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
One-Unchained Melody
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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 nothin' 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
The lyrics to "One" by U2 and REM explore the complex emotions and dynamics that exist within a relationship. The central theme of the song is unity, but also the differences that exist between two people who are committed to each other. The opening lines of the song, "Is it getting better? Or do you feel the same?" set the tone for the introspection that follows.
The idea of one love, one life is repeated throughout the song, and is juxtaposed with the idea of blaming someone for one's problems. The lyrics suggest that even though we are one, we are not the same, and this can lead to misunderstanding and hurt. The lines "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" call attention to the fragility of love and the hurt that can result from a relationship.
The final verse of the song delves into deeper questions about forgiveness, mortality, and redemption. The lyrics "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" pose challenging questions about one's role in the world and our responsibility to others. The closing lines are a reminder that even though we are not the same, we are still bound together by our shared humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
Is it getting better?
Are we improving, progressing?
Or do you feel the same?
Or are we stagnant?
Will it make it easier on you now?
Will it be less difficult for you?
You got someone to blame
You have found someone to hold responsible
You say, one love, one life
You profess that love and life are unified
When it's one need in the night
When it is a singular need at night
One love, we get to share it
The love is a shared experience
Leaves you baby if you don't care for it
Goes away if you show disinterest or neglect
Did I disappoint you?
Have I let you down?
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth?
Or caused you to have unpleasant feelings?
You act like you never had love
You display behaviors as if you have never experienced love before
And you want me to go without
And you desire for me to suffer alone
Well it's too late tonight
Presently, it is too late
To drag the past out into the light
To bring up previous issues
We're one but we're not the same
We are joined but different
We get to carry each other, carry each other
We have the privilege and obligation to support one another
One!
Unified!
Have you come here for forgiveness?
Are you here to seek pardon?
Have you come to raise the dead?
Are you here to resurrect the deceased?
Have you come here to play Jesus?
Are you attempting to act like Jesus?
To the lepers in your head
To the outcasts in your mind
Did I ask too much? More than a lot
Did I make an unreasonable request?
You gave me nothin' now it's all I got
You provided me with nothing and now it's all I possess
Well we hurt each other then we do it again
We harm each other yet continue to repeat the same actions
You say love is a temple, love a higher law
You profess that love is sacred and of higher importance
Love is a temple, love the higher law
Love is sacred and to be esteemed
You ask me to enter but then you make me crawl
You request for me to join, but then make it difficult for me to do so
And I can't be holdin' on to what you got
I cannot continue to hold on to what you possess
When all you got is hurt
When all that you have is pain
One love, one blood
A singular love and connection
One life, you got to do what you should
A singular existence, and one should do what is right
One life, with each other
A singular existence, and we are in this together
Sisters, brothers
We are like siblings
One life but we're not the same
Even though we share a life, we differ
We get to carry each other, carry each other
We have the privilege and obligation to support one another
One
Unified!
Writer(s): A. NORTH, H. ZARET
Contributed by Tyler O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@oncavegana24
Oh, my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me
Lonely rivers flow
To the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh
"Wait for me, wait for me"
I'll be coming home, wait for me
Oh, my love, my darling
I've hungered, for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me
You're welcome
@kevinkarimi
My wife died in a car accident, we were both in the car together singing to this song when we were hit by a drunk driver. She was the most amazing person in the world. Last thing she said to me was stop crying and sing to me. She was 34.
@orduni90
I'm terribly sorry....
@roddyrodrodrod
Sorry to hear this..
@dudeette1814
Your wife sounds like she was an amazing person
@Patricia-df2ks
So sorry 💖
@gulzhankanaeva4359
Oh, how terribly sad 😔 😟
@davo455
Damn...they were so young...we were so young...it was yesterday, and a thousand years ago.
@ALEX-zw2gk
Yes. Si. Che nostalgia.
@wanderalmeida9584
Yes, and I´m 50 years old now. Greetings from Brazil.
@ALEX-zw2gk
@@wanderalmeida9584 Me too. GREETINGS from Italy 🌹♥️🦄🧚♂️