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
Love Is Blindness
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't want to see
Won't you wrap the night
Around me?
Oh my heart
Love is blindness
In a parked car
You see your love
Made complete
Thread is ripping
The knot is slipping
Love is blindness
Love is clockworks
And cold steel
Fingers too numb to feel
Squeeze the handle
Blow out the candle
Love is blindness
Love is blindness
I don't want to see
Won't you wrap the night
Around me?
Oh my love
Blindness
A little death
Without mourning
No call
And no warning
Baby, a dangerous idea
That almost makes sense
Love is drowning
In a deep well
All the secrets
And no one to tell
Take the money
Honey
Blindness
Love is blindness
I don't want to see
Won't you wrap the night
Around me?
Oh my love
Blindness
The song Love Is Blindness by U2 paints a picture of a love that is all-consuming and destructive. The lyrics are haunting and raw, filled with themes of darkness, danger, and the fear of losing oneself in another person. The singer is caught in the grips of love, unable to see clearly or make sense of their emotions. They are willing to be blind to the truth and are willing to let the night surround them in order to escape reality.
The first verse uses the metaphor of blindness to describe the feeling of being in love. The singer doesn't want to see what is happening, they want to be engulfed in the darkness of night. The image of a parked car in a crowded street adds to the sense of claustrophobia and the intensity of the moment. The thread ripping and knot slipping signifies the fragility of love, how easily it can unravel and fall apart.
The second verse uses clockworks and cold steel to symbolize the cold, mechanical nature of love. The fingers are too numb to feel, indicating a numbness to emotions, a disconnect from the world around them. The imagery of blowing out the candle and squeezing the handle is sobering, a symbol of death, the finality of love's grip. The chorus repeats the phrase love is blindness over and over, the singer desperately trying to make sense of their feelings, to come to terms with what is happening.
Overall, Love Is Blindness is a powerful song that captures the all-encompassing nature of love, its beauty and its dangers, and the sacrifices that sometimes have to be made in order to keep it alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is blindness
Love is an emotional state that can cause one to overlook flaws and shortcomings.
I don't want to see
The singer is aware of the flaws and shortcomings, but chooses to ignore them.
Won't you wrap the night
The singer seeks solace and comfort from the darkness of night, perhaps to hide emotional pain.
Around me?
The artist is directing this plea to the object of their love, as if they are speaking directly to them.
Oh my heart
The artist is expressing deep emotional pain or heartbreak.
In a parked car
The singer is describing a scene of intimacy, perhaps suggesting that love can lead to poor decision making and rash behavior.
In a crowded street
Despite being in a public place, the singer seems to be consumed only by their love and not the surroundings.
You see your love
The artist is describing the experience of seeing their lover and feeling complete.
Made complete
The artist is suggesting that their lover completes them emotionally.
Thread is ripping
The artist is suggesting that the relationship is falling apart or coming undone.
The knot is slipping
The singer is suggesting that the bond between them is not strong enough to withstand adversity or outside forces.
Love is clockworks
The artist is suggesting that love is mechanical, almost like a machine, and lacks genuine emotion.
And cold steel
The singer is describing love as being harsh and unfeeling.
Fingers too numb to feel
The singer is expressing a feeling of emotional numbness or disconnect.
Squeeze the handle
The singer is describing an action that feels mechanical or routine, not romantic.
Blow out the candle
The artist is suggesting that the passion or excitement in the relationship is dying out or being extinguished.
A little death
The artist is using a metaphor to describe an orgasm, suggesting that the intense physical pleasure can sometimes feel like a small death.
Without mourning
The singer is suggesting that this physical pleasure does not come with the emotional connection or commitment of true love.
No call
The singer is suggesting that their lover does not communicate with them or make an effort to maintain the relationship.
And no warning
The artist is suggesting that the end of the relationship came suddenly or unexpectedly.
Baby, a dangerous idea
The artist is reflecting on the idea of love and how it can be both intoxicating and dangerous at the same time.
That almost makes sense
The artist is acknowledging the irrationality of love and how it can be difficult to understand or make sense of.
Love is drowning
The singer is using water as a metaphor to describe the overwhelming feeling of being in love.
In a deep well
The artist is using a well as a metaphor to describe the depth and intensity of their emotional state.
All the secrets
The singer is suggesting that there are many hidden emotions or thoughts within the relationship that are not being shared or addressed.
And no one to tell
The singer is suggesting that they feel trapped or unable to communicate their feelings to their lover or anyone else.
Take the money
The singer is suggesting that love can sometimes be associated with greed or financial gain.
Honey
The artist is using a term of endearment, suggesting that despite all of the challenges and negative aspects of love, they still care deeply for their lover.
Blindness
The repetition of the word 'blindness' throughout the song implies that love can cause one to be blind to the truth or to their own well-being.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adam Clayton, Dave Evans, Larry Mullen, Paul David Hewson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fabianapaulinadasilva7448
Love is blindness
I don't want to see
Won't you wrap the night
Around me?
Oh my heart
Love is blindness
In a parked car
In a crowded street
You see your love
Made complete
Thread is ripping
The knot is slipping
Love is blindness
Love is clockworks
And cold steel
Fingers too numb to feel
Squeeze the handle
Blow out the candle
Love is blindness
Love is blindness
I don't want to see
Won't you wrap the night
Around me?
Oh my love
Blindness
A little death
Without mourning
No call
And no warning
Baby, a dangerous idea
That almost makes sense
Love is drowning
In a deep well
All the secrets
And no one to tell
Take the money
Honey
Blindness
Love is blindness
I don't want to see
Won't you wrap the night
Around me?
Oh my love
Blindness
@TeamLNE
"Fingers too numb to feel"
"Won't you wrap the night
Around me"
"A little death
Without mourning"
So after reading your comment, I'll never watch Stoker's Dracula in the same way again. What a fantastic suggestion and those lyrics I've shared are bizarrely very fitting for that movie. It's a good shout my friend! Bravo.
@kaliaragorn
One of the cases where no words can explain the feelings. This is art, much more than entertainment. A work of art. A masterpiece.
@rainbowrose9299
I am with you my friend aren't they incredible this album my goodness and all of their songs I struggle to choose a favourite when I think of trying.
@beeftheheat
Beautifully said. In case you haven't heard Cassandra Wilson's version; it's phenomenal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4mlH1lpt5g&ab_channel=BrianPollard
@mariamercedes414
I was in my 20s losing myself in this masterpiece feeling that love can conquer all… Now I am 45 even harsh moments I decide to keep faithful with this true for me. Love can conquer all…
@bryankemp9801
@@mariamercedes414 Amazing song
@ivansmola
@@mariamercedes414 Любовь = БОГ🙌
@Shalanaya
This was the only time I was able to hear the guitar solo evoke the sound of a soul crying and bleeding at the same time, thank you Edge and Bono for demonstrating the dying of the spirit in this cold world.
@davidranney8723
It's astounding how many really really good songs U2 produced. And they didn't follow musical fads. They did their own thing and it was great.
@Sharkwhisperer
Everybody is praising Radiohead and they are great but they dont have the songs like U2 has.
@davidranney8723
@@Sharkwhisperer don't let it become a competition. There are many great bands out there. We can enjoy them all.