I miss Every Breaking Wave

[last unicorn]

Last night I listened to a compilation of "special" U2 songs from several legs of the 360 tour on headphones and to the live performance of Every Breaking Wave from the Vienna concert in 2010. It's my hometown and I have so many fond memories attached to this show and to the European shows I saw in 2009 and 2010 in general. I truly miss the new, unreleased and often unfinished songs that U2 used to play at these shows, even - or maybe because - there were some really "rough" versions. I especially miss Every Breaking Wave and I'm sad it disappeared and wasn't played again, while North Star surfaced now and then as the tour moved on. EBW is such a beautiful song, it's simple beauty just struck me and I feel a true personal and emotional connection to this song. I've been going through an emotional very challenging time at the moment, due to personal stuff that's been going on for some time now, and I listening to this song brought tears to my eyes, but also provided me with comfort. I'll never forget the moment they started to play this song on a rather cold and windy late August night here in my hometown.

Why did they drop the song and never performed it again? What would it sound like if it were "finished"? What is going to happen to the song? I hope it appears on a new album, but at the same time I'm a little scared that a studio version doesn't have the magic and beauty that the live version has for me.

Btw, I've never been a fan of North Star, it's an ok song, and from all the new, unreleased and possibly unfinished stuff U2 has played throughout the tour I enjoyed EBW the most, its's such a rarity, a real jewel, beautiful and simple and still touching, in a way that only U2 are able to achieve it.

 

[nirniva]

Such a great song.

I still hope it gets a proper album release, either as part of SOA or the Danger Mouse album.

 

[mikal]

yeah, this was really the only new song played that caught my eye. it's a shame that it was left off of NLOTH while SUC makes the cut.

 

[Gabi_Clayton]

I love all new songs that U2 played during European leg in 2010 ... Every Breaking Wave is beautiful, I love the version from Vienna because I've been there and it was my first U2 concert. It brings back memories.

 

[JoRu]

Yup, Every Breaking Wave was the one song of the ones that were played that really caught my attention. North Star felt kind of meh, Mercy had already surfaced in another (IMHO, superior) version so the magic of that song was kind of lost when I unconsciously had to compare them, and Stingray was more a intro (although a very cool one) than a full song. EBW was the only song I truly liked. Beautiful song with beautiful lyrics. With the right production it could be something really special.

 

[digitize]

EBW and BFFTS were the two new songs that I really, really liked. I also liked North Star, but not as much. I was never a huge fan of Glastonbury, though it started to grow on me at the end - funny that it never was played for the festival. Mercy was, in my opinion, okay, but far inferior to the original.

 

[Harry Vest]

Has the potential to be one of the bands best songs in the last 20 years. Can't believe they'd pick North Star over Every Breaking Wave...sometimes I really wonder about their judgement?

 

[silkensky]

I can only dream of a studio version of this beautiful song. If Bono can write something like EBW at this stage, then I have no doubt there's still much to be mined. God knows what else they got locked away...

 

[Rachel D.]

EBW is my favorite "new" song. I hope it's on the next album.

 

[Harry Vest]

EBW is my favorite "new" song. I hope it's on the next album.

If it's not they've completely lost their minds!!

 

[last unicorn]

I hope they don't mess around with it too much for the next album.

Didn't Lanois (or was it someone else?) say that Bono thought the song lacked a chorus and therefore it wasn't included on NLOTH?

 

[U2lunatic]

I think I can say the same thing about this song as Last Unicorn. EBW was the song of my past autumn and helped me to keep my head above water emotionally during that period. This is the song that takes me back in memories to last year's gigs... btw. hi Silvia

 

[last unicorn]

Hi

sorry it took me so long to come back and sorry I never answered.

I hope you're alright. Just pm me if you like.

And EBW means an awful lot to me, too.

 

[Notabene]

Beautiful song only get to listen to it while on youtube. Wishes I had an audio version of it.


Like you said.. I too love hearing the unreleased and often unfinished songs, something so real about them, even though they may be rough it's that roughness that makes them so unique I think. Hopefully if & when the song comes out of the studio they leave it the way they played it on tour. I don't think they need to change a single thing about it. It is lovely the way it is!

 

[digitize]

I hope they don't mess around with it too much for the next album.

Didn't Lanois (or was it someone else?) say that Bono thought the song lacked a chorus and therefore it wasn't included on NLOTH?

That was Steve Lillywhite (surprise!).

 

[last unicorn]

So Lillywhite said it had no chorus? Ok, no surprise here really. Hopefully it will see the light of day sooner or later, the song has been discussed for years now.

 

[digitize]

So Lillywhite said it had no chorus? Ok, no surprise here really. Hopefully it will see the light of day sooner or later, the song has been discussed for years now.

I believe he was the one who said it, yes, and it's less than surprising. It could have been a really pretty addition to the second half of No Line, I think, but I just hope it gets used somehow.