playing and sing about 5 or 6 seconds of the new song.
was the whole song played on the webcast?
 
Last edited:
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa

sphere said:
at guatemala.com there's a partial video of the event and they show bono playing and sing about 2 or 3 seconds of the new song.
was the whole song played on the webcast?
Click to expand...

Yay! Thanks for the link!! Definitely something we haven't heard before :hyper:
 
sphere said:
at guatemala.com there's a partial video of the event and they show bono playing and sing about 2 or 3 seconds of the new song.
was the whole song played on the webcast?
Click to expand...

The whole song was *showed* being played, however the sound seemed to cut out (get real staticy) after just a couple of seconds. I'm thinking they did that deliberately so that we on the web couldn't record it and spread it all over.
 
sphere said:
at guatemala.com there's a partial video of the event and they show bono playing and sing about 5 or 6 seconds of the new song.
was the whole song played on the webcast?
Click to expand...


Yes! I just saw the video.
 
for shits sakes, this better not be another kiss americas ass song.

how many do we need?!

enough about america!!
 
relax bear, didn't you read the thread?

about all you could hear was static
so maybe they have finally decided to make a really experimental, adventurous (dare I say - Radiohead like) song
 
i would agree with the relax bit, salome, but the truth is, i wasnt really serious.

i havent even heard the song, in fact, almost noone has. new material is always nice.
 
I read somewhere that the song is inspired by african or it?s about african people struggling to survive, fighting against poverty and illnesses...can?t remember the source though. Of course it?s all about speculation for we don?t have the song avaiable to check. Btw, I liked what I heard. :up:
 
Zoomerang96 said:
for shits sakes, this better not be another kiss americas ass song.

how many do we need?!

enough about america!!
Click to expand...

I think those comments are highly inappropriate and uncalled for.

I was in the front row in the Lied Center on Sunday and hearing him sing that song with the African choir up on that stage was the most moving experience of my entire life. I cannot even begin to put into words the feeling in that building the other night.

I don't understand why you felt the need to make smart-ass comments about something you've never even heard. I think that's really disturbing especially considering the motives behind the song. Sunday was World AIDS Day, not New U2 Song Day.

For those who are genuinely interested in the song, I'll try and describe it as best as possible:

it was at the very end of the presentation. Bono said he had a new song he'd like to play. He went over to this CD player where there was a mic propped up in front of the speakers. He said he'd like us to meet Larry, Adam and Edge, and he pushed play. He was playing a very small guitar, pretty sure it was someone else's since it looked like he had signed it. He played and sang a bit by himself, he was pretty much singing over the demo CD. One line was, "Give me your tired, your poor and your huddled masses, you know they're yearning to be free....." The the rest of the group joined him and sang. Some of the African boys sang little solo lines. Some of the lines I remember were a part about "these are the hands" and all the kids on stage waved their hands, and then "this is the church" and the all made a steeple with their arms, and the final chorus, which was "If you get to the top of the mountain, will you tell me what you see?" repeated. It was truely the most powerful thing ever.

I don't believe this song was intended to be the next single, it almost sounded like it was written for the DATA events, it fit so perfectly.

There's a small clip at the end of this video:
http://www.theiowachannel.com/news/1814192/detail.html
 
LivLuvAndBootlegMusic said:


I think those comments are highly inappropriate and uncalled for.

I was in the front row in the Lied Center on Sunday and hearing him sing that song with the African choir up on that stage was the most moving experience of my entire life. I cannot even begin to put into words the feeling in that building the other night.

I don't understand why you felt the need to make smart-ass comments about something you've never even heard. I think that's really disturbing especially considering the motives behind the song. Sunday was World AIDS Day, not New U2 Song Day.

For those who are genuinely interested in the song, I'll try and describe it as best as possible:

it was at the very end of the presentation. Bono said he had a new song he'd like to play. He went over to this CD player where there was a mic propped up in front of the speakers. He said he'd like us to meet Larry, Adam and Edge, and he pushed play. He was playing a very small guitar, pretty sure it was someone else's since it looked like he had signed it. He played and sang a bit by himself, he was pretty much singing over the demo CD. One line was, "Give me your tired, your poor and your huddled masses, you know they're yearning to be free....." The the rest of the group joined him and sang. Some of the African boys sang little solo lines. Some of the lines I remember were a part about "these are the hands" and all the kids on stage waved their hands, and then "this is the church" and the all made a steeple with their arms, and the final chorus, which was "If you get to the top of the mountain, will you tell me what you see?" repeated. It was truely the most powerful thing ever.

