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
We Love You
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing to keep us from where we should be
I wanted the world but you knew better
And that all we have is immortality
Love and love is all we have left
A baby cries on a doorstep
Love is all we have left
You argue 'cause you can't accept
Love is all we have left
Now you're at the other end of the telescope
Seven billion stars in her eyes
So many stars
So many ways of seeing
Hey, this is no time not to be alive
Love and love is all we have left
A baby cries on a doorstep
Love is all we have left
Love and love is all we have left
The only thing that can be kept
Love is all we have left
The lyrics to U2's song "Love Is All We Have Left" touch on the idea that love is the most important thing in life, and that everything else is secondary to it. The first verse states that there is nothing to stop this day from being the best ever, and nothing to keep us from where we should be. The singer then reveals that they wanted the world but the other person knew better, and that all they have is immortality. This suggests that the other person, perhaps a lover or a friend, has shown them that the pursuit of material things is not what's truly important, but rather love and human connection.
The chorus repeats the message that love is all we have left, and describes a baby crying on a doorstep, perhaps representing the vulnerability of human life and the importance of nurturing love and connection. The second verse brings in the metaphor of the telescope, and suggests there are seven billion stars in the eyes of the person they love. The line "so many ways of seeing" acknowledges that everyone experiences life differently, but that love is the one thing that can bring people together and create a shared experience. The final line, "hey, this is no time not to be alive" is a call to action, urging the listener to embrace life and love in the present moment.
Overall, the song is a reminder that no matter what struggles we may face in life, love is what truly matters and can sustain us through the ups and downs. It encourages us to be present and engaged with life, and to recognize the beauty and importance of our connections with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing to stop this being the best day ever
There are no obstacles that can prevent us from having the most amazing day.
Nothing to keep us from where we should be
There's nothing that can keep us from reaching the place where we're meant to be.
I wanted the world but you knew better
I thought I wanted everything, but you showed me that what I really need is something else entirely.
And that all we have is immortality
The only thing we can count on is that our impact will be felt long after we're gone.
Love and love is all we have left
In the end, all we have is love and the connections we've made in our lives.
A baby cries on a doorstep
This image highlights the fragility of life and how we all need love and connection to survive.
You argue 'cause you can't accept
Many arguments stem from not being able to come to terms with something we're not ready to face yet.
Now you're at the other end of the telescope
You're seeing things from a different perspective now, possibly with more appreciation for what you have.
Seven billion stars in her eyes
Each person has their own unique qualities that make them shine like stars.
So many stars
There are so many things in the world to appreciate and be grateful for.
So many ways of seeing
There are countless ways to view and interpret the world around us.
Hey, this is no time not to be alive
Life is too precious and fleeting to waste any moment feeling dead inside.
The only thing that can be kept
The only thing that truly lasts is love and the impact we have on others' lives.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM CLAYTON, DAVE EVANS, LARRY MULLEN, PAUL DAVID HEWSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mistermayonaise
Make it up as I go along, child
There go chances all night long
Gonna make it up as I go along
Gonna make it up, babe, as I go along
Gonna make you a ribbon and turn it into song
Gonna make it up, babe, as I go along
'Cause I love you and our love is true
Gonna make it up verses is in my head
Gonna take the song back off of my feet
Gonna make it up, babe, when I'm asleep
And it's all laid down
'Cause I love you, I love you
'Cause I love you and our love is true
When I heard your name I knew what to stand
And I took your rhythm by the hand
Never saw someone like you before
Never saw someone that showed me the door
And I love you, I love you
And there's all kinds of songs that I heard growing up
But I never heard one that made the sun stop
All kinds of songs when I was growing up
But I never heard a song called 'I Love You'
Love you
And I love you and I love you
And I love and I love you
Love and I love and I love
Artie Beard
Been listening to this song for about a week now. I love it. Been singing it in my head for days now.
mistermayonaise
Make it up as I go along, child
There go chances all night long
Gonna make it up as I go along
Gonna make it up, babe, as I go along
Gonna make you a ribbon and turn it into song
Gonna make it up, babe, as I go along
'Cause I love you and our love is true
Gonna make it up verses is in my head
Gonna take the song back off of my feet
Gonna make it up, babe, when I'm asleep
And it's all laid down
'Cause I love you, I love you
'Cause I love you and our love is true
When I heard your name I knew what to stand
And I took your rhythm by the hand
Never saw someone like you before
Never saw someone that showed me the door
And I love you, I love you
And there's all kinds of songs that I heard growing up
But I never heard one that made the sun stop
All kinds of songs when I was growing up
But I never heard a song called 'I Love You'
Love you
And I love you and I love you
And I love and I love you
Love and I love and I love
Ragnvald Mæland
mistermayonaise bokpakke LN knollen,no
Peter Aerts
The best concert i ever saw.
The claw was incredible,but this concert is for me the proof that you just need good songs and an amazing band.
mdmomof7
Which I think SOI is as an album . And for the tour, I'm hoping/thinking it will be Elevation-esque in its feel for the audience. Cannot wait! :)
Laurence Dunne
this is a hidden gem; hope we hear a studio version at some point....
Javish
It's always amazing 2 watch improv magic like this!
Maria Pratiwi
I hope this song would be in the next U2's album! very romantic
Blkplm t
Wow incredible! So I guess THIS is what their talking about when they talk about the magic that just comes together when they start playing/creating. I like watching Adam on this, he really just picks it up and goes with it(and it sounds so good), and of course The Edge always knows what to do.
comp0stable
Now I understand how intimate the Elevation tour was compared to 360. This is almost like a band jam! Aww Adamie!