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 2009â2011 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 Edgeâs brother Dick Evans (later a member of Virgin Prunes), Ivan McCormick and Peter Martin. According to legend, Bono originally auditioned as a guitarist but couldnât play. He auditioned as lead vocals, but really couldnât 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 âFeedback â and âThe Hypeâ 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: ÂŁ500 and funds to make a record. Paul McGuinness became the bandâs 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 âa different kindâ 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 âto dream it all up againâ, 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 âwatch out, babyâ, artwork feat. make-up artist Nassim Khalifa) & Zooropa. Bono took on many stage personae such as âThe Flyâ, âMirrorball Manâ and âMr. MacPhistoâ 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 90âs into 00âs U2 became less image and more reality. With the death of Bonoâs 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 theyâve returned to a more band-centric sound with albums like All That You Canât Leave Behind which features a song, Kite, dedicated to Bonoâs father who passed away shortly after the albumâs conception and 2004âs 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 âYou tooâ and âYou twoâ, etc. Nonetheless the official line on the nameâs 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
All Over You
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing else about the place
Everything was ugly but your beautiful face
It left me no illusion
I saw you in the curve of the moon
In the shadow cast across my room
You heard me in my tune
All because of you
All because of you
All because of you
I am, I am
I like the sound of my own voice
I didn't give anyone else a choice
An intellectual tortoise
Racing with your bullet train
Some people get squashed crossing the tracks
Some people got high-rises on their backs
I'm not broke but you can see the cracks
You can make me perfect again
All because of you
All because of you
All because of you
I am, I am
I'm alive, I'm being born
I just arrived, I'm at the door
Of the place I started out from
And I want back inside
All because of you
All because of you
All because of you
I am
The lyrics to U2's song All Over You are a reflection on the power of love and how it can transform someone's life. The opening lines, "I was born a child of grace / Nothing else about the place / Everything was ugly but your beautiful face / It left me no illusion," suggest that the singer's life was lacking in beauty, but the love of the person he is addressing made everything else seem unimportant. The reference to "no illusion" is interesting because it suggests that the singer's love is undiluted and not blinded by any delusions.
The verse that follows, "I saw you in the curve of the moon / In the shadow cast across my room / You heard me in my tune / When I just heard confusion," further emphasizes the transformative power of love. The singer sees his beloved in the natural world and hears her in his music - even in times of confusion, she is a constant presence in his life. The repetition of "All because of you" throughout the song reinforces the idea that the singer's love has changed him and made him who he is.
The second half of the song shifts focus to the singer's own flaws and doubts, but the power of his love helps to overcome them. The line, "I'm not broke but you can see the cracks" suggests that the singer is not perfect, but his love has the power to heal him. By the end of the song, the singer is expressing a desire to return to where he started - his love has given him a new perspective on life and himself.
Overall, the lyrics to All Over You are a tribute to the transformative power of love. Even in the face of darkness and doubt, love can heal and transform a person.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born a child of grace
From the start, I felt like I was destined for greatness and felt this way because of you
Nothing else about the place
The world I was born into wasn't very welcoming or happy, but you were the bright spot in my life
Everything was ugly but your beautiful face
In a world that can be ugly and cruel, your beauty and kindness shone through and gave me hope
It left me no illusion
Because of you, I was able to see the world for what it truly is and accept it
I saw you in the curve of the moon
Your image was so etched on my mind that I saw you in nature wherever I looked
In the shadow cast across my room
Even in the darkness, your presence brought warmth and light to me
You heard me in my tune
Even when others ignored me, you listened and understood me through my music
When I just heard confusion
Despite a world of chaos and confusion, you helped me find clarity
All because of you
Every good thing in my life can be traced back to the positive influence you had on me
I like the sound of my own voice
I used to think I had all the answers and was content with just hearing myself speak
I didn't give anyone else a choice
I talked so much about my own beliefs and opinions that I didn't give others a chance to express their own
An intellectual tortoise
I was slow to learn and listen, and didn't see how much I was hindering myself
Racing with your bullet train
You were always moving forward and pushing me to keep up, but I felt like I couldn't keep up with you
Some people get squashed crossing the tracks
Life is unpredictable and some people have it worse than others, but I was fortunate enough to avoid those pitfalls
Some people got high-rises on their backs
Others have the weight of the world on their shoulders, but my struggles were nothing compared to theirs
I'm not broke but you can see the cracks
I wasn't completely broken or hopeless, but I had my own flaws and issues that you helped me see
You can make me perfect again
You had the ability to help fix me and turn me into a better version of myself
I'm alive, I'm being born
Because of you, I have a second chance at life and am growing and changing for the better
I just arrived, I'm at the door
I'm at the beginning of a new chapter in my life, thanks to you
Of the place I started out from
I'm returning to the place where I first met you and experienced your positive influence
And I want back inside
I want to be back in your presence and feel your guidance and support once again
I am
All of my accomplishments and growth are thanks to the impact you had on my life
Lyrics Š Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM CLAYTON, DAVE EVANS, LARRY MULLEN, PAUL HEWSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tspot816
1:40 When she looks at him and knows;
1:46, when the Strongman looks at his friend and immediately knows how lost his friend is in love and knows it will only bring pain to his friend;
I always was so grateful to the strong man for being his friend;
3:16 with the ring and that smile;
3:24 hopping in the Strongman's sidecar, meaning his buddy had his back on the trip;
3:47 That heartbreaking smile he shoots her;
4:01 Dashed;
4:50 ending the only way it could ever end.
6:00 Tossing the ring into the grave because his love died (or did he die);
6:03 The Strongman sees the ring and shares the pain with his friend and knows what a loss this is for his friend.
Amazing video. One of the all time greats.
@lucianolovito7283
You say you want
Diamonds on a ring of gold
You say you want
Your story to remain untold
But all the promises we make
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you
You say you'll give me
A highway with no one on it
Treasure just to look upon it
All the riches in the night
You say you'll give me
Eyes in a moon of blindness
A river in a time of dryness
A harbor in the tempest
But all the promises we make
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you
You say you want
Your love to work out right
To last with me through the night
You say you want
Diamonds on a ring of gold
Your story to remain untold
Your love not to grow cold
All the promises we break
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you
You all I want is
You all I want is
You all I want is
You
Rattle and Hum album.
@damianjackson6835
I sang this song to my new wife at our wedding reception. Later that night on the way back to our hotel, as we were driving across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, this song came onto the radio. It was such a surreal moment!
@davejmanning544
No such thing as coincidence Damien.
@brandinickole7161
Perfect Wedding Song. đ
@DeuceBiggerHo
Yeah I think itâs a great choice for a song at a wedding. First dance or whatever. The other one I thought of was U2âs âlove rescue meâ. However I think playing it on a first date like the guy above said is putting the poor girl under too much pressure! đŻItâs a very emotional song.
@alibrown5917
Amazing your a top guy
@redrobin7868
It's my fantasy proposal. We are someplace special and he steps out and I hear this song outside. He is holding something that is playing this like in the John Hughes movie or has musicians playing the string instalment like the song while he sings to me
@deanetteknight4565
This song takes me to my late husband. I lost him to pancreatic cancer March 1st, 2006. He's visited me 3 times in my dreams since 2012 warning of the times we're in now in the world. I cry everytime I hear it now. I miss him.
@fernandeaux1631
Beautiful.
@ericac.brooks1851
Im sooo sorry for your loss i loss my very deer friend we were secteatly inlove and i did not knnow that the last time i saw him would be the it rip chris a.k.a crispy i will always love u
@stevemeyer6308
So sorry for your loss