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 360ยฐ Tour of 2009โ2011 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 Edgeโs brother Dick Evans (later a member of Virgin Prunes), Ivan McCormick and Peter Martin. According to legend, Bono originally auditioned as a guitarist but couldnโt play. He auditioned as lead vocals, but really couldnโt 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 โFeedback โ and โThe Hypeโ 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: ยฃ500 and funds to make a record. Paul McGuinness became the bandโs 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 โa different kindโ 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 โto dream it all up againโ, 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 โwatch out, babyโ, artwork feat. make-up artist Nassim Khalifa) & Zooropa. Bono took on many stage personae such as โThe Flyโ, โMirrorball Manโ and โMr. MacPhistoโ 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 90โs into 00โs U2 became less image and more reality. With the death of Bonoโs 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 theyโve returned to a more band-centric sound with albums like All That You Canโt Leave Behind which features a song, Kite, dedicated to Bonoโs father who passed away shortly after the albumโs conception and 2004โs How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.
The 10s: U2 went on the U2 360ยฐ 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 โYou tooโ and โYou twoโ, etc. Nonetheless the official line on the nameโs origins remains unknown. The band has been quoted as saying that they did think of the U2 spy plane, but remain hushed about other reasonsโฆ U2
Treasure
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I like to mostly stay with you
I like good times
But I can't feel this without you
By my song
The heart is in the place
I sing this song
Probably so
If I could sigh
I'd tell the world I'd felt with you
I like the time
I like the feeling when
I feel you in my arms
I'll take you in my hand
I'll let you go
Somebody save me
Somebody save me
Sing it
Sing my, sing my song
We sing the same old song loud
Smile...though your heart breaks in two
Touch me...when will I be with you
I like good times
But I can feel it's going wrong
You sing the same old song
Now I think it's time to get it right
Sing it out, sing out...
Sing this same old song
If I could swim, I'd swim in circles
If I could drown, I'd, I'd drown with you
If I had enough of my life
I can't tell
If I had enough of you
The lyrics to U2's song Treasure seem to describe the singer's strong emotional attachment to someone they care about deeply. The song reveals a strong sense of longing and a desire for closeness with this person. The lyrics are full of imagery, both uplifting and melancholy, that helps to convey these emotions effectively.
The singer sings that they enjoy good times and smiling but that they can't experience these moments fully without this special person by their side. The heart is the center of the song, as it is "in the place" where the singer's emotions and feelings reside. They make a vow to declare their love to the world if they could, and they cherish the time they spend with the person they care about, even when things feel off.
The chorus is particularly impactful, as the repetition of the "same old song" creates a sense of comfort and familiarity. Sometimes, familiarity is all we need to feel safe and confident, particularly in the face of uncertainty or anxiety, and that's what the song captures so beautifully.
Overall, the song expresses the deep emotional ties that we can build with others, and how they can shape and define us in so many ways. It's a beautiful tribute to the power of human connection, and that perhaps the greatest treasure we can find in this world is genuine love and companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
I like to smile
I enjoy being happy
But I like to mostly stay with you
I prefer being with you more than anything else
I like good times
I enjoy fun experiences
But I can't feel this without you
Without you, good times aren't the same for me
By my song
By singing this song
The heart is in the place
I am emotionally invested in this moment
I sing this song
I'm singing this song right now
Probably so
Most likely
If I could sigh
If I could express myself deeply
I'd tell the world I'd felt with you
I'd share my feelings with everyone about being with you
I like the time
I enjoy spending time with you
I like the feeling when
I enjoy the sensation that comes with being with you
I feel you in my arms
Being close to you is comforting
I'll take you in my hand
I'll hold you tightly
I'll let you go
I'll let you leave my arms
Somebody save me
I need help
You sing the same old song
You repeat the same patterns
Now I think it's time to get it right
Let's change our ways
Sing it out, sing out...
Sing loud
Sing this same old song
Let's keep repeating our patterns
If I could swim, I'd swim in circles
If I could do anything, it would involve being with you
If I could drown, I'd, I'd drown with you
Even if it was fatal, I'd rather die with you than alone
If I had enough of my life
If I had lived enough
I can't tell
I don't know what I would do
If I had enough of you
If I had spent enough time with you
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Adam Clayton, David Evans, Laurence Mullen, Paul David Hewson, DAVE EVANS, LARRY MULLEN
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