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
Red Hill
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The blood runs thin
See faces frozen still
Against the wind
The seam is split
The coal face cracked
The lines are long
Through hands of steel
And heart of stone
Our labor day
Has come and gone
Yeah you leave me holding on
In Red Hill town
See lights go down, I'm
Hanging on
You're all that's left to hold on to
I'm still waiting
I'm hanging on
You're all that's left to hold on to
The glass is cut
The bottle run dry
Our love runs cold
In the caverns of the night
We're wounded by fear
Injured in doubt
I can lose myself
You I can't live without
Yeah you keep me holding on
In Red Hill town
See the lights go down on
I'm hanging on
You're all that's left to hold on to
I'm still waiting
Hanging on
You're all that's left to hold on to, on to
We'll scorch the earth
Set fire to the sky
We stoop so low, to reach so high
A link is lost
The chain undone
We wait all day
For night to come
And it comes
Like a hunter child
I'm hanging on
You're all that's left to hold on to
I'm still waiting
I'm hanging on
You're all that's left to hold on to
Love, slowly stripped away
Love, has seen its better day
Hanging on
The lights go out on Red Hill
The lights go down on Red Hill
Lights go down on Red Hill town
The lights go down on Red Hill
"Red Hill" by U2 appears to be a haunting song about loss and holding on to the remnants of what once was. The opening lines "From father to son, The blood runs thin" seem to be a reflection on the passing of time and how the memories of the past can fade over time. The "faces frozen still, against the wind" could signify a residue of the past, a lingering feeling that falls upon the singer like a heavy wind, blowing in from Red Hill.
The lyrics "The seam is split, The coal face cracked" could indicate the struggles of a community or a people trying to uphold an industry in the face of challenging circumstances. The "hands of steel and the heart of stone" suggest the kind of resilience such a community might need to endure tough situations.
The chorus of the song expresses the feeling of being left to hold on to something that is slipping away, with just the memories of the past to cling to. The singer is holding on to something that is disappearing into the night, and the lights of Red Hill go down, leaving him with nothing but memories.
Overall, "Red Hill" appears to be a poignant reflection on loss, memory, and endurance in the face of difficult times, with the singer holding on to the past and the remnants of what once was.
Line by Line Meaning
From father to son
The inheritance of values and problems from one generation to the next
The blood runs thin
The connection and shared characteristics between family members become weaker over time
See faces frozen still
The feeling of being stuck in a moment that never changes
Against the wind
Persevering and facing challenges despite resistance
The seam is split
A separation and division in something that was once united
The coal face cracked
The damage caused by the difficulties of working hard labor
The lines are long
The monotony and exhaustion of the daily grind
There's no going back
You can't change the past or undo what has been done
Through hands of steel
Facing difficulties with strength and perseverance
And heart of stone
The difficult choice of relying solely on logic and not emotions to make decisions
Our labor day
A celebration of the workers who have built the foundation of society
Has come and gone
The passage of time and the end of a stage in life or society
Yeah you leave me holding on
The feeling of being left behind and holding onto something that is no longer there
In Red Hill town
A specific location and setting where the events are taking place
See lights go down, I'm
The descent into darkness or despair
Hanging on
The determination and stubbornness to not give up
You're all that's left to hold on to
The only thing left to cling onto for support or hope
The glass is cut
The pain and harm caused by something fragile breaking
The bottle run dry
The depletion and emptiness of something that once brought pleasure or comfort
Our love runs cold
The loss of affection and warmth in a relationship
In the caverns of the night
The hidden and dark parts of one's mind or emotions
We're wounded by fear
The emotional scars and damage caused by anxiety or terror
Injured in doubt
The pain and confusion that comes with uncertainty and questioning
I can lose myself
The ability to become completely absorbed in one's thoughts or emotions
You I can't live without
The deep dependence on someone else for happiness and survival
Yeah you keep me holding on
The feeling of being pulled back from the brink of giving up by someone or something else
We'll scorch the earth
The urge to leave an impact, even at the expense of destruction
Set fire to the sky
The desire to reach for something seemingly impossible, no matter the cost
We stoop so low, to reach so high
The sacrifice and toil required to achieve lofty goals
A link is lost
The sudden end of a connection or relationship
The chain undone
The breaking of a strong bond or tradition
We wait all day
The feeling of anticipation that lingers throughout the day
For night to come
The hope that darkness will bring peace or closure
And it comes
The fulfillment or arrival of something long awaited
Like a hunter child
An innocent and natural reaction to the culmination of events
Love, slowly stripped away
The gradual fading of affection and connection in a relationship
Love, has seen its better day
The recognition that love in the past was purer or stronger
The lights go out on Red Hill
The complete darkness and loss of hope in the specific location of Red Hill
The lights go down on Red Hill
The gradual descent into despair and hopelessness in the specific location of Red Hill
Lights go down on Red Hill town
The darkness and loss of hope in the entire town of Red Hill
The lights go down on Red Hill
The complete darkness and loss of hope in the specific location of Red Hill
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM CLAYTON, DAVE EVANS, LARRY MULLEN, PAUL HEWSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paolac.5576
"From father to son
The blood runs thin
See faces frozen still
Against the wind
The seam is split
The coal face cracked
The lines are long
There's no going back
Through hands of steel
And heart of stone
Our labor day
Has come and gone
Yeah you leave me holding on
In Red Hill town
See lights go down, I'm
Hanging on
You're all that's left to hold on to
I'm still waiting
I'm hanging on
You're all that's left to hold on to
The glass is cut
The bottle run dry
Our love runs cold
In the caverns of the night
We're wounded by fear
Injured in doubt
I can lose myself
You I can't live without
Yeah you keep me holding on
In Red Hill town
See the lights go down on
I'm hanging on
You're all that's left to hold on to
I'm still waiting
Hanging on
You're all that's left to hold on to, on to
We'll scorch the earth
Set fire to the sky
We stoop so low, to reach so high
A link is lost
The chain undone
We wait all day
For night to come
And it comes
Like a hunter child
I'm hanging on
You're all that's left to hold on to
I'm still waiting
I'm hanging on
You're all that's left to hold on to
Love, slowly stripped away
Love, has seen its better day
Hanging on
The lights go out on Red Hill
The lights go down on Red Hill
Lights go down on Red Hill town
The lights go down on Red Hill".
(Me llena de sentimiento...
Dedicada a mis padres).
@c165vin
This might be the one song that slipped by the critics and listeners. This is a pure masterpiece. One of U2's best ever
@sandwichsteen
I have always been fairly amazed with this song
@melissadalessandro7236
I agree
@kevindavis3234
On an album FULL of hits, this song is still the best of the lot (in my opinion). I think if this was put on any other album, it would have been a huge hit.
But honestly? I like it as it is, a secret little masterpiece for those of us who grew up listening to The Joshua Tree.
@MrBogus213
Seriously! I mean, Joshua Tree is magnificent from start to finish.
@vincentwhitley1119
My fave from an album of faves. This was Bono's Baby and it kicked his Ass...The band had about 23 songs to cull for the album, many weren't finished, including this one, and they simply didn't have time to spend on it. Bono couldn't get the right sound, arrangement, etc and U2 had already Tabled it for a future time but Bono kept on it. It's a song about Divorce in a Coal Mining town and Bono wanted it on Joshua Tree. This has the best vocals he ever recorded and is only performed live when he feels his voice will hold up while he sings mostly out of Range
@lucasdamotta2931
Joshua Tree is a immortal masterpiece of music history.
@lucaanconetani1821
absolutely true ! :)
@blakeelzinga1168
one of the most important albums of all time!
@sharonguyver88
Absolutely!