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
Helter Skelter
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're stealing it back)
When you get to the bottom
You go back to the top of the slide
And you stop and you turn
And you go for a ride
Then you get to the bottom
Then you see me again
Do you, don't you want me to love you
Coming down fast I'm right here above you
Tell me tell me tell me the answer
Ain't no lover but you ain't no dancer
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Do you, don't you want me to make you
I'm coming down fast now don't let me break you
Tell me tell me tell me the answer
You ain't no lover but you ain't no dancer
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
When you get to the bottom
You go back to the top of the slide
And you turn and you stop
And you go for a ride
Then you get to the bottom
Then you see me again
Do you, don't you want me to love you
Coming down fast I'm right here above you
Tell me tell me tell me the answer
Ain't no lover but you ain't no dancer
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
The U2 cover of "Helter Skelter" by the Beatles is a raucous, intense, and frantic song about the thrill and danger of going on a wild ride. The lyrics depict a journey down a slippery slide, reaching the bottom, and then seeing the singer again. The chorus emphasizes the phrase "helter skelter," originally referenced in a Beatles song by the same title, which became infamous when Charles Manson and his followers used it to describe a supposed race war and the need for the murders of several people, including Sharon Tate.
The opening line, "This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles, we're stealing it back," demonstrates U2's awareness of the song's controversial history, and their decision to reclaim it from the negative connotations associated with Manson's crimes. The verses' lyrics express a desire to love and be loved, along with a sense of urgency to make a connection with the object of the singer's affections. The repetition of the line "tell me the answer" suggests a desperation for clarity and resolution, while the comparison between lover and dancer illustrates the tension between passion and commitment.
Overall, "Helter Skelter" is a song that encapsulates the reckless abandon and desperate pursuit of pleasure that can be found on the edge of danger. It represents an exciting and challenging ride that may not always end safely, but that is worth taking nonetheless.
Line by Line Meaning
When you get to the bottom
When you hit rock bottom
You go back to the top of the slide
You start climbing your way back up
And you stop and you turn
You take a moment to reflect
And you go for a ride
And then you keep moving forward
Then you get to the bottom
And sometimes you fall back down
Then you see me again
But you always have to face the consequences
Do you, don't you want me to love you
Do you want me to care for you or not
Coming down fast I'm right here above you
I'm here for you when you need me
Tell me tell me tell me the answer
Just be honest with me
Ain't no lover but you ain't no dancer
You don't have to be perfect for me to care
Helter skelter
Life can be chaotic and unpredictable
Helter skelter
But you have to keep moving forward
Helter skelter
Despite the ups and downs
When you get to the bottom
When you hit rock bottom
You go back to the top of the slide
You start climbing your way back up
And you turn and you stop
You take a moment to reflect
And you go for a ride
And then you keep moving forward
Then you get to the bottom
And sometimes you fall back down
Then you see me again
But you always have to face the consequences
Do you, don't you want me to make you
Do you want me to help you improve
I'm coming down fast now don't let me break you
I want to help you, but you have to be strong
Tell me tell me tell me the answer
Just be honest with me
You ain't no lover but you ain't no dancer
You don't have to be perfect for me to care
Helter skelter
Life can be chaotic and unpredictable
Helter skelter
But you have to keep moving forward
Helter skelter
Despite the ups and downs
When you get to the bottom
When you hit rock bottom
You go back to the top of the slide
You start climbing your way back up
And you turn and you stop
You take a moment to reflect
And you go for a ride
And then you keep moving forward
Then you get to the bottom
And sometimes you fall back down
Then you see me again
But you always have to face the consequences
Do you, don't you want me to love you
Do you want me to care for you or not
Coming down fast I'm right here above you
I'm here for you when you need me
Tell me tell me tell me the answer
Just be honest with me
Ain't no lover but you ain't no dancer
You don't have to be perfect for me to care
Helter skelter
Life can be chaotic and unpredictable
Helter skelter
But you have to keep moving forward
Helter skelter
Despite the ups and downs
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TRAYANOVA
LYRICS:
When you get to the bottom
You go back to the top of the slide
And you stop and you turn
And you go for a ride
Then you get to the bottom
Then you see me again
Do you, don't you want me to love you
Coming down fast I'm right here above you
Tell me tell me tell me the answer
Ain't no lover but you ain't no dancer
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Do you, don't you want me to make you
I'm coming down fast now don't let me break you
Tell me tell me tell me the answer
You ain't no lover but you ain't no dancer
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
When you get to the bottom
You go back to the top of the slide
And you turn and you stop
And you go for a ride
Then you get to the bottom
Then you see me again
Do you, don't you want me to love you
Coming down fast I'm right here above you
Tell me tell me tell me the answer
Ain't no lover but you ain't no dancer
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter
@robynsegg
I RARELY like Beatles remakes... but U2 TORE THIS UP!!!!!! I GET GOOSEBUMPS EVERY TIME!!!!!
@adi2.054
Motley Crue Motley Crue also did it very well
@ssdivizion
Fantastically beautiful...This is what I call pure rock'n'roll...U2 at the peak of their performances...
@antlereddruid8359
Miki Mecov Beatles version still. Was way better
@leonstraatman1857
@@antlereddruid8359 yeah right.....ha ha ha the beatles.....get the fuck out man please.....😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@jaimelannister1797
Leon Straatman Are you saying the Beatles aren’t good?
@user-bo6dk9rx6z
At least at this song Bono’s voice surpassed mccartney imho
- From a shitless slave region which irritates humanism under hoon-tribe-originated-parasitism and kiki'she' collectivism which is known as the name 'Korea', whose dwellers always steals and begs from Japan's original history which clearly inherited sincere humanity in Ancient Cudara more than its 'original' dwellers in hometown.
@dongutmenge
@@user-bo6dk9rx6z i’ve seen your signature around before. what is it referencing, if you don’t mind my asking?
@TurboJimbo
“We’re capturing the moment in time” Rattle and Hum will long be forgotten but not by U2 fans, an album reaching all four corners of this world !!!
@margaretsch.3609
This is pure poetry in motion and exquisite sound!! I would say they mastered this song! Each of the four does their part PERFECTLY. Magic chemistry together. (The audience is pretty good, too!)