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
Who
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're dangerous, you don't know what you want
Well you left my heart empty as a vacant lot
For any spirit to haunt
Hey hey sha la la
Hey hey
You're a piece of glass left in a beach
Well, you tell me things I know you're not supposed to
Then you leave me just out of reach
Hey hey sha la la
Hey hey sha la la
Who's gonna ride your wild horses?
Who's gonna drown in your blue sea?
Who's gonna ride your wild horses?
Who's gonna fall at the foot of thee?
Well you stole it 'cause I needed the cash
And you killed it 'cause I wanted revenge
Well you lied to me 'cause I asked you to
Baby, can we still be friends?
Hey hey sha la la
Hey hey sha la la
Who's gonna ride your wild horses?
Who's gonna drown in your blue sea?
Who's gonna ride your wild horses?
Who's gonna fall at the foot of thee?
Oh, the deeper I spin
Oh, the hunter will sin for your ivory skin
Took a drive in the dirty rain
To a place where the wind calls your name
Under the trees the river laughing at you and me
Hallelujah, heavens white rose
The doors you open
I just can't close
Don't turn around, don't turn around again
Don't turn around, your gypsy heart
Don't turn around, don't turn around again
Don't turn around, and don't look back
Come on now love, don't you look back!
Who's gonna ride your wild horses?
Who's gonna drown in your blue sea?
Who's gonna taste your salt water kisses?
Who's gonna take the place of me?
Who's gonna ride your wild horses?
Who's gonna tame the heart of thee?
In the song Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, U2 sings about a dangerous and unpredictable person. The first verse describes the person as dangerous because they are honest and don't know what they want. This person left the singer with a broken heart, making it vulnerable to any spirit to haunt. The chorus asks who is going to be with this person now that they have left. Who is going to ride their wild horses and drown in their blue sea? The second verse describes the person as an accident waiting to happen and a piece of glass left on a beach. They tell the singer things they are not supposed to know which leaves the singer just out of reach.
The bridge of the song has a haunting feel to it. It talks about the hunter who will sin for the ivory skin of the dangerous person. The singer drove in the dirty rain to a place where the wind calls out the person's name under the trees while the river laughed at them. They then mention heaven's white rose, which symbolizes a love that is pure and untainted. The singer implies that the doors of their love have been opened and cannot be closed. The song ends with a plea to the dangerous person to not turn around and look back. They ask what is going to happen now that the singer is gone. Who is going to ride their wild horses and take the singers' place?
Interesting Facts:
- Madonna originally wrote the song and offered it to U2, but they rewrote the lyrics to make it their own.
- It was released as the fifth single from their album Achtung Baby in 1992.
- The song was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno.
- The music video for the song was directed by David Mallet and had a Western theme.
- The song was played during their Joshua Tree Tour in 2017.
- The melody of the song was inspired by a traditional Irish tune called She Moved Through the Fair.
- The song's lyrics were inspired by Bono's fascination with American author Charles Bukowski.
- In 2005, the band rerecorded the song for their compilation album U218 Singles.
- The song was voted #25 in the "Top 40 Best Song Lyrics" list by Rolling Stone readers in 2010.
- The song was included in the soundtrack for the movie Faraway, So Close!
Chords:
Intro: D G D G D G D G
Verse: D G D G D G D G
Chorus: A D G D G A D G D G
Bridge: A D G A D G D G A D G A D G
Outro: D G D G D G D G D G A D G D G
Line by Line Meaning
You're dangerous 'cause you're honest
Your honesty is a double-edged sword
You're dangerous, you don't know what you want
Your lack of clarity causes chaos
Well you left my heart empty as a vacant lot
I feel emotionally abandoned
For any spirit to haunt
My vulnerability invites sorrow and torment
Who's gonna ride your wild horses?
Who will be the next to fall prey to your reckless behavior?
Who's gonna drown in your blue sea?
Who will be the next victim of your emotional instability?
Who's gonna fall at the foot of thee?
Who will be the next one to suffer the consequences of your actions?
Well you stole it 'cause I needed the cash
You took advantage of my vulnerability
And you killed it 'cause I wanted revenge
Your actions are retribution for my past mistakes
Well you lied to me 'cause I asked you to
You deceived me based on my request
Baby, can we still be friends?
Despite all this, can we remain on good terms?
Oh, the deeper I spin
The more I get tangled in your web of chaos
Oh, the hunter will sin for your ivory skin
I am drawn to you despite the danger
Took a drive in the dirty rain
I am willing to take risks for you
To a place where the wind calls your name
I am following you to the ends of the earth
Under the trees the river laughing at you and me
Nature is mocking our struggles
Hallelujah, heavens white rose
You are a beautiful but dangerous creature
The doors you open
Your actions have consequences beyond your control
I just can't close
I am trapped in the chaos you create
Don't turn around, don't turn around again
Don't look back on our mistakes
Don't turn around, your gypsy heart
Your restless nature will always take you away
Come on now love, don't you look back!
We must move on from our past
Who's gonna taste your salt water kisses?
Who will be the next to be swept away by your seductive charm?
Who's gonna take the place of me?
Who will fill the void I leave behind?
Who's gonna ride your wild horses?
Who will be the next to join you on your dangerous journey?
Who's gonna tame the heart of thee?
Who will be the one to calm your restless spirit?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adam Clayton, Dave Evans, Larry Mullen, Paul Hewson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@edwardpratt5172
"Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses"
You're dangerous 'cause you're honest
You're dangerous, you don't know what you want
Well you left my heart empty as a vacant lot
For any spirit to haunt
Hey hey sha la la
Hey hey
You're an accident waiting to happen
You're a piece of glass left there on the beach
Well you tell me things I know you're not supposed to
Then you leave me just out of reach
Hey hey sha la la
Hey hey sha la la
Who's gonna ride your wild horses
Who's gonna drown in your blue sea
Who's gonna ride your wild horses
Who's gonna fall at the foot of thee
Well you stole it 'cause I needed the cash
And you killed it 'cause I wanted revenge
Well you lied to me 'cause I asked you to
Baby, can we still be friends
Hey hey sha la la
Hey hey sha la la
Who's gonna ride your wild horses
Who's gonna drown in your blue sea
Who's gonna ride your wild horses
Who's gonna fall at the foot of thee
Oh, the deeper I spin
Oh, the hunter will sin for your ivory skin
Took a drive in the dirty rain
To a place where the wind calls your name
Under the trees the river laughing at you and me
Hallelujah, heavens white rose
The doors you open
I just can't close
Don't turn around, don't turn around again
Don't turn around, your gypsy heart
Don't turn around, don't turn around again
Don't turn around, and don't look back
Come on now love, don't you look back
Who's gonna ride your wild horses
Who's gonna drown in your blue sea
Who's gonna taste your salt water kisses
Who's gonna take the place of me
Who's gonna ride your wild horses
Who's gonna tame the heart of thee
@allypallygally
How can this be almost 30 years old and still so fresh and unique. The genius that is Achtung Baby only increases through the passage of time. It’s a perfect album and this song is the jewel in the crown
@bindlepig8064
the fact that since 2000 music has sucked makes these older songs timeless and deservedly so.
@sylsalas
I totally agree with you ! I still remember the very first time I listen to this song , I was only 12 … and it still makes my heart jump … amazing tune
@SteelM4chine
1991-2021
@hazelrah321
Thankyou Brian Eno!!
@fallinginthed33p
This is a completely different mix than the album track, more electronica
@provatos
Can we all agree that this is a masterpiece?
@enlumineresse
Absolutely
@srenlaursen5488
Yep
@ohhiitsjustme3445
Yes, we can! 👍