What has U2 meant to you?

[daygloeyes2]

I apologize if this isn't the right forum or if there's already a similar thread.

U2 has meant so much to me in the 5 years I have been a fan. Obviously, their music has affected me a lot. It opened my eyes to different genres of music. Also, it has helped get me through some of the hardest moments of my life. From medical issues to dealing with a family member's drug addiction to
financial issues, their music has helped me through it. Seeing them in concert in 2005 and almost 2 weeks ago helped me get through rough patches I was dealing with.

U2 has influenced my spiritual beliefs. Religion had turned me off to the idea of God and spirituality. U2's lyrics showed me that you don't need to be a Christian or a Jew to believe in a higher power. To quote Bono, "Religion often gets in the way of God." And I understand people have different spiritual and religious beliefs, so I don't expect everyone to feel how I do.

Most importantly, I have made some amazing friends here thanks to U2. If I hadn't heard Pride on the radio one summer day in 2004 and decided to explore their music more, I would not have these people in my life. I feel lucky and honored to call them friends and I have U2 to thank for that.

So, what has U2 meant to you? How have they influenced/changed your life?

 

[The Sad Punk]

Cool.

 

[last unicorn]

I'm thinking a lot about this issue these days.

For me, they have mainly been one constant positive force in my life, they continue to lift me up, give me hope and always give me something to look forward to.

They came into my life when I really needed it and I feel that because of them my life has just become more positive.

Apart from that, I really enjoy their music, I love being "on the road", meeting people, getting to know new people. I love being part of a community.

 

[A stor]

I'm in the same age group as U2. So for me, it's like having the same good friend, that you met in college. Even though, I attend a Catholic church on a fairly regular basis. For spiritual reasons. I understand what Bono means about religion. Sometimes, it can get in the way of God. Especially, when it is use to harm another.

I hear U2 songs and think back to what was going on in my life at the time. Kite reminds me of my pop. God rest his soul. He died only a few months, after Bono lost his father.

 

[digitize]

A lot.

I'll write something more detailed when I have some time. I don't care people say - it's impossible for me not to feel a since of loyalty and pride to this band.

 

[gman]

Having been a HUGE fan since age 11 (1981), i have grown up with u2 and been through a lot with them, and they have stayed with me, through good and bad times, while others have come and gone. I have such an affection for the guys that is hard to describe.....its like they are close family members. I feel so proud of them, in the same way i do with my kids. Thats how much i think of em.

I often wonder if u2 realise just how much they mean to people and how much people like myself rely on them, only because nobody else has the abilty to touch me in the way they do.

 

[intedomine]

Solid band.

 

[one4u2]

Soundtrack of my life

 

[2861U2]

For me, they have mainly been one constant positive force in my life, they continue to lift me up, give me hope and always give me something to look forward to.

Amen.

I've been a fan now for almost 9 years, and I always seem to turn to them when I'm down or angry or frustrated (not to say I don't turn to God and family and friends, too, of course). I'm nowhere near the biggest music fan, meaning I don't keep up with hardly any current or younger bands that I read about in "Just the bang and clatter," for example. I have no idea who most of those people are. I could probably count on one hand the number of artists that I really love and keep up with, and with the exception of U2, the rest are Christian bands. Without U2, I wouldn't know what joy and emotions that honest rock and roll can produce. Maybe I've been spoiled, but I listen to other rock and roll bands, whether it's the Stones or Springsteen or younger bands like Coldplay and they just don't deliver the excitement and emotion that U2 does. In particular, songs like "Beautiful Day" and "Bad" have absolutely changed my life for the better.

Plus, they've been the basis for making stronger friendships. A few years ago, I introduced one of my best friends to U2, and they're now his favorite band, and he's accompanied me to my 2 U2 shows. One of my life's great accomplishments.

I love what Bono said on 60 Minutes a few years ago- "Our songs occupy an emotional terrain that didn't exist before our band did." I totally agree.

 

[KristenCaNaDiAn]

U2 has definitely meant a lot to me. For the first 17 years of my life I had it pretty rough. Since then, over the past 4 years, U2 has really helped me to heal. Their music has become a big part of my life, helping me to get through the past and look forward to bright times ahead. The message of their music has inspired me and Bono's work with the poor is something I admire greatly. He has inspired me to do my part in my life to try to help those in need as much as I can.

