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
Walk On (hallelujah Mix
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The only baggage that you can bring
Love is not the easy thing
The only baggage you can bring
Is all that you can't leave behind...
And if the darkness is to keep us apart
And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off
For a second you turn back
Oh no, be strong
Oh, oh
Walk on, walk on
What you got, they can't steal it
No, they can't even feel it
Walk on, walk on
Stay safe tonight
You're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been
A place that has to be believed, to be seen
You could have flown away
A singing bird in an open cage
Who will only fly, only fly, for freedom
Oh, oh
Walk on, walk on
What you got, you can't deny it
Can't sell it, or buy it
Walk on, walk on
Stay safe tonight
And I know it aches
If your heart breaks
It can only take so much
Walk on
Walk on
Home...
Hard to know what it is, if you never had one
Home...
I can't say where it is, but I know I'm going
Home...
That's where the heart is
And I know it aches
And your heart, it breaks
It can only take so much
Walk on
(Hoooo...)
Leave it behind
You've got to leave it behind
All that you fashion
All that you make
All that you build
All that you break
All that you measure
All that you steal
All this you can't leave behind
All that you reason (It's only time)
(And i'll never fill up all my mind)
All that you sense
All that you scheme
All that you dress-up
All that you've seen
All you create
All that you wreck
All that you hate
The lyrics to U2's "Walk On (hallelujah Mix)" are about the difficulties of love and the importance of moving forward in life, even in dark times. The opening lines speak to the idea that love is not easy, and that it requires a willingness to let go of the things that hold us back. The "baggage" that we carry can often be our fears, insecurities, and past experiences, but in order to truly love and be loved, we must be willing to leave those things behind.
The song then addresses the idea of facing obstacles and challenges, both in love and in life more broadly. The mention of a "glass heart" that could crack speaks to the fragility of our emotional selves, but the refrain to "walk on" emphasizes the importance of resilience and strength in the face of adversity.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of home, and the sense of belonging that we all strive for. The line "Hard to know what it is, if you never had one" speaks to the experience of those who feel lost or without a sense of place, while the repetition of "Home" in the final lines suggests that we all have an innate desire to find a place where our hearts feel at ease.
Overall, "Walk On (hallelujah Mix)" encourages us to be brave, to face our fears, and to keep moving forward even in the midst of difficult times. It is a hopeful and uplifting song, reminding us that with enough courage and determination, we can overcome any obstacle and find our way home.
Line by Line Meaning
And love is not the easy thing
Love is not something that can be taken for granted, it is a tough pursuit.
The only baggage that you can bring
The only tangible things you can bring along in your journey are your memories and experiences.
Is all that you can't leave behind...
The only things that can define who you are, are the things that are so essential that you can never leave them behind.
And if the darkness is to keep us apart
If the obstacles and uncertainties are too much, and keeps us separated, darkness will reign.
And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off
If hope and light are far off, it can be an arduous journey.
And if your glass heart should crack,
When your heart breaks or shatters like glass, it’s easy to falter.
For a second you turn back
Sometimes it’s tempting to retreat when faced with difficult situations.
Oh no, be strong
Don't waver, be resolute and be strong.
What you got, they can't steal it
Your spirit and inner strength are yours alone, and no one can take that from you.
No, they can't even feel it
People who would try to bring you down are not in a position to understand what you have going for you.
Stay safe tonight
Stay in a good place, stay safe; keep away from harm.
You're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been
You are preparing for an uncharted territory, and you cannot know what to expect or what to take with you.
A place that has to be believed, to be seen
The place where you're headed can only be seen and experienced once you allow yourself to believe it exists.
You could have flown away
You could have easily given up and left, but you chose to stay and fight.
A singing bird in an open cage
You had the freedom to go, yet you stayed grounded like a bird in an open cage.
Who will only fly, only fly, for freedom
You will only fly and take bold moves to be free.
What you got, you can't deny it
There is no denying the power in you, and the beauty that lies within.
Can't sell it, or buy it
This power comes from within, there is no buying, selling or borrowing it.
And I know it aches
It definitely hurts; those that understand your efforts can feel your pain.
If your heart breaks
When your heart breaks, it feels like the end of the world.
Home...
A place of comfort and calmness that one can only experience and feel loved.
Hard to know what it is, if you never had one
If you've never experienced love and comfort, it's difficult to understand and appreciate it.
I can't say where it is, but I know I'm going
You may not fully understand where home is, but you know that you're on your way to it.
And your heart, it breaks
Heartbreak is a painful and devastating experience.
Leave it behind
Starting a new beginning requires leaving behind the things that held you back.
All that you fashion
All the things you willingly make for yourself.
All that you make
Everything that you've crafted with your own hands and your own spirit.
All that you build
Everything that you've attempted to create, and to create opportunities.
All that you break
Everything that you've allowed to be destroyed, whether intentionally or not.
All that you measure
The things that you value and consider worthy of measurement.
All that you steal
The things that you are able to acquire effortlessy or unfairly.
All this you can't leave behind
These are the things that, no matter how you try, you cannot just forget or discard, for they are an integral part of you.
All that you reason (It's only time)
Your thoughts, reasonings and beliefs are yours alone, it's part of who you are.
(And i'll never fill up all my mind)
I know that there are certain things my mind will never be able to fully understand.
All that you sense
Everything that you can pick up with your senses.
All that you scheme
The elaborate plans you devise to achieve what you desire.
All that you dress-up
All the things that you choose to dress in, and the different personas you adopt.
All that you've seen
Everything that you've experienced, seen and encountered, which make up your perspective.
All you create
Everything that you aim to create, both physically and emotionally.
All that you wreck
Every good thing that you have ruined, damaged, corrupted or destroyed.
All that you hate
All the things that cause you pain and frustration, whether people or situations.
Contributed by Natalie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rui Ricardo Soares Melo Filho
Esta versão de Walk On é tudo de bom! Curto muito o U2 e esta música em especial.
Randy R
My second favorite band of all time. Been a fan since i first heard Pride in the name of love. I also admire them being activists and offering inspirational songs like this one.
Jason Greathouse
They ARE THE GREATEST BAND IN THE HISTORY OF THE PLANET!!!
Stephani Shank
Love this SO MUCH. Here's to new beginnings for America, for everyone.
Orlando P.
What a super band, I will see them in concert in June 2011, I'm looking forward it's been a while.
Gavin Pouquette
I want to dedicate this song to my friend Mackenzie Madden. She was brutally murdered in her apartment by an gunman with an assault rifle just a few days ago. Rest in peace Mackenzie. You are already missed greatly.
Haider K
I am sorry, we have to change this world so that things like that don't happen to good people.
The lads dad
That's so fucked up. I hope you found peace.
Gavin Pouquette
@The lads dad I forgot about this comment, but I have and still think about her from time to time. Especially when this song comes on. Thank you. ❤
Andrew Bacha
Nice job! Love this!