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 Showman
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Singers cry about everything
Still in the playground falling off a swing
But you know that I know
Walk through the room like a birthday cake
When I am all lit up, I can't make a mistake
And there's a level of shallow that you just can't fake
Oh you don't care
But you know I'm there
You think you look so good
A little more better
Look so good
Just a little more little more
Look so good
That's what's gonna get you
Look so good
Just a little more, little more
You know you're chasing the sunlight
That's why I'm stayin' up all night
You think you look so good
A little more better
Look so good
A little more
It is what it is, but it's not what it seems
This screwed up stuff is the stuff of dreams
I got just enough low self esteem
To get me where I wanna go oh
The showman gives you front row to his heart
The showman prays his heartache will chart
Making a spectacle of falling apart
Is just the start of the show oh
Oh you don't care
But you know I'm there
You think you look so good
A little more better
Look so good
Just a little more, little more
Look so good
That's what's gonna get you
Look so good
Just a little more, little more
I'll be chasing the sunlight
That's why I'm staying up all night
I lie for a living, I love to let on
But you make it true when you sing along
You think you look so good
A little more better
Look so good
Just a little more, little more
Look so good
That's what's gonna get you
Look so good
Just a little more, little more
You think you look so good
A little more better
Look so good
Just a little more, little more
Look so good
That's what's gonna get you
Look so good
Just a little more, little more
The lyrics of U2's "The Showman" speak about the life of a performer who is constantly under the spotlight. The first verse talks about singers crying about everything, and how even the happiest of moments can have a dark side. The second verse describes the shallowness that is sometimes required to succeed as a performer, and how perceived beauty and charisma can sometimes be more important than talent. The chorus talks about the pursuit of success and the sacrifices that need to be made, and how the performer is willing to stay up all night and lie for a living just to make it happen.
The third verse touches upon the idea of self-doubt and how even successful performers can have low self-esteem. It talks about how this low self-esteem can sometimes be a fuel for success, because it can push performers to be better and achieve their goals. The final verse refers to the idea of the "showman" giving the audience a front-row view of their heart, and how heartbreak and emotional turmoil can often be the starting points for incredible performances.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Showman" are a commentary on the life of a performer and the sacrifices one needs to make in order to succeed. It speaks about the challenges of being under the constant gaze of the public and the toll it can take on a person's emotions and psyche.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby's crying 'cause it's born to sing
Singers cry about everything
Still in the playground falling off a swing
Life is like a playground; you fall and learn from mistakes
But you know that I know
There's an unspoken understanding between us
Walk through the room like a birthday cake
I stand out and make a statement
When I am all lit up, I can't make a mistake
Confidence is key when performing
And there's a level of shallow that you just can't fake
Some things cannot be imitated and are unique to oneself
Oh you don't care
You seem indifferent to my actions
But you know I'm there
I am always present in your life
You think you look so good
You are obsessed with appearance
A little more better
You strive to improve your appearance
Look so good
Image is everything
That's what's gonna get you
You believe your looks will get you ahead
You know you're chasing the sunlight
You're striving towards something you may not catch but keep trying
That's why I'm stayin' up all night
I'm working hard to achieve my goals
It is what it is, but it's not what it seems
Things may appear one way but be different underneath
This screwed up stuff is the stuff of dreams
Difficulties in life can lead to great success
I got just enough low self-esteem to get me where I wanna go
A little self-doubt can push you to work harder towards your goals
The showman gives you front row to his heart
Performing is like revealing parts of myself
The showman prays his heartache will chart
I hope my music resonates with people, even if it's sad
Making a spectacle of falling apart
My vulnerability is on full display when I perform
Is just the start of the show oh
It's just the beginning of a great performance
I'll be chasing the sunlight
I'll continue to strive towards greatness
I lie for a living, I love to let on
My music is often exaggerated or not 100% true
But you make it true when you sing along
Hearing fans sing my songs makes them feel more real to me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM CLAYTON, DAVE EVANS, LARRY MULLEN, PAUL DAVID HEWSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
A me
on eleven o' clock tick tock
And girls can make children but not like this one...so will just have to walk around with a painted face then...
LMewdowlark
on One
Baby, baby, baby, I know I'm not alone
Ha, ha, ha
Oh, it's not a hill it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
You see, for me, I've been shouting
Let's shout into the darkness, squeeze out sparks of light
You know we're gonna go crazy, you know we'll go crazy
You know we'll go crazy, if we don't go crazy tonight
Oh, slowly
Oh
Hold me slow
Again, these are the wrong lyrics. They are not the lyrics for 'One' but a different song. I pasted the correct lyrics in my other comment.
LMewdowlark
on One
And there's a part of you that wants me to riot
Everybody needs to cry or needs to spit
Every sweet-tooth needs just a little hit
Every beauty needs to go out with an idiot
How can you stand next to the truth and not see it?
Oh, change of heart comes slow
It's not a hill, it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
Do you believe me or are you doubting?
We're gonna make it all the way to the light
But I know I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight
Every generation gets a chance to change the world
Pity the nation that won't listen to you boys and girls
Is the sweetest melody the one we haven't heard?
Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear?
The right to be ridiculous is something I hold dear
Oh, but change of heart comes slow
It's not a hill, it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
You see, for me, I've been shouting
But we're gonna make it all the way to the light
But I know I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight
Is it getting better
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
Leaves you, baby, if you don't care for 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 nothing, 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