After seeing U2 in concert for the first time in Toronto a few weeks ago I can honestly say that they have the best live show in the world
Not only do the fans adore the spectacle of the incredible stage but they also come together to celebrate a unique band. I can honestly say that the live show of U2 has changed the way I see them as a band. Being there surrounded by thousands of U2 fans in front of the band they admire has shown me that U2 can bring people together. Their music has the ability to change the atmosphere instantly with songs like Where the Streets Have No Name. Seeing the live show has made me appreciate them and their music a whole lot more. I feel very lucky to have discovered their songs which have brough so much joy to my life.

 

[mikal]

i expect a lot of cheese in this thread. but it's good to see something positive for a change. definitely better than "OMG!!111 i'm embarrassed by a U2 song!!!111".

 

[chels82]

U2's music and Bono's lyrics have carried me through the lowest points in my life, while being present during the best moments as well. Songs like "Tomorrow", "Kite" and "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" took on a new meaning to me after my mom passed away in 2002 but they also helped me cope. I have been a fan since 1987 and, save for a small hiccup in the late 80's for my musical tastes, they have remained a constant for me since then.

The band themselves are amazingly humble for their position in music. After meeting them in March, I had so much more respect for them as people, not just musicians. Four really stand-up guys...who really give a shit about their fans. After thirtysomething years in music, that's pretty impressive.

I have also made a lifetime's worth of friends through U2. Going to U2 shows is like a huge party for me; hanging out with friends, good music, dancing, laughter.

I could say a lot more but this is the Reader's Digest version for now.

 

[Jeannieco]

This thread
This is exactly why I love them so much! Isn't it great that we can all agree on something for a change? All of us are so different in our beliefs and yet U2 has woven this commom thread between us. It's a metaphor for life, they are a metaphor for life and I think their music has a much bigger purpose than any of us know. God is using them to unite us through song and music, believers and non believers.
I loved what one person said here in a review of a show, (sorry don't remember who posted this) but she said that before the show she was an atheist but during STREETS she believed in God for those 5 minutes!!
That's so powerful! They bring the Spirit to life... makes it hard to deny!

They inspire me like no other band PERIOD. And yes, that spiritual connection bonds us like family.

U2 is family. I will always be loyal, always be protective.

 

[Galeongirl]

Cheesy indeed Mikal, but yeah... it'll do.

They meant a lot to me.. sounds like the typically cheesy thing to say but yeah, I don't know where I'd be right now without them. They let me discover music, and making music yourself, if I hadn't loved this band so much I would've never picked up the guitar, let alone the bass. Nor would I have been as interested in other bands as I am now.

Got me a lot of friends too. And great memories.

I probably would be shitloads richer now though...

 

[corianderstem]

I find stuff like this hard to put into words, or even substantiate into coherent thought.

Their music makes me feel good. It sometimes fills me with a big ol' heaping of joy.

That's about what it boils down to.

 

[RedRocksU2]

Nice thread Emily.




U2 has meant an easy way to get rid of money....and find great friends with the same interest.

 

[lauramullen]

U2's music has helped me through hard and tough times in my life and it always cheers me up when I'm sad. The lyrics to Kite and Stuck In A Moment have meant a lot to me, as well as a few others.

 

[Notabene]

For me, they have mainly been one constant positive force in my life, they continue to lift me up, give me hope and always give me something to look forward to.

That about sums it up for me too... Also has given me a new way of looking at my spiritual side. Many years of struggling with it and now I am at a place where I am happy, even if many don't agree with the way I believe
that's okay because I feel like a better person for it.

