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
I’m Not Your Baby
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even the words do what I say, oh babe, got to get away
To be impossible, isn't that difficult
In the city you're invisible, when you come from a small town
Everything is all right, everything is all right
I'm not your baby, please
I'm not your mother, you're not my man, I'm not your baby
Don't treat me like I'm a trick, I won't treat you like you're a prick
Don't need no doctor, I'm not ill, I'm not your baby
Everything is all right, everything is all right
I'm not your baby, please
Cut out the poetry, lets hit the main artery
No time for a tourniquet, the colors all run out of me
You brought me all kinds of goods, now my heart is so full up it hurts
It's heavy as a shopping bag, it's full of things I should give back
Everything is all right, everything is all right
I'm not your baby, please
I'm not your baby
I'm not your baby
Don't want you to cover me, smother me or mother me
I like to feel this incomplete, I'm not your baby
Everything is all right, everything is all right
I'm not your baby, please
Not dizzy, just busy, didn't drink nothing fizzy
No pills to feel easy, don't know what got into me
Daylight's a kind of robbery, the night is your geography
So you're not white, you're pink and rosy
You could be right, but you're way above me
Me, I'm in recovery, a star of pornography
I'm a tourist, there's a lot to see
You don't like the photographs of me
So you've got a lot to say
You don't sleep around, but sometimes you stray
You don't believe, often times you pray
For something, what is it babe
Don't treat me like I'm a trick, I won't treat you like you're a prick
Don't need no doctor, I'm not sick, I'm not your baby
Everything is all right, everything is all right
I'm not your baby, please
I'm not your baby, I'm not your baby, I'm not your baby
I'm not your baby, I'm not your baby, I'm not your baby
I'm not your baby
The lyrics to U2's "I'm Not Your Baby" speak of individuality and independence, with a rejection of being controlled or defined by others. The opening verses express the joy of feeling unstoppable and invincible, freed from the constraints of small-town life. The chorus repeats the titular refrain "I'm not your baby" as a defiant declaration of personal autonomy.
The second section of the song addresses a hypothetical lover who seeks to mold the singer into a submissive role, insisting on the distance between them and rejecting the notion of being a trick or a mother. The third section moves into darker territory, with references to drug use and a sense of detachment. The final verse hints at a troubled past or an occupation in the porn industry before closing with a repetition of the central theme of self-assertion.
Overall, the lyrics of "I'm Not Your Baby" emphasize the importance of individuality and resisting attempts to control or define one's identity. The verses present a strong-willed character who refuses to be pigeonholed or dominated by others, while the chorus acts as a rallying cry for anyone facing similar struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a beautiful day today, everything is going my way
I am really happy today and feel like everything is going well for me
Even the words do what I say, oh babe, got to get away
I am feeling so confident that even the words I use seem to do what I want them to, and I feel like I need to escape because of it
To be impossible, isn't that difficult
Being impossible might not actually be that hard to achieve
In the city you're invisible, when you come from a small town
When you're from a small town, you stick out like a sore thumb in the city and nobody notices you
Everything is all right, everything is all right
I'm trying to convince myself that everything is okay
I'm not your baby, please
I don't want you to treat me like a child or call me 'baby'
A tourist in a traffic jam, baby sham and handy cam
I feel out of place and like a tourist, stuck in a traffic jam with a fake drink and a cheap camera
I'm not your mother, you're not my man, I'm not your baby
I don't want to be responsible for you like a mother would be, and we are not in a romantic relationship, so don't call me 'baby'
Don't treat me like I'm a trick, I won't treat you like you're a prick
Don't try to deceive or manipulate me, and I won't treat you with disrespect
Don't need no doctor, I'm not ill, I'm not your baby
I don't need someone to fix me or take care of me, and I don't want you to treat me like a child
Cut out the poetry, lets hit the main artery
Stop being so flowery with your language and let's get to the point
No time for a tourniquet, the colors all run out of me
We don't have time to fix things, and I feel drained of energy and emotion
You brought me all kinds of goods, now my heart is so full up it hurts
You have given me everything, but now my heart feels overwhelmed and painful
