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
The Fool
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A world that I didn't see
I walk the world back ways
It's aways the same ballgame
That's out of mind
Out of the living world
Out of time
They call me a fool
I cartoon in motion
A hero pretends no pain
A clown slipping backwards
You laugh at another's shame
But I don't mind
I know I'm limping low down
I don't mind
Winners or losers
It's all just a game
And I'm going down
And I'm strolling down
Life and an answer
The key to an open door
Admitting I'm laughing
Living I'm limping more
It's out of mind
Out of the living world
Out of time
Winners or losers
It's always a game
And I'm going down
But I'm strolling down
To rout around
And around, and around
To round round
There's a cloud
There's a cloud
So the fool has found the golden key
So it's waiting there for you and me
Just a fool, a street jester
The hero of society
Just a fool, a street jester
Look at me, now can't you see
A life in emotion
A world I'm glad I didn't see
A cartoon in motion
A key to the same day
I don't mind, I'm here to know
I want to go go go go go
So the fool has found the golden key
It's so it's waiting there for you and me
Just a fool, a street jester
The hero of society
Just a fool, a street jester
Look at me, now can't you see
The lyrics of U2's "The Fool" convey a sense of being disoriented in a world that is overwhelming and unchanged. The opening line, "Alive in an ocean / A world that I didn't see," describes a feeling of being submerged in the world, in which the enormity of everything is all-encompassing. The bridge continues this theme, "Out of mind / Out of the living world / Out of time," as if the singer is removed from time and reality, disconnected from everything else.
The chorus, "They call me a fool / I cartoon in motion / A hero pretends no pain / A clown slipping backwards," depicts the singer as someone who is not taken seriously, who is viewed as a joke. As a result, they have become detached from their own pain and struggle. They have adopted a "heroic" persona, pretending not to be affected by their own misfortune, while in reality they are slipping backwards, losing ground.
The second verse "Life and an answer / The key to an open door / Admitting I'm laughing / Living I'm limping more," seems to suggest that the singer has found some enlightenment, a way out of their predicament, but it comes at a cost. They must admit to themselves that they are laughing at their own misfortune, which leaves them even more wounded and vulnerable than before. Ultimately, the song suggests that life is a game, with winners and losers, and the singer has resigned themselves to being a "fool," content to wander aimlessly and observe the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Alive in an ocean
I am immersed in a world that is unknown to me
A world that I didn't see
I find myself in a life that was unexpected and unfamiliar
I walk the world back ways
I approach life from a different perspective than most people
It's always the same ballgame
Life tends to repeat itself, and can become monotonous
That's out of mind
My thoughts and experiences are beyond what most people can comprehend
Out of the living world
The life I live is unconventional and does not follow the norm
Out of time
I exist on a different timeline than most others
I break all the rules
I refuse to conform to societal standards and expectations
They call me a fool
People view me as foolish or ignorant for my nonconformity
I cartoon in motion
My life seems like a cartoon or a surreal experience to others
A hero pretends no pain
I try to be strong and unemotional in the face of adversity
A clown slipping backwards
Though I try to appear strong, I am still struggling and not immune to pain
You laugh at another's shame
People take pleasure in others' misfortunes
But I don't mind
I am not bothered by others' opinions of me
I know I'm limping low down
I am aware of my imperfections and failures
Winners or losers
Life is a game with both successes and failures
It's all just a game
Everything in life is a part of the same struggle
And I'm going down
Despite my efforts, I am still experiencing failure
And I'm strolling down
Despite the failures, I am still making my way through life
Life and an answer
My existence and purpose in life
The key to an open door
The answer to my purpose lies ahead of me
Admitting I'm laughing
I find humor in the irony of life
Living I'm limping more
The longer I live, the more my imperfections and failures compound
But I'm strolling down to rout around
I am wandering through life to explore the world and find meaning
There's a cloud
There is an element of uncertainty or ambiguity in my life
So the fool has found the golden key
I have discovered the answer to my life's purpose
So it's waiting there for you and me
The answer is available for everyone to find
Just a fool, a street jester
I am viewed as foolish and entertaining by others
The hero of society
Despite being viewed as foolish, I am still making a positive impact on the world
Look at me, now can't you see
I am proud of my nonconformity and value it greatly
A life in emotion
My life is full of feeling and experience
A world I'm glad I didn't see
I am grateful for the unique, unconventional life I lead
A key to the same day
The answer to my purpose is to embrace the present moment
I don't mind, I'm here to know
I am content with not knowing everything and am simply trying to learn as much as possible
I want to go go go go go
I am eager to continue exploring the world and seeking out new experiences
To round round
To continue wandering aimlessly through life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM CLAYTON, DAVE EVANS, LARRY MULLEN, PAUL DAVID HEWSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MichaelD8393
0:40 "A cartoon in motion, the hero pretends no pain. A clown slipping backwards, you laugh at another's shame." That's my favorite line.
dj
Nice
Nick & Maria Lambert
this sounds like it was recorded live on a dodgy mono cassette recorder... but sounds so good and raw - love it!
CFTV Data
An unfortunate consequence of the analogue tape trading era... I'd imagine the cassette this was digitized from is a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a rough studio mix, with perhaps even more generations in between... all things considered, this one doesn't sound too bad for the era!
dj
@CFTV Data exactly! Sounds pretty decent
VNB 3
Much of the great wonders of the band is hidden in their past.
dj
Yep
Ditador Br
I love this song !
Colten DeYoung
This just goes to show that with lots of practice, a decent singer can become an amazing singer.
jess bradley
ah wow. Bono had the BEST voice when they first started. I completely understand the post-punk thing now