I don't believe this song was intended to be the next single, it almost sounded like it was written for the DATA events, it fit so perfectly.

There's a small clip at the end of this video:
http://www.theiowachannel.com/news/1814192/detail.html
Click to expand...

:yes: That's a very good description.. Bono performed it last night, at the Iowa lecture which I went to. :) It reminded me a bit of Walk On, actually. I really liked it. It wasn't anything like the Hands That Built America, which I'm still not so keen on. :silent:

I doubt it will be released on a U2 album. Maybe as a single where the proceeds go to charity? :hmm:
 
I was at the Iowa lecture too, and I thought that the song would have been cheesy without the African choir singing along. Don't get me wrong...it worked wonderfully in the setting, but I definitely don't want to see a new U2 album full of songs like "American Prayer."
 
If U2 feel like putting this song on their next album, so be it. Maybe that will be the next single, as a charity song. I imagine that if there were African choirs singing along, then it's not meant as a U2 song. Although Bono did say the band recorded it. Who knows what will come of it? All I know is that whatever comes of it, it's gonna be great.

As for the guy who made the negative comments about ass-kissing America.....Fuck Off! People either like "Hands" or hate it, no problem there. But to criticize Bono for writing lyrics that he feels at the moment is rediculous. "Hands" was written for a movie, and the song reflects the mood of the movie.
 
so sorry to voice my opinion, an opinion which wasnt serious, and which was cleared at the top of the page.

i dont like the idea of bono singing at all while doing these things. i dont know why, but it just doesnt seem right. maybe its a new type of irony, i dunno.

but his foremost purpose is to get the word out for his cause, and i dont know if singing songs while at a lecture hall is the best way to gain support.

this isnt even an opinion, just a thought.


oh, and i do have an idea of what hands means...i know the history of it, and blah blah blah...
 
LivLuvAndBootlegMusic said:
For those who are genuinely interested in the song, I'll try and describe it as best as possible:

it was at the very end of the presentation. Bono said he had a new song he'd like to play. He went over to this CD player where there was a mic propped up in front of the speakers. He said he'd like us to meet Larry, Adam and Edge, and he pushed play. He was playing a very small guitar, pretty sure it was someone else's since it looked like he had signed it. He played and sang a bit by himself, he was pretty much singing over the demo CD. One line was, "Give me your tired, your poor and your huddled masses, you know they're yearning to be free....." The the rest of the group joined him and sang. Some of the African boys sang little solo lines. Some of the lines I remember were a part about "these are the hands" and all the kids on stage waved their hands, and then "this is the church" and the all made a steeple with their arms, and the final chorus, which was "If you get to the top of the mountain, will you tell me what you see?" repeated. It was truely the most powerful thing ever.

I don't believe this song was intended to be the next single, it almost sounded like it was written for the DATA events, it fit so perfectly.
Click to expand...

Thank you, nice description LivLuvAndBootlegMusic :up:

no need to bash the bear...he?s actually a very nice guy ;)
 
Sorry, but I have to agree with mug on this one. I LOVE U2 LOVE them, but these lyrics are not very good. They seem broken or something. No flow and hardly any ingenuitey. I like the direction Bono is going in with Electrical Storm, which I think is a wonderfully written lyric, but this is poor for his standards. Its probably still a work in progress though. Hopefully.:wave:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K
U2 Show Logistics Question/Theories
Replies
7
Views
749
lazarus
lazarus
Janet H
  • Sticky
Forum Update - We're back! Ask your questions here.
2
Replies
36
Views
2K
Popmartijn
Popmartijn
Z
Hello!
Replies
3
Views
825
zoo skis
Z
Headache in a Suitcase
  • Locked
Songs of Songs, Books & Fat Puns - New Album Discussion #8
33 34 35
Replies
1K
Views
53K
Headache in a Suitcase
Headache in a Suitcase
cobl04
Kiss the Future documentary
Replies
11
Views
3K
MrsSpringsteen
MrsSpringsteen

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom