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U2 - The Hands That Built America
Country - Ireland Player- Sean
| Oh my love, it's a long way we've
come From the freckled hills, to the steel and glass canyons From the stony fields, to hanging steel from the sky From digging in our pockets for a reason not to say goodbye These are the hands that built America (Washington dream it wasn't here) Oh, oh oh, America / Hand (Watch, watch, a journey in time) Last saw your face in a watercolour sky As sea birds argue, a long goodbye I took your kiss, on the spray of the new land star You gotta live with your dreams, don't make them so hard |
And these are the hands, that built
America (Irish are Irish, a journey is a journey) Ah, ah ah, America / Hand (Whatever you said it wasn't here) Of all of the promises, is this one we could keep Of all of the dreams, is this one still out of reach Halle, ole (Dream-oh-yeah) (Oh oh-dream, oh love) It's early fall, there's a cloud on the New York skyline Innocence, dragged across a yellow line These are the hands that built America These are the hands that built America Ah America Ah America |
| Player's comments: | What can be said that hasn't already been said
about the biggest group in the world today? Formed at drummer Larry Mullen's school in
1976 the Dublin band are still going strong and have just released their second greatest
hits album covering the last decade. Mullen, Bono (vocals), Edge (guitars) and Adam
Clayton (bass) first came to prominence in their native Ireland through their first few
singles. When they signed to big UK label Island in 1980 their local reputation expanded
across the world, culminating in the cult success of songs like "Gloria",
"I Will Follow", and "New Years Day". But it was Live Aid &
release of the classic single "Pride" that they finally broke through on a big
scale to the whole world . Sales of the album "The Unforgettable Fire" (1984)
and tickets for its subsequent tour were phenomenal. They had made it. Their next album
confirmed their status. The album "The Joshua Tree" (1987) is now regarded as
their finest work. A sweeping heart-beating journey through America and beyond with great,
great songs, production & playing. An enormous seller that had innumerable
number 1s everywhere. They then stumbled (briefly). "Rattle & Hum" (1988) was a disappointing film & album. It seemed that they had taken themselves too seriously and believed their own hype. It was still enourmous but lacked the credibilty they had worked hard for up till that point. After their last tour of the decade Bono announced from the stage that they would "go away and dream it all up again". No-one expected what was to happen next. "The sound of 4 men chopping down the Joshua Tree" was how Bono perfectly described the pure thrash of their next single "The Fly". Instead of heart-beating & heavy songs, Bono & the boys re-invented Bowie glam with a twist of up-to-the minute dance beats on "Actung Baby" (1991). A complete shock to the die-hards who wanted more of "Pride", a delight to everyone else. The subsequent ZOOTV tour has been regarded as "The Sgt Pepper of all tours". Innovative, sometime humourous and everything their serious 80s selves weren't. It blew everyone away (including me)and so did "Zooropa" (1993) the follow-up. It seemed they could do no wrong. However, when they tried to repeat the formula again with "Pop" (1997) and the Popmart tour, some began to walk away fearing they had gone too far with their desire to be ever changing. Just like 1989/90 the band were forced to look again at themselves and their image. They found it in the most unlikely way by..looking back. The release of "Best of 1980-1990" made the band re-evaluate their past and embrace it. Consequently, "All That You Can't Leave Behind" (2000) was everything they'd ever done on just one album. The public who deserted them after "Pop" rushed back in droves to the "Elevation" tour. Deliberately scaled down in comparison with previous tours, its emphasis was on the music and the words rather that CGI or sets. But surely that's what it's all about isn't it? |