 

[U2isthebest]

I don't even know if I'll ever be able to fully put into words what U2 has meant and continues to mean for me. I had heard of them and a couple of the big hits, of course, but I was pretty much indifferent to them until 3 years ago. I kind of knew who Bono was, and I knew "Vertigo" and BD, but that was about it. I wasn't particularly fond of them at the time. In the summer of 2006, I had just graduated from high school and within a matter of weeks that summer, my world fell apart. At least, it seemed that way at the time. My mom was diagnosed with cancer a few days after my graduation, not long after that my dad filed for divorce, we ended up selling the house I'd lived the first 18 years of my life in, and on top of all that I was spending the summer getting ready to move 2 hours away to start college. I was restless that summer and for some reason I started getting sick of only listening to the current top 40 crap on the radio. I decided to explore some of the artists that were considered the "greats" just because I was looking for music with more artistry and emotional depth. I remember being online one night and coming across an interview with Bono. It was the segment from "Add Eternity to that" from Bono:In Conversation, if I remember correctly. I read it and was surprised to find out that he, Edge, and Larry (possibly Adam, who knows?) were Christians. I'd been raised in a very strict typical American evangelical house my whole life. I thought I had everything figured out in terms of my beliefs. I thought we were right, people of other faiths were wrong and pretty much everything else you'd expect that goes along with the TBN/mega-church crowd. But over the past 6 months or so, before I discovered U2, I'd been feeling dissatisfied. Something wasn't right anymore. I was tired of feeling guilty all the time, that I had to be perfect, to measure up to some standard and believe a certain way. Hearing Bono talk about grace the way he did touched something inside me, so I went out the next day and pretty much on a whim, picked up HTDAAB. At the time I didn't have an iPod, so I went home and popped in my CD player and played it straight through. I was immediately hooked. Every song spoke to me and what I was going through at the time. That's why I always get angry when people look down on ATYCLB and especially HTDAAB. We all have different preferences on our favorites, but to say the 2000s output isn't as good as prior decades is ludicrous to me. HTDAAB and Bono's incredible way of writing about God, love, the human spirit and every emotion in a way that was inclusive to everyone is what got me through that summer. It's what helped me change my entire perspective on faith and what being a true Believer, what truly following God is. These 4 guys are some of the purest examples of true Christianity that I've ever known. I went out and bought every other album and listened to them obsessively. Soon, they became my favorite band. I joined Interference, and I've been here ever since. I've met some amazing people and through U2 began to discover other artists/bands that have since become some of my favorites as well. But U2 will forever and always be my favorite band first because of the incredible people these 4 men are but mainly because of their music. I can really only think of 2 U2 songs that for whatever reason I don't like. I, of course, have my favorites, but almost every song speaks to me in some way that I can't really describe. When Edge's guitar, Larry's drumming, Adam's bass and Bono's lyrics and voice come together something beautiful happens. They're always authentic whether they're singing about the heights of joy, the depths of pain and sadness, the outrage of injustice, or whatever there is always a hope and a belief that things will get better even if it's buried underneath. No matter what I can always find a song that will speak to me in whatever I'm going through at the moment to let me know that I'm ok, and nothing will ever top that for me.

 

[one4u2]

Nice thread Emily.




U2 has meant an easy way to get rid of money....and find great friends with the same interest.

 

[Diane L]

Today I had a minor surgical procedure that required a little anesthesia. I was nervous about that, so I decided to go to my happy place...a place where I'd been one week earlier...Giants Stadium, watching My Band. An IV line in my hand? A tight blood pressure wrap? Pain? What pain? In my mind, I was watching Bono, Adam, Edge & Larry again, playing "City of Blinding Lights," and I wasn't in the present moment. I was in THAT moment, that happy place.

Twenty-five years ago, I visited my former boss in L.A. and stayed at her apartment. One morning I was up at 6:30 am, and put on MTV to while away the time. They played a U2 video I'd never seen before. It was for "Pride." And my immediate reaction to that song was "I need that record NOW." It made such an impact on me, and that is why I will never join the crowd in wishing that particular song off the setlist.

About 20 years ago, I was a freelance writer/editor who was responsible for filling a 90-page quarterly magazine with no ads. Personal computers weren't in every home then, certainly not in mine, and I had to make do with an electronic typewriter. I'd write an article, copy edit it, then type it again. The fact that I was a terrible procrastinator, plus the volume of work, led me to many late nights. Sometimes I'd feel so exhausted, I'd just despair of getting it all done. But there was one song that kept me going during these times, one song that gave me the strength to keep going, and that song was "Heartland." I don't know why "Heartland" had that effect on me, but it did. It always got me through another day, and another deadline.

