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
City of Blinded Lights
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The less you find out as you go
I knew much more then than I do now
Neon heart, day-glo eyes
The city lit by fireflies
They're advertising in the skies
For people like us
And I miss you when you're not around
I'm getting ready to leave the ground
Oh, you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights
Don't look before you laugh
Look ugly in a photograph
Flash bulbs, purple irises the camera can't see
I've seen you walk unafraid
I've seen you in the clothes you've made
Can you see the beauty inside of me?
What happened to the beauty I had inside of me?
And I miss you when you're not around
I'm getting ready to leave the ground
Oh, you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights
Time, time, time
Time won't leave me as I am
But time won't take the boy out of this man
Oh, you look so beautiful tonight
Oh, you look so beautiful tonight
Oh, you look so beautiful tonight
Yeah, the city of blinding lights
The more you know, the less you feel
Some pray for what others steal
Blessing's not just for the ones who kneel, luckily
The lyrics of U2's song, City of Blinding Lights, talk about the beauty and complexity of city life. They suggest that the more people see and experience, the less they actually know or understand about it. The neon heart and day-glo eyes are a metaphorical representation of the vibrancy of the city, while the advertising in the skies is a symbol of the temptations and consumerism that the city offers. The singer talks about missing someone when they're not around and getting ready to leave the ground - perhaps in a plane, leaving the city behind. The chorus is a tribute to the stunning visual spectacle of city life - the blazing lights that inspire and overwhelm at the same time.
In the second verse, the singer urges the listener not to judge others based on superficial factors. He also talks about seeing the beauty inside people, questioning why we should focus on external appearances. This sentiment is echoed in the repetition of "Oh, you look so beautiful tonight". The final lines of the song suggest that blessings are not reserved for those who kneel or pray, reminding the listener that life is not always fair.
Line by Line Meaning
The more you see the less you know
As we experience more in life, we realize how little we truly understand
The less you find out as you go
Despite exploring new places and meeting new people, we never truly understand everything around us
I knew much more then than I do now
As we age, we realize how much we still have to learn and how much we've forgotten
Neon heart, day-glo eyes
This city is vibrant and full of bright lights
The city lit by fireflies
The city is alive with energy and activity
They're advertising in the skies
The city is filled with advertisements and marketing trying to capture our attention
For people like us
These advertisements are targeting people like us, presumably urban dwellers
And I miss you when you're not around
Being apart from someone we care about is difficult
I'm getting ready to leave the ground
The artist is excited and anticipatory; they're preparing for a journey, emotional or physical
Oh, you look so beautiful tonight
The artist admires the beauty of another person
In the city of blinding lights
This city is full of awe-inspiring and eye-catching lights
Don't look before you laugh
Don't worry about your outward appearance when you're having a good time
Look ugly in a photograph
Being your true, unguarded self is more important than looking photogenic
Flash bulbs, purple irises the camera can't see
Despite capturing a physical image, a photograph can't fully capture a person's essence
I've seen you walk unafraid
The singer admires the courage and fearlessness in the other person's demeanor
I've seen you in the clothes you've made
The artist has seen the other person's artistic ability and creativity
Can you see the beauty inside of me?
The artist is asking if the other person can see beyond their physical appearance and appreciate their inner qualities
What happened to the beauty I had inside of me?
The singer is wondering if they've lost touch with their inner beauty over time
Time, time, time
Time is a recurring theme in this song, emphasizing its inevitable march forward
Time won't leave me as I am
The artist acknowledges that they will change and evolve over time
But time won't take the boy out of this man
Despite growing older, the artist still sees themselves as youthful and full of life
Yeah, the city of blinding lights
A repetition of the song's title
The more you know, the less you feel
Sometimes, knowledge can prevent us from feeling the joys of life
Some pray for what others steal
Some people have a moral code that causes them to aim for lofty goals, while others will resort to theft to get what they want
Blessing's not just for the ones who kneel, luckily
One doesn't have to be religious to feel blessed; one can find happiness and joy without adhering to any religious beliefs
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM CLAYTON, DAVE EVANS, LARRY MULLEN, PAUL HEWSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@onisuwaplay5464
The more you see, the less you know
The less you find out as you go
I knew much more then
Than I do now
Neon-heart, day-glow eyes
A city lit by fireflies
They're advertising in the skies
For people like us
And I miss you when you're not around
I'm getting ready to leave the ground
Oh, you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights
Don't look before you laugh
Look ugly in a photograph
Flash bulbs, purple irises
The camera can't see
I've seen you walk unafraid
I've seen you in the clothes you made
Can you see the beauty inside of me?
What happened to the beauty I had inside of me?
And I miss you when you're not around
I'm getting ready to leave the ground
Oh, you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights
Time, time, time, time, time
Won't leave me as I am
But time won't take the boy out of this man
Oh, you look so beautiful tonight
Oh, you look so beautiful tonight
Oh, you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights
The more you know, the less you feel
Some pray for, others steal
Blessings are not just for the ones who kneel
Luckily
@Britinsweden
One of the most underrated songs of all time!
@jwhat8515
Agreed
@ingrid8994
Ashley James Baller Yes!
@hshshshhahsbs8140
That is the true word of all times
@ikzelf100
178 likes on your comment is also underrated for the opinion you typed.
@dann.pakpahan
This comment comes from he who can not creep into the mainstream nature of u2 life..
@slackstarfish8133
I still think this is one of the greatest songs of all time
@kissycake13
I completely agree!! This song has been on my favorites playlist since this video was posted on here and I love when they play in the devil wears prada!
@hadesmyg1114
Thank the “devils wears Prada” for introducing me💕❤️
@WillyJunior
Great Movie