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
Sweetest Thing
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
She won't catch me or break my fall
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
Baby's got blue skies up ahead
But in this I'm a rain cloud
You know she likes a dry kind of love
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
I'm losing you
I'm losing you
Ain't love the sweetest thing
I wanted to run but she made me crawl
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
Eternal fire, she turned me to straw
Oh oh, the sweetest thing
You know I got black eyes
But they burn so brightly for her
This is a blind kind of love
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
I'm losing you
Oh oh oh, I'm losing you yeah
Ain't love the sweetest thing
Ain't love the sweetest thing
Oh oh, yeah, oh
Blue-eyed boy meets a brown-eyed girl
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
You can sew it up but you still see the tear
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
Baby's got blue skies up ahead
And in this I'm a rain cloud
Oh this is a stormy kind of love
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
Oh oh, the sweetest thing
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
The lyrics of U2's song "Sweetest Thing" capture the bittersweet nature of love. The singer reflects on the ups and downs of a relationship, describing his lover as both exhilarating and unpredictable, but also elusive and challenging. The opening lines convey the sense of being tossed around like a "rubber ball," where the sweetest thing is not only the thrill of being in love but also the risk of falling. The refrain of "I'm losing you" suggests that the relationship is not stable, and that the singer is struggling to hold on. However, the chorus interrupts this sense of vulnerability with the assertion that "love is the sweetest thing," casting a positive light on the challenges of love.
The second verse reinforces this push-and-pull tension of the relationship, with the singer feeling both empowered and vulnerable. The metaphor of being turned to "straw" by an "eternal fire" evokes both destruction and transformation, suggesting that love can be a transformative force but also a destructive one. The reference to "black eyes" that "burn so brightly" speaks to the intense and passionate nature of the love they share, but also hints at pain and struggle. The bridge provides a moment of contrast, as the singer reflects on a more optimistic moment when "blue-eyed boy meets brown-eyed girl" and they find hope in the promise of "blue skies up ahead."
Overall, U2's "Sweetest Thing" captures the high stakes and emotional intensity of a relationship. The lyrics skillfully balance the thrilling highs of passion with the difficult lows of uncertainty and doubt. Through metaphors of rain clouds and sunshine, stormy weather and blue skies, the song conveys the complexity and unpredictability of love.
Line by Line Meaning
My love she throws me like a rubber ball
My love is unpredictable and bounces me around like a rubber ball
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
This experience, although chaotic, is still sweet and enjoyable
She won't catch me or break my fall
My love won't save or rescue me from difficult situations
Baby's got blue skies up ahead
My love has a bright future ahead
But in this I'm a rain cloud
However, I am the problem in this relationship, bringing stormy weather
You know she likes a dry kind of love
My love prefers a less emotional, more practical type of love
I'm losing you
Our relationship is falling apart
Ain't love the sweetest thing
Despite the pain and turmoil, love is still an amazing experience
I wanted to run but she made me crawl
I tried to escape this love, but it only made things more difficult
Eternal fire, she turned me to straw
My love is intense and consuming, leaving me feeling weak and vulnerable
You know I got black eyes
I have been through a lot of pain and heartache
But they burn so brightly for her
Despite the pain, my love still shines strong
This is a blind kind of love
My love is passionate, but also irrational and lacking reasoning
Oh oh oh, I'm losing you yeah
I am still losing my love, and it hurts
Blue-eyed boy meets a brown-eyed girl
A classic love story arrangement
You can sew it up but you still see the tear
Although you can fix a relationship, the damage left behind will always be noticeable
Oh this is a stormy kind of love
Our love is tumultuous and difficult
Oh oh, the sweetest thing
Through all the ups and downs, our love is still the sweetest thing
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
This turbulent love story is still the most beautiful experience
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Louise Lynn Goffin, Reid Savage, Paul David Hewson, David Evans, Laurence Mullen, Adam Clayton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@boneyarsebogman
Breakdown of the super Irish things people might not know:
- the guys in the white suits are the massively successful band, Boyzone.
- The brass band that follows them are called the Artane Boys Band
- The guy in the green flannel shirt is the very successful boxer, Steve Collins.
- The U2 massive heads were created by Macnas
- The dancers are from Riverdance
- The cook at the end is restaurateur Norman Hewson
- Not Irish, but the guys on the fire truck are Chippendales.
You're welcome.
@madisonrankin1908
My love she throws me like a rubber ball
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
She won't catch me or break my fall
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
Baby's got blue skies up ahead
But in this I'm a rain cloud
You know she likes a dry kind of love
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
I'm losing you
I'm losing you
Ain't love the sweetest thing
I wanted to run but she made me crawl
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
Eternal fire, she turned me to straw
Oh oh, the sweetest thing
You know I got black eyes
But they burn so brightly for her
This is a blind kind of love
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
I'm losing you
Oh oh oh, I'm losing you yeah
Ain't love the sweetest thing
Ain't love the sweetest thing
Oh oh, yeah, oh
Blue-eyed boy meets a brown-eyed girl
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
You can sew it up but you still see the tear
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
Baby's got blue skies up ahead
And in this I'm a rain cloud
Oh this is a stormy kind of love
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
Oh oh, the sweetest thing
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
@TheVkdavid
"The Sweetest Thing"
My love throws me like a rubber ball
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
She won't catch me or break my fall
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
Baby's got blue skies up ahead
But in this I'm a rain cloud
You know she likes a dry kind of love
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
I'm losing you
I'm losing you yeah
Ain't love the sweetest thing
I wanted to run but she made me crawl
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
Eternal fire, she turned me to straw
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
You know I got black eyes
But they burn so brightly for her
This is a blind kind of love
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
I'm losing you
Oh oh oh, I'm losing you
Ain't love the sweetest thing
Blue-eyed boy meets a brown-eyed girl
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
You can sew it up but you still see the tear
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
Baby's got blue skies up ahead
But in this I'm a rain cloud
Ours is a stormy kind of love
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing
@dazediss6629
Written when Bono forgot his wife’s birthday. All the things in the video are her favourite things. From Boyzone, to marching bands, Irish dancing, firemen, …. And U2 of course lol.
Tbf, if you’re married to Bono and he forgets your birthday…. Then this is your present; that’s a pretty fucking great present.
@evanomairtin1279
The Artane Boy’s Band
@toniatfort56
That's interesting to know. Thanks for the info
@giovanniboccuzzi5682
Sono pienamente daccordo👍👋😀
@jJ72zzz
haha nice man i just watched it n thought somebody could tell the story of this video. lucky girl huh. she seems hot. was right? but yeah good taste bono
@MarinaWildish-ct4nv
So I guess he'd not be happy 2 hear my ex used this song as Manipulation in a DV relationship then ? I've never seen the video till now, just heard the song when he'd put it on. It hits different when u do c the video tho don't it
@toniatfort56
Who's still listening to this masterpiece in 2024? ❤
@itturciak
me !!!
@giuseppevitorioamendola4173
Me
@zarakiers4643
Mee