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
Electrical Storm
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the night, it is aching
Two lovers lie with no sheets on their bed
And the day, it is breaking
On rainy days we go swimming out
On rainy days swimming in the sound
On rainy days we go swimming out
You're in my mind all of the time
I know that's not enough
If the sky can crack, there must be some way back
For love and only love
Car alarm won't let you back to sleep
You're kept awake dreaming someone else's dream
Coffee is cold, but it'll get you through
Compromise, that's nothing new to you
Let's see colors that have never been seen
Let's go to places no one else has been
You're in my mind all of the time
I know that's not enough
Well, if the sky can crack, there must be some way back
To love and only love
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Baby, don't cry
It's hot as hell, honey, in this room
Sure hope the weather will break soon
The air is heavy, heavy as a truck
We need the rain to wash away our bad luck
Hey
Hey
Well, if the sky can crack, there must be some way back
For love and only love
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Baby, don't cry
Baby, don't cry
Baby, don't cry
Baby, don't cry
In "Electrical Storm," U2 tells the story of two lovers spending a rainy day together in bed. The lyrics paint a picture of a turbulent and uncertain relationship affected by external factors beyond their control. The sea is described as swollen and sore, while the night is aching, suggesting a sense of discomfort and unease. Despite this, the couple finds solace in each other's company, swimming in the sound on rainy days and exploring new places together.
However, there is an underlying sense of unrest and the longing for a deeper connection. The singer admits that even though their lover is always in their mind, it is not enough. They hope that if the sky can crack, there must be a way back to love and only love. The reference to an electrical storm adds to the sense of chaos and instability, highlighting the unpredictability of love.
The final verse suggests a metaphorical interpretation of the storm as a symbol for the emotional turmoil in the relationship. The heat in the room is suffocating, and they need the rain to wash away their bad luck. The ending plea for the baby not to cry could be interpreted as a reassurance to the listener or to the singer's partner, affirming that everything will be okay.
Line by Line Meaning
The sea, it swells like a sore head
The rough sea is choppy and turbulent, just like an inflamed wound on a head.
And the night, it is aching
The night is filled with pain and sadness.
Two lovers lie with no sheets on their bed
The lovers are so in love that they don't need sheets on their bed to feel warm and cozy.
And the day, it is breaking
The dawn is breaking, signifying the end of a long and difficult night.
On rainy days we go swimming out
Rainy days provide the perfect opportunity to swim in the sea.
On rainy days swimming in the sound
The sound of the rain is soothing and calming while swimming in the sea during rainy days.
On rainy days we go swimming out
Swimming in the rain on rainy days is a thrilling experience.
You're in my mind all of the time
I can't stop thinking about you.
I know that's not enough
Just thinking about you is not enough; I need to be with you.
If the sky can crack there must be some way back
If something as solid and unchanging as the sky can change, then there must be a way for us to find our way back to each other.
For love and only love
Love is the only thing that matters in this world.
Car alarm won't let you back to sleep
The noise of the car alarm keeps you awake and prevents you from sleeping peacefully.
You're kept awake dreaming someone else's dream
You're not living your own life; you're living someone else's dream.
Coffee is cold, but it'll get you through
Even though the coffee is not warm, it'll help you get through the day.
Compromise, that's nothing new to you
You're used to compromising and making sacrifices to get what you want in life.
Let's see colors that have never been seen
Let's explore and experience new things that we have never seen or heard of before.
Let's go to places no one else has been
Let's explore and visit places that others have never been to before.
Electrical storm
An electrical storm is happening.
Electrical storm
The electrical storm is getting stronger.
Electrical storm
The storm is reaching its climax.
Baby, don't cry
Don't worry or be sad, everything will be alright.
It's hot as hell, honey, in this room
The temperature in the room is extremely high and uncomfortable.
Sure hope the weather will break soon
I hope the weather will change soon and become less hot and oppressive.
The air is heavy, heavy as a truck
The air is thick and suffocating, making it difficult to breathe.
We need the rain to wash away our bad luck
We need a cleansing rain to wash away our misfortunes and bad luck.
Well, if the sky can crack, there must be some way back
If the sky, which has always been constant and unchanging, can change, then there must be a way for us to change our lives and find our way back to each other.
For love and only love
Love is the only force that can change our lives and bring us together.
Baby don't cry
Don't worry or be sad, everything will be alright.
Baby don't cry
Don't worry or be sad, everything will be alright.
Baby don't cry
Don't worry or be sad, everything will be alright.
Baby don't cry
Don't worry or be sad, everything will be alright.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adam Clayton, Dave Evans, Larry Mullen, Paul David Hewson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alejandramesias7684
The sea, it swells like a sore head
And the night, it is aching
Two lovers lie with no sheets on their bed
And the day, it is breaking
On rainy days we go swimming out
On rainy days swimming in the sound
On rainy days we go swimming out
You're in my mind all of the time
I know that's not enough
If the sky can crack there must be some way back
For love and only love
Car alarm won't let you back to sleep
You're kept awake dreaming someone else's dream
Coffee is cold, but it'll get you through
Compromise, that's nothing new to you
Let's see colors that have never been seen
Let's go to places no one else has been
You're in my mind all of the time
I know that's not enough
But if the sky can crack there must be some way back
To love and only love
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Baby, don't cry
It's hot as hell, honey, in this room
Sure hope the weather will break soon
The air is heavy, heavy as a truck
We need the rain to wash away our bad luck
Well, if the sky can crack, there must be some way back
For love and only love
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Baby don't cry
Baby don't cry
Baby don't cry
Baby don't cry
@rickf
Easily the most underrated U2 song, and one of their best videos too.
@chrisspano5812
And of course shot in black-and-white and those lyrics🎼
@bryanclarke9733
So true...this is a great song I'd love to hear again in concert.
@shaneibbs4439
I absolutely adore this track
@fallinginthed33p
Anton Corbijn, one of the best directors around
@stuartpayne2462
Wrong!...it is the best u2 song without a doubt
@actual-360
This song kept me alive when it came out. Everything was crashing down: markets, buildings, my personal life. “If the sky can crack there must be some way back” was like a prayer I said over and over until it was over.
@hotties3v3n
🤎❤🤎❤🤎❤
@laurentdubar2123
@@theresa215 oui c'est bon ça
@paulwhitelaw8444
Wow me too . Lemon . Iris . R u here Iris . She’s here in our time . Boom met her. .Almighty God Iris