I just love early U2 . The sounds were so raw and energetic and different than anything else that was around. I remember hearing I will Follow and Gloria for the first time and they just had that feeling about them that just made you think that U2 was going to be big. They spoke with the wild-eyed-ness of youth which is something we would all probably be better off if we didn't completely lose in adulthood but too often do.
Their exuberance about going out and proclaiming a message about the One that had captured their hearts was tempered a bit when the public wasn't as excited as they were about it and the criticisms of them wearing their hearts on their sleeves quickly followed. What I love about how U2 handled it was that they never pulled back from being out there...in the flowing tide of the world. But as Bono explains, they learned how to draw a fish in the sand...it's there for those that are searching and it's not for those who are not...and that's how it should be. Parables are kinda like that.
This is an early in-your-face song which would have probably been a good recipe for success in CCM but thank you U2 for not going that way. I'll take the fish in the sand.
A Celebration
Shake! Shake!
Don't go I believe in a celebration
I believe you set me free
I believe you can loose this chains
I believe you can dance with me
Dance with me
Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake!
I believe in the third world war
I believe in the atomic bomb
I believe in the powers that be
But they won't overpower me
And, and you can go there too
And, and you can go go go go
Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake!
And we don't have the time
And everything goes 'round and 'round
And we don't have the time
To watch the world go tumbling down
Go! Go!
I believe in the bells of Christ's Church
Ringing for this land
I believe in the cells of Mount Joy
Doesn't understand
And, and you can go there too
And, and you can go go go go
I believe in the walls of Jericho (And you...)
I believe they're coming down (Can go there too)
I belive in this city's children (And you... )
I believe the trumpet's sound (can go go go go)
And you can go there too
And you can go go go go...
I believe in what I'm doing
What am I doing here...
2 comments:
What I love about U2 is the amount of people who just love them as a band, who are not Christians, and I love that because to me that's how it always should be - wearing your faith on your sleeve, but in such a way as it's not about you shoving your stuff onto other people to please your "witnessing" quota, but it's also not hiding your light under a bushel either. And I think they do that so well.
I love this album. I bought it on CD about a year ago. Hadn't listened to it for years and years, ever since my brother had first bought their albums on vinyl all the way back in 1735 ... well, 1981. It was a surreal experience listening once again to all of these songs that I'd forgotten that were at the same time so familiar. And the same goes with War - I haven't heard it since back then (which is so weird, considering how much I love this band, right?) and I am really anticipating with pleasure the experience of renewing my acquaintance :)
Hooray for music.
I second the Hooray for music.
Boy, October, War, and The Unforgettable Fire are what I call "Early U2" I always love going back to listen and the Vertigo Tour was so cool with them adding some of these tunes back into the set. I'm getting ready for some new U2.
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