The band formed at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency. Within four years, they signed with Island Records and released their debut album, Boy (1980). Subsequent work such as their first UK number-one album, War (1983), and the singles "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)" helped establish U2's reputation as a politically and socially conscious group. By the mid-1980s, they had become renowned globally for their live act, highlighted by their performance at Live Aid in 1985. The group's fifth album, The Joshua Tree (1987), made them international superstars and was their greatest critical and commercial success. Topping music charts around the world, it produced their only number-one singles in the US, "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".
Facing creative stagnation and a backlash following their documentary/double album, Rattle and Hum (1988), U2 reinvented themselves in the 1990s through a new musical direction and public image. Beginning with their acclaimed seventh album, Achtung Baby (1991), and the multimedia-intensive Zoo TV Tour, the band integrated influences from alternative rock, electronic dance music, and industrial music into their sound, and embraced a more ironic, flippant image. This experimentation continued through their ninth album, Pop (1997), and the PopMart Tour, which were mixed successes. U2 regained critical and commercial favour with the records All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000) and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004), which established a more conventional, mainstream sound for the group. Their U2 360° Tour of 2009–2011 is the highest-attended and highest-grossing concert tour in history. The group's thirteenth album, Songs of Innocence (2014), was released at no cost through the iTunes Store, but received criticism for its automatic placement in users' music libraries.
U2 has released 14 studio albums and is one of the world's best-selling music artists in history, having sold more than 170 million records worldwide. They have won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band, and in 2005, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone ranked U2 at number 22 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Throughout their career, as a band and as individuals, they have campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes, including Amnesty International, Jubilee 2000, the ONE/DATA campaigns, Product Red, War Child, and Music Rising.
Foundation: The band originally formed in 1976 when Larry Mullen posted a bulletin in his school asking for musicians to form a rock band. The band then consisted of the four current members plus three additional guitarists, including The Edge’s brother Dick Evans (later a member of Virgin Prunes), Ivan McCormick and Peter Martin. According to legend, Bono originally auditioned as a guitarist but couldn’t play. He auditioned as lead vocals, but really couldn’t sing. He was, however, incredibly enthusiastic about the band, extremely charismatic, a great writer, and was strangely able to reach the audience when the band played, something he is known for still today. Bono will reach out into the crowd and dance or mess with someone in the crowd at every concert. He was kept as a member. The extra guitarists would soon leave the band and the group would go through the names “Feedback ” and “The Hype” before finally settling on U2.
The 70s & 80s: 1978 was a jumping point year for the band, finally finding their sound / voice. U2 won a talent contest in 1978: £500 and funds to make a record. Paul McGuinness became the band’s manager and U2 released an EP called Three and the single Another Day, the following year. U2 went on to release their first album, Boy and then more critically acclaimed albums incl.: October, War, Under A Blood Red Sky, and The Unforgettable Fire (featuring the song PlayMLK dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr). Seen by many as a political band with more charisma than others, they were called “a different kind” of band. After a short break U2 returned with The Joshua Tree & the USA music inspired Rattle And Hum (also a movie of the same name, based on the tour).
The 90s: Promising ”to dream it all up again”, they added industrial and dance styles to their music. Trying to drop a goody two shoes image, they went to Berlin (Germany), supposedly to develop new self-expressions. From there they started to make fun of themselves and had a good time of it in albums like Achtung Baby (meaning ”watch out, baby”, artwork feat. make-up artist Nassim Khalifa) & Zooropa. Bono took on many stage personae such as “The Fly”, “Mirrorball Man” and “Mr. MacPhisto” for the gigantic ZOO TV Tour. Later they continued to make fun of Pop culture and all its extremes with the album Pop and consequent PopMart tour which was announced to be launched at a Kmart store and included a giant golden arch across the stage.
The 00s: At the end of the 90’s into 00’s U2 became less image and more reality. With the death of Bono’s good friend Michael Hutchence, the lead singer of INXS, Bono wrote more songs from the heart surrounding ideas like life and death, children, hope, and the real world past all the pop culture and TV. Some say they’ve returned to a more band-centric sound with albums like All That You Can’t Leave Behind which features a song, Kite, dedicated to Bono’s father who passed away shortly after the album’s conception and 2004’s How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.
The 10s: U2 went on the U2 360° Tour in 2009 and 2010. This tour set records for the highest-grossing concert tour. The band worked with producer Danger Mouse for their thirteenth album Songs of Innocence, which was released on 9 September 2014 for free to all Apple iCloud users.
The Name: There are many theories as to the origin of the name U2. For example, U2 was an intelligence airplane that was in use by the United States during the Cold War. Other obvious candidates include “You too” and “You two”, etc. Nonetheless the official line on the name’s origins remains unknown. The band has been quoted as saying that they did think of the U2 spy plane, but remain hushed about other reasons… U2
A Celebration
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't go
I believe in a celebration
I believe you set me free
I believe you can loose this chains
I believe you can dance with me
Dance with me
Shake! Shake!
