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
The Ballad Of Ronnie Drew
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like coals from a coal-bucket
Scraping the floor
Sing out his praises in music and march
And if you are not Irish
That isn't your fault
Raise up our voices like dogs in a pack
We got them by twenties, we got them by ones
Them and their daughters
And all of their sons
(Hey! Hey)
Here's to you (Hey) , Ronnie Drew (Hey)
Here's to you (Hey) , Ronnie Drew (Hey)
Ronnie Drew
(Hey! Hey) , we love you, yes we do
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you
I watched them plenty
Through right and 'er wrong
Whether I'm easy or whether I'm true
But as she lifted her petticoat easy and slow
I rolled up my sleeves for to buckle her shoe
Get up and work from five until five
When the whistle says better
We'll come back alive
He'll sing to the heavens
He's stormy as hell and wherever he goes
We'll be wishing him well
(Hey! Hey)
Here's to you (Hey) , Ronnie Drew (Hey)
(Hey) Here's to you (Hey) , Ronnie Drew (Hey)
Ronnie Drew (Hey) , we love you, yes we do
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you
The dawn and the dusk, the unwise
The unjust gives and gets him gaze
The unheard, the unseen, the unwashed
And the clean where the
Streets all have names baggot Street
Meets the street right on
St stephen's Street lovers
And loners who can peer on your shoulders
The gods and the rapers
Immigrants and traders, sing about him
A man for a man and a hand for a hand
Trust in the music, strike up the band
The more that we sing, the less that we find
Time and again, this is brood to be right
Build you a statue on St stephen's Green
No fairer monument there to be seen
A statue of Ronnie Drew, holding the hand
Of a girl with her hair
In a black velvet band
(Hey! Hey)
Here's to you (No stranger to dare)
Ronnie Drew (Or angels to devil)
Here's to you
(A friend of a friend of a friend of a)
Ronnie Drew (A friend to you) ronnie Drew
(Ronnie Drew) , we love you, yes we do
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you
(Ronnie Drew)
I watched them plenty
Through right and 'er wrong
Whether I'm easy or whether I'm true
But as she lifted her petticoat easy and slow
I rolled up my sleeves for to buckle her shoe
"The Ballad of Ronnie Drew" is a tribute song to the late Irish folk musician and singer Ronnie Drew, who was the founding member of The Dubliners. The song is a collaboration between U2, The Dubliners, and Kila, and was released in 2008 as a single. The song talks about Drew's rough, gravelly voice, which is compared to the sound of coals from a coal-bucket scraping the floor. It praises his music and his character, and it speaks to his ability to bring people together through his art.
The song presents Drew as an honest and hardworking man who sings to the heavens but is stormy as hell. He is loved by all – from immigrants and traders to lovers and loners. The lyrics suggest that Drew represents the heart and soul of Ireland, and his music speaks to the struggles and joys of everyday life. The chorus of the song is a celebration of Drew, with repeated shouts of "Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you" and "we love you, yes, we do."
The song has a strong sense of camaraderie and community. It portrays Drew as a unifying figure who brings people of all backgrounds and walks of life together through his music. The lyrics suggest that Drew's legacy will live on, and that he will continue to be celebrated and loved for generations to come.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's to the Ronnie, the voice we adore
Let's raise a toast to Ronnie Drew, the singer we admire
Like coals from a coal-bucket scraping the floor
His voice is rough and raspy, like coal scraping against the ground
Sing out his praises in music and march
Let's celebrate Ronnie's talent through our songs and parades
And if you are not Irish, That isn't your fault
It's okay if you're not Irish, you can still appreciate Ronnie's music
Raise up our voices like dogs in a pack
Let's howl our love for Ronnie like a pack of dogs
Thankful for honest man, we never lack
We're grateful for Ronnie's honesty and he never disappoints us
We got them by twenties, we got them by ones
We've got Ronnie's fans in groups of 20s and 1s, that's all we need
Them and their daughters And all of their sons
Ronnie's fans include not only men but also their daughters and sons
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you
Once more, we raise a glass to Ronnie Drew
I watched them plenty Through right and 'er wrong
I have seen Ronnie Drew perform many times, good and bad
Whether I'm easy or whether I'm true
No matter how I'm feeling, Ronnie's music is always there for me
But as she lifted her petticoat easy and slow I rolled up my sleeves for to buckle her shoe
This line seems unrelated to the song, but it could be interpreted as Ronnie's ability to captivate his audience and keep them engaged
When the whistle says better We'll come back alive
We'll work hard and come back stronger when the whistle blows
He'll sing to the heavens He's stormy as hell
Ronnie's voice can reach the clouds and he can be both peaceful and powerful
And wherever he goes We'll be wishing him well
With every performance, we'll wish Ronnie the best
The dawn and the dusk, the unwise The unjust gives and gets him gaze
People from all walks of life, whether fair or not, admire Ronnie
The unheard, the unseen, the unwashed And the clean where the Streets all have names baggot Street Meets the street right on St stephen's Street lovers
Ronnie's fans come from all backgrounds, including those who are unheard or unseen, and they come together on the streets of Dublin where Baggot Street meets St. Stephen's
And loners who can peer on your shoulders The gods and the rapers Immigrants and traders, sing about him
Even those who are lonely or desperate can find comfort in Ronnie's music, as well as people of different religions, races, and occupations
A man for a man and a hand for a hand Trust in the music, strike up the band
Ronnie is a true man and he believes in helping out his fellow man. Let's trust in his music and start playing
The more that we sing, the less that we find Time and again, this is brood to be right
The more we sing Ronnie's songs, the fewer problems we seem to have. This is always proven to be correct
Build you a statue on St Stephen's Green No fairer monument there to be seen
Let's build a statue of Ronnie on St. Stephen's Green because there's no better way to commemorate him
A statue of Ronnie Drew, holding the hand Of a girl with her hair In a black velvet band
The statue should feature Ronnie holding hands with a girl with black velvet hair, a nod to one of his most beloved songs
Here's to you (No stranger to dare) Ronnie Drew (Or angels to devil)
A tribute to Ronnie's spirit of taking risks and being true to himself, even if it means becoming a rebel
Here's to you (A friend of a friend of a friend of a) Ronnie Drew (A friend to you)
Ronnie is not only a friend to those who know him personally, but also to each and every one of his fans
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you
Once again, we raise a glass in honor of Ronnie Drew
Ronnie Drew (Hey), we love you, yes we do
We love Ronnie Drew, and there's no question about it
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID EVANS, PAUL DAVID HEWSON, ROBERT HUNTER, SIMON CARMODY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
koikoiboi
P.S. if every song finished with a verse sung by Shane MacGowan with a single fiddle for accompniment the world would be a much better place!
Dan the man
@mydigicrafts Crafts he was sat in the audience watching it live lol , I must admit some of them were way out of tune but the song was saved by shane at the end
Andres Vola
Si.el mejor
mydigicrafts Crafts
Poor aul Ronny would cringe if he saw this lol no bull
iman Oldsoul oldsoul
I have no idea what Shane was singing but he still wins for best vocals!
Paula Harte
He has tooth problems
Leslie Dixon
I know right!?!?
John Murphy
PERFECTION and still going strong in 2021 as good music will forever live on!! This one is for you Ronnie Drew.
Liam Kilcoyne
And the winner of best irish vocalist goes to ........Shane.
Jacob Fiil
Agreed, though I can't really explain why. Bono's voice is just annoying and pretentious (like his adopted name, of course), while Shane's voice just rings honest somehow. Luke Kelly's voice was positively haunting, but Shane's just about as good (even when he occasionally is out of tune or forgets the words)...