Comments on: U2: Worst Lyricists?

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:43:25 +0000

RE “Kite”…. I’m sure someone will correct me on this if I’m wrong, but I remember reading an interview where Bono explained that he wrote the song for his children (although it ended up a tribute to his own father on tour), and that lyrical coda was like a timestamp describing when he wrote it.

By: Sammybunny

Sammybunny — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:57:29 +0000

I’m pretty much in love with anything U2 has put out and call me a complete fanatic but I don’t think any of their lyrics are bad and I really enjoy the poetry because it is fresh and honest. I think that Bono and the boys are incredible lyricists.

By: paddyattitude

paddyattitude — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 10:55:07 +0000

well about the ‘honey on my tongue’ thing could not help checking my dictionary of symbols, and i found out that this line could be taken from a biblical text. indeed, there is a similar one in an ancient text called the Song of the King of Solomon. besides, Honey is symbol of wealth, well being, wisdom, knowledge, sweetness and seduction. in celtic tradition honey is the beverage of immortality, as well. well i could go on and on. but, now, knowing that and the context of the song, doesn’t it make the lyrics a bit better. plus, i’m pretty sure, knowing the kind of books bono is into, he is pretty much aware of this symbolism. so, maybe, before making any quick conclusion about the lyrics we should think about our own ignorance, and i include myself in this statement.

By: Shang

Shang — Sun, 20 May 2007 01:10:28 +0000

Backtracking a little bit, it kind of makes sense that he rhymed “tortoise” with “choice” on “Because of You”. I mean, the words themselves are unfortunate, but if you listen the the rhytm, he had to put emphasis on the second syllable of tortoise, or it would have sounded weak. and tor-TISE would have just sounded dumb.* Hence, tor-TOYSE.

Unless he found a way to rhyme it with “kiss”. that would have been cool.

By: Simon

Simon — Fri, 18 May 2007 15:34:23 +0000

I am a fan of number 4 - I think it conjures up just the right image for the feel of the song.

Besides, how are we forgetting the worst lyric of the lot?
“Freedom has a scent, likethe top of a new born baby’s head”
Yes, Bono, whatever you say

By: mschaus

mschaus — Tue, 15 May 2007 19:26:25 +0000

The one I just never understood was “The last of the rock stars, when hip hop drove the big cars, in the time when new media was the big idea”. That line contributes absolutely nothing to the song (aside from that line, I like “Kite” a lot).

However, “I wanna tear down the walls that hold me inside” is enough reason to forgive them for Kite.

By: Moi

Moi — Sat, 12 May 2007 19:20:16 +0000

I don’t agree with you in 3 and 4 but anyway, it’s OK, they’ve made much better lyrics.

By: One Love

One Love — Wed, 09 May 2007 22:29:45 +0000

Aww such haters! I thonk Bono is probably one of the best poets that ever lived! Look at Twilight, Like A Song, A Sort Of Homecoming: “The wind will crack in winter time//This bomb blast lightning waltz//No spoken words, just a scream”!?, much of Joshua Tree, especially One Tree Hill, Hawkmoon 269, Heartland, lots of Achtung, Stay,…and so on. Playboy Mansion is amazing, as is Please, Wake Up Dead Man, lots ATYCLB–New York has such a rhythm to it! “In the stillness of the evening, when the sun has had its day, I hear your voice whispering, come away now child…”
One thing everyone overlooks lyrically are the songs Do You Feel Loved and Mofo from Pop. Personally I think this is some of the best stuff he’s ever written. Yes lines like “holy dunc, space junk comin’ in for the splash” ranks with tortoise (which I personally like ever since I saw Kelly’s, @tU2’s main cartoonist, adorable segment about the birth of that line), but lines, like what the blog is named for…and: “Still looking for the face I had before the world was made”
It’s art at its best. I just think lots of Bono’s lyrics require a new perspective of thinking since he definitely thinks differently from the majority of us. But that’s what makes it fun!

By: ian

ian — Tue, 08 May 2007 18:26:56 +0000

welp. it’s a good thing bono’s charismatic, because i don’t lyric writing is his strong suit.

By: Miranda

Miranda — Tue, 08 May 2007 08:16:56 +0000

Everyone seems to bag out the lyrics to ‘New York’…but I was in the Big Apple this time last year and I’m telling you, I couldn’t get the song out of my head! I was walking around singing ‘Hot as a hair dryer in your face/hot as a handbag and a can of mace’ for about two weeks!

The other couple of lines that kept circulating in my jet-lagged brain were “Irish, Italians, Jews and Hispanics, relgious nuts, political fanatics in the stew, living happily not like me and you’ and ‘Tell yourself you will stay in, but it’s down to Alphaville’. Despite persistant nagging, my Aussie friends who now live in NY could not tell me where Alphaville was…is he talking about Alphabet City?

But surely the winner for cringe-worthy lyrics goes to ‘Grace’ from ATYCLB - ‘Grace…it’s a name for a girl’ - beautiful song, but kind of stating the obvious there.

And what about this gem from ‘Wild Honey’: “In the days, when we were swinging from the trees, I was a monkey, stealing honey from a swarm of bees”.

I was a monkey? A monkey that steals honey? What the?