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
Angel of Harlem
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When we touched the ground at JFK
Snow was melting on the ground
On BLS I heard the sound
Of an angel
New York, like a Christmas tree
Tonight this city belongs to me
Soul love, this love won't let me go
So long, angel of Harlem
Birdland on fifty three
The street sounds like a symphony
We got John Coltrane and a love supreme
Miles, and she's got to be an angel
Lady Day got diamond eyes
She sees the truth behind the lies
Angel
Soul love this love won't let me go
So long angel of Harlem
Angel of Harlem
She says it's heart, heart and soul
Yeah yeah (yeah)
Yeah yeah (right now)
Blue light on the avenue
God knows they got to you
An empty glass, the lady sings
Eyes swollen like a bee sting
Blinded you lost your way
Through the side streets and the alleyway
Like a star exploding in the night
Falling to the city in broad daylight
An angel in Devil's shoes
Salvation in the blues
You never looked like an angel
Yeah yeah angel of Harlem
Angel angel of Harlem
Angel angel of Harlem
Angel angel of Harlem
Angel angel of Harlem
The lyrics of U2's Angel of Harlem tell a story of arriving in New York City during a cold and wet December day, but seeing the city like a Christmas tree, feeling wrapped up in the love of the city and the music that surrounded them. The song talks about being welcomed by the city's energy and the culture of its music scene, with references to jazz greats such as John Coltrane and Miles Davis. The song's repeated refrain is "Angel, soul love, this love won't let me go." It speaks to a feeling of connection and an embrace of all that the city and its music had to offer. There is a reference to a lady who sees the truth behind the lies and has diamond eyes- possibly a nod to jazz singer Billie Holiday, who was famously known as Lady Day.
Angel of Harlem was released in 1988 on U2's Rattle and Hum album. The song was a tribute to the music of Harlem and was heavily inspired by American soul and R&B music. It was a hit for the band in the US, reaching #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was written after the band's first visit to Harlem, where they were influenced by the music they heard at venues such as the Apollo Theater.
Line by Line Meaning
It was a cold and wet December day
The day they arrived at JFK it was cold, and it had been raining
When we touched the ground at JFK
The singer arrived to JFK on this day
Snow was melting on the ground
There was snow on the ground that was melting due to the weather conditions
On BLS I heard the sound
While riding on the subway (BLS), the artist heard something
Of an angel
The artist heard the sound of an angel on the subway in New York City
New York, like a Christmas tree
New York was very bright and lit up like a Christmas tree on this night
Tonight this city belongs to me
The singer feels a sense of ownership and connection to the city of New York
Angel
The artist is referring to the angel they heard on the subway
Soul love, this love won't let me go
The artist's love for something, likely New York City or the music scene, is very strong
So long, angel of Harlem
The artist is saying goodbye to the angel they heard on the subway in Harlem
Birdland on fifty three
Birdland is a famous jazz club located on 53rd street in New York City
The street sounds like a symphony
The sounds of the city, including the music coming from Birdland, is like a symphony to the artist
We got John Coltrane and a love supreme
The singer is referencing John Coltrane's album 'A Love Supreme', which they may be listening to
Miles, and she's got to be an angel
The singer is listening to Miles Davis and imagines that the person they are watching must be an angel
Lady Day got diamond eyes
Lady Day refers to Billie Holiday, and her eyes are being compared to diamonds due to their beauty and sparkle
She sees the truth behind the lies
The artist is saying that Billie Holiday has insight to the truth behind the false or deceptive things people say
Angel
The artist is referring to the angel they heard on the subway
Soul love this love won't let me go
The singer's love for something, likely New York City or the music scene, is very strong
So long angel of Harlem
The singer is saying goodbye to the angel they heard on the subway in Harlem
Angel of Harlem
The artist is again referencing the angel they heard on the subway in Harlem
She says it's heart, heart and soul
Someone is saying that something, likely music, has a lot of soul and feeling behind it
Blue light on the avenue
This line may be referencing the blue lights that are often used as streetlights in New York City
God knows they got to you
The singer is suggesting that something may have gotten to the person they are referring to
