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
Stateless
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just gravity
Luck and time
I've got no hope in this world
Just you
And you are not mine
Faithless
Stateless
There are no colors in your eyes
There's no sunshine in your skies
There's no race, only the prize
There is no tomorrow, only tonight
Stateless
It's the difference
You can cover the world with your thumb
Still so big, so bright, so beautiful
Faithless
Stateless
Push down on me
Push down on me
Push your weight down
Your weight down on me
Your weight (down on me)
When your weight falls down on me
Be the heavy hand
The mortal sand
Be the weight, heart, down on me
Stateless
Faithless
Hey bliss
The lyrics for U2's song Stateless showcase a sense of detachment from the world, with the singer feeling like they have no home, hope, or faith. The first verse suggests a feeling of isolation (“I’ve got no home in this world”) that is reinforced by the repetition of “stateless” and “faithless.” The second verse is more personal, with the singer indicating that their only hope is in the person they love, but they also acknowledge that they don’t possess or own that person. The bridge of the song speaks to a sense of hopelessness, with lines such as “There’s no tomorrow, only tonight” and “There’s no race, only the prize,” that emphasize a stagnant or empty existence.
The lyrics of this song reflect the idea of feeling lost and the desire to find a sense of belonging. It paints a picture of someone who has nothing to hold onto, apart from their love for another person. Despite their love, they feel like they lack a deeper connection with the world or a sense of purpose. The song feels like a reflection of a person’s state of mind when they’re trying to figure out their place in the world and struggling to find meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got no home in this world
I don't belong anywhere in this world
Just gravity
Just the force that keeps me grounded
Luck and time
My fate is determined by chance and the inevitability of time
I've got no hope in this world
I don't have any optimism left for this world
Just you
The only thing that gives me comfort is you
And you are not mine
But you don't belong to me, you're out of reach
Stateless
Without a place to call my own
Faithless
Without faith in anything
Stateless
Without a place to call my own
There are no colors in your eyes
You lack any kind of emotion or expression
There's no sunshine in your skies
You're void of any joy or happiness
There's no race, only the prize
You're only concerned with the end result, not the journey to get there
There is no tomorrow, only tonight
You live only for the moment, with no regard for the future
Stateless
Without a place to call my own
It's the difference
It's what sets you apart from everything else
You can cover the world with your thumb
You have the power to control the world
Still so big, so bright, so beautiful
Despite your power, the world is still full of wonder and beauty
Faithless
Without faith in anything
Stateless
Without a place to call my own
Push down on me
I want to feel something, even if it's pain
Push your weight down
Bring all of your power to bear on me
Your weight down on me
Crush me with everything you have
When your weight falls down on me
I want to feel the full force of your power
Be the heavy hand
Be the one to strike me down
The mortal sand
I am nothing but a fleeting mortal being
Be the weight, heart, down on me
Let me feel the full weight of your emotions and power
Stateless
Without a place to call my own
Faithless
Without faith in anything
Hey bliss
Hey happiness, where are you?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adam Clayton, David Evans, Laurence Mullen, Paul David Hewson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@artiebeard2588
Another Awesome song by U2. I fell in love with U2 when New Years Day came out. Most people don't understand the love I have for U2. They have been in my head since 1980. This song is in my head and all there music is. I just never get enough. Best music of all time.
@nickkabbabe1953
They just have so so many brilliant songs; how can one band be as good as U2.
@faiiry9408
Meu Deus U2 é perfeito💙🌹 tudo que o Bono canta vira ouro💛
@207LW
This is one of my favorite U2 songs. There are some true gems on the Million Dollar Hotel
@gugy68
Lisa Green very true, I love also TGBHF.
@207LW
OB oh I loooooooove that song as well. Anybody that doesn’t appreciate the songs on MDH is missing out on so much!
@jesusojeda1658
Estoy de acuerdo con vos
@williamweaver8167
@Lisa Wright are you from Alabama
@207LW
@William Weaver Nope I’m not. One of my closest friends is though. Why do you ask?
@vickylynn8787
Definitely a hidden gem 💎 by U2... beautiful emotional song...can’t stop listening to it....🎶