The concerts, the TV appearances, the friends that hage shared this interest, and the discussions on Interference all have added great happiness to my life. I love this band, I can't understand why everyone doesn't love this band and I will always be thankful that they are in the world.

 

[blueeyedgirl]

U2 has meant an easy way to get rid of money

Damn I'd be much richer if it wasn't for U2....

 

[MrPryck2U]

For nearly 25 years, U2 have been a huge part of the soundtrack of my life. Everyone that knows me, knows that I love U2. (I'm sure I've got a few exes out there that wince when they hear a U2 song. ) Friends have come and gone. Exes have come and gone, but U2 have always been there for me. From Boy to Passengers to No Line on the Horizon, I've always enjoyed where U2 have gone musically.

What has U2 meant to me?

Everything

 

[coolian2]

u2 makes me happy in a way no other band or musician can. i can't adequately explain it any better than that.

i felt like i was flagging a bit, as a fan, before i saw them in chicago, but by the mid-point of breathe on the first night i knew i was exactly where i wanted to be.

the music has been there through hard times and it's been the soundtrack to good times.

without u2 - and anyone who knows me will understand this completely - i would not be where i am today.

 

[Addicted To Bad]

..just...everything!

 

[joerags]

When I was 12 years old in 1985, everyone was into Prince, Michael Jackson, Madonna, etc.. Then I was introduced to U2. They were so different and serious and their music was deep.... They were also cool... Over time, they have changed, but they still remained cool to me in my eyes... Their music is so unconventional. They are distinct in every way. IMO, they keep on taking risks with their music. That's why I always look forward to a new U2 album.... They have been my idols for 24 years.

 

[cjboog]

That's why I always get angry when people look down on ATYCLB and especially HTDAAB. We all have different preferences on our favorites, but to say the 2000s output isn't as good as prior decades is ludicrous to me.

Totally agree! For me HTDAAB was an incredible album and my first musical love.

I'm a 20 year old college student and to sum up what U2 has meant to me in the last 5 years...as others have said...they've been a constant positive in my life, something that brings me excitement and joy, something that I believe so strongly in.

When I was 15 in late 2004, I had never really listened to much of "my own" music in my life. I had gone through the 90's being annoyed by just about everything I heard - Britney Spears...Backstreet Boys...N'Sync and all that crap.

I had been exposed to U2 a little bit. I had heard "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" on the Runaway Bride soundtrack and loved it. I recognized the intro to "Where The Streets Have No Name" because I'd heard it on some classic rock radio stations and always wondered what it was.

Then one day, I saw the Vertigo ipod commercial and was like "Holy crap. That was awesome. What the hell was that?" So I went online and watched the music video and was absolutely blown away by the song. The lyrics spoke to me (I was at a place called Vertigo in my life), and it was just the most awesome thing I had ever heard.

So I asked for HTDAAB for Christmas and remember listening to it for the first time. I was blown away, especially by "City of Blinding Lights". I had no idea there was music that beautiful that existed. That was the most important Christmas gift I got that year...and it was probably $12.

So for the last 5 years I've been loving the joy in their music, the uplifting quality that is totally their own. Their music has everything. At times it's incredibly deep. At times meditative or even dark. At times pure fun. At times experimental. At others, sarcastic and ironic. And sometimes it just flat rocks out.

Anyway...that's my story. Their music means A LOT to me and I look up to them so much

 

[Zoots]

Their music makes me feel good. It sometimes fills me with a big ol' heaping of joy.

That's about what it boils down to.

Well said! That's what it pretty much boils down to for me as well. The joy of listening to Pride, Streets, Beautiful Day or any of the 90's stuff even is what makes this band unique to me. Not to mention the goosebumps I got when watching RTSS/Streets from Zoo Sydney or Please/Streets from Popmart Mexico for the first time. Un-freaking-believable! and something I have not experienced with any other band.

 

[nielsgov]

I can't really describe it. It just makes me feel good. It's like having a best friend inthe music (omg it's cheesy). When I feel bad I always want to listen to a U2 song and it just lifts my spirits.

 

[JCOSTER]

I've said a few times here, literally saved my life as a teen. Without those words and melodies I don't think I would have made it through.