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
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't use it anymore.
It's gettin' dark, too dark for me to see
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Mama, put my guns in the ground
I can't shoot them anymore.
That long black cloud is comin' down
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
The lyrics of U2's Knockin' on Heaven's Door express despair, confusion and a feeling of impending doom. The singer seems to be asking for his mother's help, requesting that she removes his badge, possibly representing a symbol of his former life or the authority that he no longer wishes to be part of. He feels lost in the darkness and unable to see what lies ahead of him, comparing his situation to knocking on heaven's door, suggesting that he may be close to death or facing a major change.
The second verse furthers this sense of finality, with the singer asking his mother to bury his guns, indicating that he no longer has the means to protect himself or take violent action. He references a "long black cloud" that is coming down, creating a gloomy and ominous atmosphere. This could represent an impending sense of doom, perhaps as a result of his own actions or the world around him.
Overall, the song seems to deal with themes of loss, regret, and the consequences of one's actions. The lyrics are reflective, expressing a sense of resignation and a desire to find peace in difficult circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama, take this badge off of me
The persona is suffering and wants to leave their current situation or identity.
I can't use it anymore.
They feel helpless and incapable of continuing with their current situation.
It's gettin' dark, too dark for me to see
Their situation is becoming worse and obscure, and they are losing sight of a solution to their predicament.
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.
The persona feels like they might not make it to the end and looks to their fate with apprehension and foreboding.
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
The repeated knock is a poignant reference to their knocking on death's door.
Mama, put my guns in the ground
The persona seeks to put down or desist from whatever activity or behavior caused them to be in their current state.
I can't shoot them anymore.
They no longer have the energy or life to continue doing whatever they are doing.
That long black cloud is comin' down
An ominous sign that something terrible is about to happen to the persona.
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.
The persona feels like they might not make it to the end and looks to their fate with apprehension and foreboding.
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
The repeated knock is a poignant reference to their knocking on death's door.
Contributed by Aiden V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jonas_acustico
Saca a humildade dos caras deixarem alguem tocar junto com eles e ainda por cima tocam uma canção clássica e em grande performance. Isso é demais
@leonelfranciscodossantossa872
Jon Jonas o grande problema de algumas pessoas que são tão pequena que se sente grande e importante ao ponto de querer humilhar teus irmãos , aí está um pouco de amor ao próximo sem duvida um tapa na cara dos hipócritas ...
@celiasaomartinho8636
Até sinto arrepios...
@sebastiaorodrigues2257
Muito bom
@chadhickey9527
This was personal, sang from the soul, you could feel it.
@abracofortebass
Amo todas as versões dessa musica e acho que o verdadeiro valor dessa musica esta no sentido que ela tras as nossas vidas I Love all the versions of this music, and I thinq the true value about this Music is the Way, of it bring for our lives
@Dani5998
Me encanta la canción original y real mente aunque unas mas que otras me encantan todas sus versiones.
@liadelalamo9190
uau!!!que privilegio tocar com u-2!!!!
@louis.manteau.guitars
Magnifique, le rêve de la plupart des fan de U2, avoir la chance de jouer avec eux sur scène... waou
@bettyespinozalira8624
Q voz tan hermosa, man!