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
Staring At The Sun
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Summer dresses pass
In the shade of a willow tree
Creeps a crawling over me
Over me and over you
Stuck together with God's glue
It's going to get stickier too
It's been a long hot summer
Don't try too hard to think
Don't think at all
I'm not the only one
Starin' at the sun
Afraid of what you'd find
If you took a look inside
Not just deaf and dumb
Staring at the sun
Not the only one
Who's happy to go blind
There's an insect in your ear
If you scratch it won't disappear
It's gonna itch and burn and sting
Do you want to see what the scratching brings
Waves that leave me out of reach
Breaking on your back like a beach
Will we ever live in peace?
'Cause those that can't do often have to
And those that can't do often have to preach
To the ones staring at the sun
Afraid of what you'd find
If you took a look inside
Not just deaf and dumb
Staring at the sun
I'm not the only one
Who'd rather go blind
Intransigence is all around
Military still in town
Armour plated suits and ties
Daddy just won't say goodbye
Referee won't blow the whistle
God is good but will he listen
I'm nearly great
But there's something I'm missing
But I'm feeling like duty free, ah
You never really belonged to me
You're not the only one
Starin' at the sun
Afraid of what you'd find
If you stepped back inside
I'm not sucking on my thumb
I'm staring at the sun
Not the only one
Who's happy to go blind
Ah ah I
Ah ah I
Ah ah I
Ah ah I
The lyrics of Staring at the Sun by U2 tells a melancholic story about the fear of self-reflection and the desperation to escape from reality. The song starts with a description of a typical summer day where everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, but the singer feels trapped in his/her own thoughts. The lines "Summer stretching on the grass, Summer dresses pass" sets the idyllic scene which is then contrasted by the seemingly endless internal struggles of the singer.
The narrative of the song is about the visceral fear of what one might discover when one takes a closer look at themselves. The lyrics "Afraid of what you'd find, If you took a look inside" signifies this feeling. The singer is peering within, but not allowing themselves to fully delve into their thoughts. The idea of being "not just deaf and dumb" highlights the self-awareness of the singer and everyone else who experiences these moments of inner-conflict. They are not "dumb" to the realities of their own lives but lack the courage to face them head-on.
The latter parts of the song express a sense of frustration over the lack of progress in global issues such as conflict and peace. The lyrics "Intransigence is all around, Military still in town" poetically lament the bleak reality of the world. It is also about the struggle of one's own identity in a world that encourages conformity. The metaphor of the insect in the ear and the need to scratch it away signify the discomfort one feels in their own skin.
Overall, Staring at the Sun portrays the human tendency to shy away from tough questions about life and the world. It is a powerful commentary on how one's own perspectives can shape their reality, but it's also a plea for people to break free from their self-imposed limitations and strive to make a change.
Line by Line Meaning
Summer stretching on the grass
The season of summer is spreading out over the grass
Summer dresses pass
People wearing summer outfits are walking past
In the shade of a willow tree
Beneath the shadow of a willow tree
Creeps a crawling over me
I am being slowly covered by a creeping object
Over me and over you
Both of us are affected by this slow creeping sensation
Stuck together with God's glue
We are bound together with an unbreakable force
It's going to get stickier too
Our bond is only going to get stronger
It's been a long hot summer
This summer season has been lengthy and hot
Let's get undercover
Let's find some shelter from the heat
Don't try too hard to think
Don't overthink the situation
Don't think at all
Just let your mind be blank
I'm not the only one
Others are also in the same situation
Starin' at the sun
We're staring at the bright, hot sun
Afraid of what you'd find
Fearful of what may come to light
If you took a look inside
If you explore your own thoughts
Not just deaf and dumb
Not just unable to hear or speak, but also ignorant
Who's happy to go blind
Some people are content to remain ignorant
There's an insect in your ear
You have a bug inside your ear
If you scratch it won't disappear
Scratching won't make it go away
It's gonna itch and burn and sting
You'll feel itchy, painful sensations if you scratch it
Do you want to see what the scratching brings
Do you want to know the consequences of scratching it?
Waves that leave me out of reach
Life's ups and downs push me further away from my goals
Breaking on your back like a beach
Problems are crashing on you like waves onto a shore
Will we ever live in peace?
Is it possible to live without conflict?
'Cause those that can't do often have to
Those who lack ability have to find other means to succeed
And those that can't do often have to preach
Those who are unable to accomplish may resort to talking about it instead
To the ones staring at the sun
Addressing the people who are gazing directly at the sun
I'm not sucking on my thumb
I'm not being childish or naive
Intransigence is all around
There is a lot of unyielding and stubborn behavior everywhere
Military still in town
The military is still present in the area
Armour plated suits and ties
The people in charge are heavily protected and wear fancy clothing
Daddy just won't say goodbye
My father figure won't leave me alone
Referee won't blow the whistle
The decision-maker won't make a call
God is good but will he listen
Although God is said to be benevolent, will he actually hear my prayers?
I'm nearly great
I'm almost successful
But there's something I'm missing
I still lack something important
But I'm feeling like duty free, ah
But I feel a sense of freedom and liberation
You never really belonged to me
You were never truly mine
Who'd rather go blind
Someone who would rather not know the truth, even if it blinds them
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM CLAYTON, DAVE EVANS, LARRY MULLEN, PAUL HEWSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DaFuqBoom
Windmill windmill for the land... ;D
@Jonathan-hy3pv
I see you're not the only one who found staring at the sun and feel good inc similar
@haraldbuit4215
Another highlight from the underrated and misunderstood Pop-album
@gabrielsegurado
best album ever
@mifuerzamorales
Yes...best album!!In that decade of the 90's U2 had three presentations ... Achtum Baby, Zooroppa, Pop; great inventors !!!
@philipstearn4743
@@gabrielsegurado better than the Joshua tree ❓ or Achtung baby ❓
It's not even as good as Songs of Innocence.
@markmcauleymcauley9287
@@philipstearn4743 everyone is entitled to their opinion,maybe it defines a period in their life
@philipstearn4743
@@markmcauleymcauley9287 completely true. But, and it's a big but, Pop, as an album, is not coherent. It just seems like a few songs that happened to crop up at the same time in a "we've got to put out an album, oh, this'll do" sort of a way. Even the band admit that Pop was never finished to their satisfaction.
@1largelaw
This album shows you how little attention one should give the "critics". It is insanely creative and fun.
@workingZen
Such a great U2 song from an underrated album. Every song on that album was so good. A soundtrack to my 1997 life.