An empty glass, the lady sings
A woman is singing and there is an empty glass nearby, possibly indicating that the woman has been drinking
Eyes swollen like a bee sting
The woman's eyes are swollen, potentially due to crying or drinking alcohol
Blinded you lost your way
Someone has become lost or confused, and may be blinded by something in their life that is affecting them negatively
Through the side streets and the alleyway
The person has wandered through side streets and alleys, potentially while lost or confused
Like a star exploding in the night
Something, or someone, is being described as having a big impact or being very important, like someone might describe a star exploding in the sky
Falling to the city in broad daylight
Whatever or whoever is being referred to is very noticeable and falls or lands in the midst of the city during the day
An angel in Devil's shoes
Someone, potentially the person who was previously lost, is being described as having a kind or angelic nature, even though they seem to be in unlucky or negative circumstances
Salvation in the blues
The blues, a genre of music that often deals with deep emotions and feelings, is being referenced as a source of salvation or comfort for someone in need
You never looked like an angel
The artist is addressing someone who does not fit the typical image of an angel, but who may have angelic qualities within them
Yeah yeah angel of Harlem
The artist is again referencing the angel they heard on the subway in Harlem
Angel angel of Harlem
The artist is once again addressing the angel they heard on the subway in Harlem
Angel angel of Harlem
The singer continues to address the angel they heard on the subway in Harlem
Angel angel of Harlem
The artist continues to address the angel they heard on the subway in Harlem
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adam Clayton, David Evans, Laurence Mullen, Paul Hewson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@testtest2609
🎯 Remember the media's astroturfed backlash against them for having a song on an ipod? 🙄 U2 didn't deserve that manufactured backlash...Bono got the IMF debt forgiven for 3rd world countries for chrissakes.
The economist Michael Hudson calls the US the loan shark of the world using IMF/World Bank to strip nations of their assets. Long live Bono's debt cancellation jubilee!
The real jubilee is debt jubilee & land re-distribution.
The original Summarian bible said: debt forgiveness and land re-distribution ie debt jubilee, Leviticus 25, prior to the Greek translation. Western civilization is the first civilization to eschew this (Michael Hudson).
"Civilization is madness." - Freud
"Can't see the right road when the roads are paved." - Bob Marley
from Concrete Jungle, African Herbman
@marieblue
The “Angel of Harlem” is Billie Holiday, a jazz singer who moved to Harlem as a teenager in 1928. She became famous for her spectacular voice and her ability to move the audience to tears. She had to deal with racism, drug and alcohol problems, and unhealthy relationships for most of her life. Thus, her deep sadness was often revealed in her singing.
Billie Holiday was nicknamed “Lady Day”. Hence the line, “Lady Day got diamond eyes, she sees the truth behind the lies.”
“Angel of Harlem” (1988) is a tribute to the blues, jazz and gospel music U2 heard while touring America.
The phrase “On BLS I heard the sound… “ refers to New York radio station WBLS, where U2 heard the black music that influenced this track.
U2 recorded this in 1987 in Memphis, under the helm of producer “Cowboy” Jack Clement.
In the studio, Bono learned an important lesson : alcohol and horn players do not mix. He recalled : “I thought I would lighten the session up, so I sent out for a case of Absolut Vodka. I was giving it to the horn players and we were all having a little laugh and Cowboy came up to me […]. He said, ‘Bono, how long you been doing this? ‘ I said, ‘Ten years, nearly.’ He said, ‘Ten years and you don’t know not to give the horn section Absolut Vodka? You can give it to anybody else but you can’t give a horn section Absolut.’ I asked, ‘Why, particularly, the horn section?’ Cowboy said, ‘LISTEN, STUPID, you try playing a horn when your lips won’t work.’” 💚🎵💜
@arekchopecki2886
This is a fantastic U2 tribute to all those legendary jazz, blues and soul black musicians.
@LANTOR317
Oh, that opening...the horns...*chef kiss*
@DJK-cq2uy
Most people don't realize that...specifically Billie Holiday
@dawnjohnson3263
It sounds like black soul to you? Maybe the horns?
@user-hx8vv9hk4p
Yes 🎉
@Vaudevillain121
People forget.....they were actually brilliant
@mikestaak7951
Real music
@JohnnyCardinale
Bono’s voice is one of a kind.
@tinaromhill7901
Yes he does and it’s just wonderful to hear
@MariInBerlin
underrated song.. this song is a masterpiece!!! Love it!!