U2 is an Irish alternative rock band from Dublin formed in 1976. The group… Read Full Bio ↴U2 is an Irish alternative rock band from Dublin formed in 1976. The group consists of Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion). Initially rooted in post-punk, U2's musical style evolved throughout their career, yet has maintained an anthemic sound built on Bono's expressive vocals and the Edge's effects-based guitar textures. Their lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal and sociopolitical themes. Popular for their live performances, the group has staged several ambitious and elaborate tours over their career.

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

Falling At Your Feet
U2 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Every chip from every cup
Every promise given up
Every reason that's not enough
Is falling, falling at your feet

Every band elastic limit
Every race when there's nothing in it
Every winner that's lost a ticket

Is falling, falling at your feet
I've come crawling, falling at your feet

Everyone who needs a friend
Every life that has no end
Every knee not ready to bend
Is falling, falling at your feet
I've come crawling, now I'm falling at your feet

All fall down (All the manic dazed faces that you pull)
All fall down (All the action is not under your control)
All fall down (The graffiti rolling down off of your tongue)
All fall down (And the compromise you make for some)

Every teenager with acne
Every face that's spoiled by beauty
Every adult tamed by duty
They're all falling at your feet

Every foot in every face
Every cop's stop who finds the grace
Every prisoner in the maze
Every hand that needs an ace
Is falling, falling at your feet
I've come crawling, and I'm falling at your feet

(All fall down) All the books you never read
(All fall down) Just started
(All fall down) All the meals you rushed
(All fall down) Never tasted

Every eye closed by a bruise
Every player who just can't lose
Every pop star howling abuse
Every drunk back on the booze
All falling at your feet
Oh I'm falling at your feet

(All fall down) All the information
(All fall down) All the big ideas
(All fall down) All the radio waves
(All fall down) Electronic seas
(All fall down) How to navigate
(All fall down) How to simply be
(All fall down) To know when to wait
(All fall down) This plain simplicity
(All fall down) In whom shall I trust
(All fall down) How might I be still

(All fall down) Teach me to surrender
(All fall down) Not my will, thy will

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of U2's song Falling at Your Feet talk about the idea of surrendering to something greater than oneself. The singer talks about how every obstacle, every limitation, and every struggle is falling at the feet of a higher power. The concept of surrendering is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the idea of letting go and allowing oneself to be guided by a force beyond their control. The lyrics suggest that surrendering is not a weakness, but rather a strength that allows one to find peace and purpose.

The song also touches on the idea of human connection and the universal struggles that we share. The singer mentions every teenager with acne and every face that's spoiled by beauty, suggesting that even those who seem to have it all, still experience pain and vulnerability. The lyrics mention every life that has no end, emphasizing the idea that we are all part of something greater than ourselves and that our struggles are part of a collective human experience. The song ends with the singer asking to be taught how to surrender, to be still, and to let go of their own will, suggesting that true surrender requires humility and a willingness to learn.

Line by Line Meaning

Every chip from every cup
Every small thing or mistake from every aspect of life

Every promise given up
Every broken commitment or unfulfilled expectation

Every reason that's not enough
Every insufficient or inadequate justification

Is falling, falling at your feet
All these things that are falling short are directed towards you, and you hold their power and significance

Every band elastic limit
Every band's breaking point or limit

Every race when there's nothing in it
Every competition that seems pointless or has no winner

Every winner that's lost a ticket
Every person who has achieved success but has lost their way or their means of obtaining it

I've come crawling, falling at your feet
I am submitting to your power and control, and surrendering to your influence

Everyone who needs a friend
Every person who is lonely or seeking companionship

Every life that has no end
Every eternal or limitless existence

Every knee not ready to bend
Every person who is refusing to submit or give in

All fall down (All the manic dazed faces that you pull)
Everyone eventually crumbles and surrenders to your will, no matter how intense their resistance may be

All fall down (All the action is not under your control)
All actions and consequences are ultimately under your control and influence

All fall down (The graffiti rolling down off of your tongue)
The words and ideas you express have significant impact and can cause others to crumble or surrender

All fall down (And the compromise you make for some)
In order to maintain power and control, you may need to make compromises or sacrifices

Every teenager with acne
Every young person struggling with physical imperfections or insecurities

Every face that's spoiled by beauty
Every person whose physical attractiveness has caused them to become entitled or arrogant

Every adult tamed by duty
Every person who has lost their sense of individuality or spontaneity due to societal obligations

They're all falling at your feet
All these people and their struggles are directed towards you, and you hold their power and significance

Every foot in every face
Every instance of oppression or violence towards others

Every cop's stop who finds the grace
Every instance of forgiveness or mercy shown by law enforcement

Every prisoner in the maze
Every person trapped in a cycle of hardship or negativity

Every hand that needs an ace
Every person who needs a helping hand or lucky break in life

Oh I'm falling at your feet
I too am surrendering to your power and influence

All fall down (All the books you never read)
The knowledge and information you choose not to consume or seek out will eventually lead to your own downfall

All fall down (Just started)
Even when we believe we are just getting started, we are already susceptible to falling and surrendering

All fall down (All the meals you rushed)
The things and experiences we overlook or rush through will eventually lead to our own downfall

All fall down (Never tasted)
The things and experiences we choose not to indulge in or explore will eventually lead to our own downfall

Every eye closed by a bruise
Every person who is dealing with emotional or physical pain

Every player who just can't lose
Every person who is too prideful or overconfident to accept defeat

Every pop star howling abuse
Every person who abuses their power or fame to hurt others

Every drunk back on the booze
Every person who is struggling with addiction or is trapped in a negative cycle

All falling at your feet
All these people and their struggles are directed towards you, and you hold their power and significance

All fall down (All the information)
The knowledge and data we consume and spread will eventually lead to our own downfall

All fall down (All the big ideas)
The grand notions and plans we have will eventually fall apart or be proven meaningless

All fall down (All the radio waves)
The media and messages we consume and propagate will eventually lead to our own downfall

All fall down (Electronic seas)
The endless digital information and connection we experience will eventually lead to our own downfall

All fall down (How to navigate)
Even when we believe we know how to navigate life and its challenges, we are still susceptible to falling and surrendering

All fall down (How to simply be)
Even when we believe we know how to live a simple or fulfilling life, we are still susceptible to falling and surrendering

All fall down (To know when to wait)
Even when we believe we know when to be patient or wait for things to come our way, we are still susceptible to falling and surrendering

All fall down (This plain simplicity)
Even the most basic or straightforward aspects of life can still lead to our own downfall or surrender

All fall down (In whom shall I trust)
Even when we place our trust in someone or something, we are still susceptible to falling and surrendering

All fall down (How might I be still)
Even when we try to be still or find peace, we are still susceptible to falling and surrendering

All fall down (Teach me to surrender)
Even when we seek guidance or help in surrendering, we are still susceptible to falling and surrendering

All fall down (Not my will, thy will)
Even when we try to align our own will with a higher power, we are still susceptible to falling and surrendering to our own flawed nature

Contributed by Addison Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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