It's heavy as a shopping bag, it's full of things I should give back
My heart is weighed down like a heavy shopping bag, full of things I feel like I owe or need to return
Don't want you to cover me, smother me or mother me
I don't want you to be overbearing or try to take care of me like a mother would
I like to feel this incomplete, I'm not your baby
I am comfortable feeling like something is missing or unfinished in my life, and I don't want you to treat me like a child
Not dizzy, just busy, didn't drink nothing fizzy
I'm not feeling dizzy, just busy and haven't had anything carbonated to drink
No pills to feel easy, don't know what got into me
I'm not taking any medication to feel relaxed, and I'm not sure why I'm feeling the way I am
Daylight's a kind of robbery, the night is your geography
Being out in the daylight often feels like you're being robbed of something, but the night belongs to you and is where you feel most comfortable
So you're not white, you're pink and rosy
You aren't just a black and white situation, there are shades of color to consider
You could be right, but you're way above me
You might have a point, but you are much smarter or more experienced than I am
Me, I'm in recovery, a star of pornography
I am working through my own issues and struggles, and have been in adult films
I'm a tourist, there's a lot to see
I am still exploring and figuring things out in life
You don't like the photographs of me
You aren't a fan of how I look in pictures
So you've got a lot to say
You have plenty of opinions and things to criticize about me
You don't sleep around, but sometimes you stray
You aren't someone who has many partners, but you do stray from what is expected of you at times
You don't believe, often times you pray
You aren't a believer in everything, but you do pray frequently
For something, what is it babe
You pray for something, but you aren't sure what it is
I'm not your baby
I am not your child or dependent
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adam Clayton, David Evans, Laurence Mullen, Paul David Hewson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
A me
on eleven o' clock tick tock
And girls can make children but not like this one...so will just have to walk around with a painted face then...
LMewdowlark
on One
Baby, baby, baby, I know I'm not alone
Ha, ha, ha
Oh, it's not a hill it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
You see, for me, I've been shouting
Let's shout into the darkness, squeeze out sparks of light
You know we're gonna go crazy, you know we'll go crazy
You know we'll go crazy, if we don't go crazy tonight
Oh, slowly
Oh
Hold me slow
Again, these are the wrong lyrics. They are not the lyrics for 'One' but a different song. I pasted the correct lyrics in my other comment.
LMewdowlark
on One
And there's a part of you that wants me to riot
Everybody needs to cry or needs to spit
Every sweet-tooth needs just a little hit
Every beauty needs to go out with an idiot
How can you stand next to the truth and not see it?
Oh, change of heart comes slow
It's not a hill, it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
Do you believe me or are you doubting?
We're gonna make it all the way to the light
But I know I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight
Every generation gets a chance to change the world
Pity the nation that won't listen to you boys and girls
Is the sweetest melody the one we haven't heard?
Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear?
The right to be ridiculous is something I hold dear
Oh, but change of heart comes slow
It's not a hill, it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
You see, for me, I've been shouting
But we're gonna make it all the way to the light
But I know I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight
Is it getting better
Or do you feel the same?
Will it make it easier on you now
You got someone to blame?
You say, one love, one life
When it's one need in the night
One love, we get to share it
Leaves you, baby, if you don't care for it
Did I disappoint you
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth?
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go without
Well, it's too late tonight
To drag the past out into the light
We're one, but we're not the same
We get to carry each other, carry each other
One
Have you come here for forgiveness?
Have you come to raise the dead?
Have you come here to play Jesus?
To the lepers in your head
Did I ask too much? More than a lot
You gave me nothing, now it's all I got
We're one but we're not the same
Well, we hurt each other then we do it again
You say love is a temple, love a higher law
Love is a temple, love the higher law
You ask me to enter but then you make me crawl
And I can't be holdin' on to what you got
When all you got is hurt
One love, one blood
One life, you got to do what you should
One life with each other
Sisters, brothers
One life but we're not the same
We get to carry each other, carry each other
One
One