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
Instant Karma
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna knock you right on the head
You better get yourself together
Pretty soon you're gonna be dead
What in the world you thinking of
Laughing in the face of love
What on earth you tryin' to do
It's up to you, yeah you
Instant karmas gonna get you
Gonna look you right in the face
Better get yourself together darlin'
Join the human race
How in the world you gonna see
Laughin' at fools like me
What on earth do you think you are
A super star
Well, right you are
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
On and on and on
Instant karmas gonna get you
Gonna knock you off your feet
Better recognize your brothers
Everyone that you meet
Why in the world are we here
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on earth are you there
When you're everywhere
Come get your share
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah we all shine on
On and on and on and on
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah we all shine on
Come on and on and on and on
Shine on
Shine on
Shine on
Come on and on and on and on
The song "Instant Karma" by U2 is a cover of a single released by John Lennon in 1970. The lyrics address the concept of karma, and how actions have consequences – both good and bad. The song warns listeners that if they don't get their act together, "instant karma's gonna get you, gonna knock you right on the head." The first verse seems to be directed at someone who is laughing at love and not taking it seriously. The second verse urges the listener to join the human race and not think they are better than anyone else. The chorus, "Well we all shine on, like the moon and the stars and the sun," reinforces the idea that we are all equal and have a place in the universe. The final verse calls for recognition of our connection to one another and the importance of coming together as a community.
What makes this song particularly poignant is that it was released just weeks after John Lennon's own death. U2's Bono has cited Lennon as a major influence on his music, and the band recorded their version of "Instant Karma" as a tribute to him. Lennon himself was a strong believer in the power of karma and the idea that what goes around comes around. In a way, the song is a call to action for listeners to recognize their own role in shaping their destiny and the importance of living a life guided by love and compassion.
Line by Line Meaning
Instant karma's gonna get you
You will face the consequences of your actions sooner or later
Gonna knock you right on the head
You will feel the effects of karma as a result of your actions
You better get yourself together
You need to sort yourself out and change your ways
Pretty soon you're gonna be dead
If you continue down your current path, it will lead to your ultimate demise
What in the world you thinking of
What are you even considering doing, it's not worth it
Laughing in the face of love
You are making fun of something so pure and beautiful
What on earth you tryin' to do
What exactly is your plan and why is it so pointless?
It's up to you, yeah you
The choice is yours to make, so choose wisely
Instant karmas gonna get you
You can't escape the law of karma and its effects on your life
Gonna look you right in the face
Karma will force you to confront your mistakes and their effects
Better get yourself together darlin'
You need to change your ways to become a better and more compassionate person
Join the human race
Embrace the shared humanity that makes us all connected
How in the world you gonna see
How can you judge others when you are so blind to your own faults?
Laughin' at fools like me
You are mocking those who are wiser and more compassionate than yourself
What on earth do you think you are
You think you're all that and a bag of chips, but you're not
A superstar
You have delusions of grandeur but it's just an illusion
Well we all shine on
We are all capable of shining, inspiring one another just like the sun, moon and stars
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Our unique brilliance shines in different ways, but we are all connected
On and on and on
Our light keeps shining and inspiring others for generations
Instant karmas gonna get you
You can't escape the consequences of your actions
Gonna knock you off your feet
The reality of karma's impact will overwhelm you
Better recognize your brothers
It's time to embrace the shared humanity that binds us together
Everyone that you meet
Every person you encounter is deserving of respect and compassion
Why in the world are we here
What is the purpose of our existence on this planet?
Surely not to live in pain and fear
We are not meant to suffer, we deserve to live in peace and joy
Why on earth are you there
Why are you living your life so selfishly, with no regard for others?
When you're everywhere
You have the power to make a positive impact everywhere you go
Come get your share
It's time to claim your rightful place in the shared community of humanity
Shine on
Embrace your unique light and let it inspire others
Come on and on and on and on
Our light keeps shining and inspiring others for generations to come
Shine on
Embrace your unique light and let it inspire others
Shine on
Embrace your unique light and let it inspire others
Come on and on and on and on
Our light keeps shining and inspiring others for generations to come
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon
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