Shake! Shake!
I believe in the third world war
I believe in the atomic bomb
I believe in the powers that be
But they won't overpower me
And, and you can go there too
And, and you can go go go go
Shake! Shake!
Shake! Shake!
And we dance out of time
And everything goes 'round and 'round
And we don't have the time
To watch the world go tumbling down
Go! Go!
I believe in the bells of Christchurch
Ringing for this land
I believe in the cells of Mount joy
There's an honest man
And, and you can go there too
And, and you can go go go go
I believe in the walls of Jericho
I believe they're coming down
I believe in this city's children
I believe the trumpet's sound
And you can go there too
And you can go go go go.
I believe in what I'm doing
What am I doing here.
The lyrics of U2's song A Celebration urge the listener to let loose and embrace life with joy and freedom, even in the face of uncertainty and chaos. The opening lines "Shake! Shake! / Don't go / I believe in a celebration" set the tone for the upbeat and energetic song. The singer tells the other person not to leave, emphasizing his belief in celebration and the power it holds to set him free from his chains.
The lyrics take a political turn with the mention of the third world war, the atomic bomb, and the powers that be. However, the singer remains defiant, asserting that he will not be overpowered by these forces. The call-and-response style of the lyrics, with the repetition of "And, and you can go there too / And, and you can go go go go" and "Shake! Shake!" add to the celebratory and communal feel of the song. The lyrics end on a note of uncertainty with the line "I believe in what I'm doing / What am I doing here," leaving the listener to ponder the meaning and purpose of their own actions.
Overall, A Celebration is a joyful and rebellious song that encourages the listener to dance and celebrate life, while acknowledging the chaos and uncertainty of the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Shake! Shake!
An urging for listeners to feel the music and move their bodies.
Don't go
A plea for a moment to be cherished and held onto a little while longer.
I believe in a celebration
A belief in finding joy and happiness in life's moments, big or small.
I believe you set me free
Acknowledgement and gratitude towards someone for setting one's soul free, be it from emotional turmoil or oppression.
I believe you can loose this chains
Belief in one's capacity to break free of the shackles that bind them, through perseverance and dedication.
I believe you can dance with me
Invitation to be a part of one's journey and dance together through the highs and lows of life.
And, and you can go there too
Encouragement to join in a common goal or experience, to find the beauty and comfort in shared moments.
Shake! Shake!
A repetition of the initial urging to move along with the music.
I believe in the third world war
Acknowledgement and fear of the evils of humanity and the potential for catastrophic events, such as war.
I believe in the atomic bomb
Awareness and concern about the danger posed by nuclear weapons.
I believe in the powers that be
Acknowledgement of authority and those who hold power over others.
But they won't overpower me
An empowered stance against those who try to exert control over one's life.
And we dance out of time
Embracing the beautiful chaos of life, even when it feels like everything is going wrong.
And everything goes 'round and 'round
A reflection on the cyclical nature of life and the universe.
And we don't have the time
Suggesting that life is short and we should make the most of every moment we have.
To watch the world go tumbling down
Implying that we should focus on the positive and the things that bring us joy, not dwell on our fears or anxieties.
Go! Go!
An urging to keep moving forward, to persevere despite obstacles and adversity.
I believe in the bells of Christchurch
Believing in the beauty and significance of religious and cultural traditions.
Ringing for this land
Implying that there is something special and sacred about one's homeland.
I believe in the cells of Mount joy
Believing in the power of justice and that the innocent will prevail.
There's an honest man
Implying that those who hold truth and integrity are worthy of respect and admiration.
I believe in the walls of Jericho
Acknowledgment of the strength and history of ancient structures and civilizations.
I believe they're coming down
Suggesting that old ways of thinking and doing things are giving way to new ideas and progress.
I believe in this city's children
Believing in the potential and future of the younger generation.
I believe the trumpet's sound
Metaphorically alluding to a time of reckoning, a moment of triumph in the face of adversity.
I believe in what I'm doing
Self-affirmation that one's efforts and direction in life are worthy and valuable.
What am I doing here.
A rhetorical question pondering the purpose of one's existence and the meaning behind one's actions.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY R. STROUTSOS, JONN A. SERRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joshthetree
When I was a teenager I used to play this on repeat often along with 11 O'Clock Tick Tock, A Day Without Me and New Year's Day 🤩
@pereiradasilvafrancisco5079
Hi I m ready to my days like U2
@pereiradasilvafrancisco5079
@Priv Pers hi ,about tick tock tell me more and past stories?
@crislaochoa
Don't forget Gloria
@josepmariamarin4912
The good stuff!!
@purplelava563
ME TOO!!!!!!
@jackbrown4697
One of U2's best lesser known songs and always a favorite of mine to this day
@ArjunG_HWO
They finally found the video of this gem of a song.
@MedalionDS9
Ahhh young U2 full of youthful rebellious energy and 80's was reekin' all over this era haha
@bavar11an
Definitely maybe you have good taste in music, I love U2 and Oasis too.