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
Hold Me
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You just know what you've got
Oh Lordy, you've been stealing
From the thieves and you got caught
In the headlights of a stretch car
You're a star
Dressing like your sister
They don't know what you're doing
Babe, it must be art
You're a headache, in a suitcase
You're a star
Oh no, don't be shy
You don't have to go blind
Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me
You don't know how you got here
You just know you want out
Believing in yourself
Almost as much as you doubt
You're a big smash
You wear it like a rash
Star
Oh no, don't be shy
It's a crime to cry
Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me
They want you to be Jesus
Now go down on one knee
But they want their money back
If you're alive at thirty-three
And you're turning tricks
With your crucifix
You're a star
Ooh child
Of course you're not shy
You don't have to deny love
Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me
The song "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" by U2 is a complex and intense exploration of the dichotomy between fame and the darker aspects of celebrity culture. The lyrics describe a protagonist who is caught up in the glamour and excitement of fame, but is also aware of the destructive nature of the industry. The opening lines set the scene for a story of a person who has been stealing from the thieves and has been caught in the headlights of a stretch car, which makes the concept of being famous scarier than ever.
The singer is dressing like their sister, living like a tart and is almost living their life as an art form. They're a headache in a suitcase, but still they're a star, indicating that their celebrity status is not as glamorous as it seems. The chorus, "Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me" seems to express the singer's desire to be desired by the audience, but also their fear of being trapped by their fame. The second verse mentions the singer's feeling of being trapped and the desire to escape, but also the ambivalence they feel towards their own talent.
The final lines suggest that, despite the singer's awareness of the dangers of fame, they have sold themselves out in some way - turning tricks with their crucifix - and have become a commodity to be bought and sold by the industry. Overall, the song is a powerful and complex exploration of the potentially destructive nature of fame, and the way that even those who are able to achieve great success can struggle with the darker side of celebrity culture.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't know how you took it
You don't understand how it happened
You just know what you've got
You simply possess something
Oh Lordy, you've been stealing
My goodness, you've been taking things
From the thieves and you got caught
You stole from other criminals and were caught
In the headlights of a stretch car
You were caught in the glare of a long car's lights
You're a star
You are a celebrity
Dressing like your sister
Wearing clothing like your female sibling
Living like a tart
Living like a promiscuous woman
They don't know what you're doing
Others do not comprehend your actions
Babe, it must be art
It is possibly a type of artwork
You're a headache, in a suitcase
Conveniently transportable and unpleasant
Oh no, don't be shy
Do not be hesitant
You don't have to go blind
It is not necessary to become blind
Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me
Embrace me, excite me, kiss me passionately, or kill me
You don't know how you got here
You don't understand how you arrived at this location
You just know you want out
You only know that you want to depart
Believing in yourself
Having faith in oneself
Almost as much as you doubt
Almost, but not quite, as much as you disbelieve
You're a big smash
You have become very popular or successful
You wear it like a rash
You display it as if it were a skin inflammation
They want you to be Jesus
They want you to mimic Jesus Christ
Now go down on one knee
Kneel on one leg
But they want their money back
They would like a refund
If you're alive at thirty-three
If you are still living at the age of thirty-three
And you're turning tricks
Engaged in prostitution
With your crucifix
While holding your cross
Ooh child
Oh young person
Of course you're not shy
Obviously, you are not hesitant
You don't have to deny love
You do not need to reject love
Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me
Embrace me, excite me, kiss me passionately, or kill me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM CLAYTON, DAVE EVANS, LARRY MULLEN, PAUL HEWSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MarvelousM1225
This is one of those songs that reminds you , that you grew up in an epic era of everything
@briandivincenzo279
Facts.... born in 1988.... remember all of the cool shit the 90s and 2000s had to offer....I had the Batman Forever soundtrack on cassette.
@aaronhemme8913
Born in 1991, Child of the 90s and early 2000s. I had Batman Forever on VHS 📼 as a kid. Although the first live action superhero movie I saw in theaters was the first Spider-Man movie by Sam Raimi. Good times.
@patrickbyrne5070
Amen
@Jmacd799999
@@briandivincenzo279 you were 2 when the 90s hit you didn't experience shit except some epic cartoons at best
@j.rduran1915
music epic!
@ghariiscool
The violins and guitars on this song are phenomenal
@kepler5842
violines y guitarras es la combinación genial!!
@hubertbarrett3934
Satan is a bitch.....
🥊🕊️💞🔥💞✝️💞🔥💞🕊️🥊
@Janky2912
Instruments, it's how music used to be made,