Mysterious Ways
prytocorduroy
Posts: 4,355
Not the biggest U2 fan in the slightest, but goddamn this is my theme song these days. Achtung Baby is way better than The Joshua Tree. I guess the song hit me at a time in my life where it makes perfect sense. Plus the guitar and drums are sweet.
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No.....no it's not.
Cool when music hits ya like that, either way though.
Well I'd be careful who you argue with. There's not enough PJ fans the way it is.
eV: 8/4/08, 8/5/08, 6/21/11
SG: 10/4/08<-- MET STONE!!!
I like that when music makes an impact.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iog0J42KUx0
8/08 - Ed solo in DC, 6/09 Ed in B'more,
10/10 - Brad in B'more
Oh and Achtung Baby is not only U2's best album, it is probably one of the best albums of all time by any rock band.
"You need the patience of like a National Geographic photographer sitting underneath the bush in a tent, trying to get a picture of zebras fucking or something for the first time." -Eddie Vedder
The best song on Achtung Baby is "Zoo Station", by the way.
1. One
2. Sunday Bloody Sunday
3. With Or Without You
4. BAD
5. Beautiful Day
6. I Will Follow
7. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
8. I Still Haven't Found What I've Been Looking For
9. All I Want Is You
10. Drowning Man ......I know I'll get a WTF but I just love this song to no end. checkout this video...U2...Drowning Man
Peace
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
I love the Joshua Tree, but I think I'd pick Achtung as well. Great album, great song.
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
I respectfully disagree. Best song on Achtung Baby is obviously "One."
And if you know of Bono's history about writing about God in sometimes subtle ways (ex: Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"), sometimes not so much (think "Yaweh"), this in my opinion is his masterpiece about the almighty. He obviously changes the gender to female, so it can be interepreted sexually, but look at the key line sung throughout the song and consider what famous line he is toying with:
"She moves in mysterious ways" = "The Lord works in mysterious ways"
I understand a song can and should have layers of meaning, so there is certainly a strong level of sexuality to this song. I definitely can appreciate that about this song, especially when it is accompanied by the Edge's hot belly dancing wife. But I feel like you might be missing something if you ignore the very strong spiritual layer to this this tune. Notice the fact that song starts with Johnny and his *sister* walking in the rain (not his lover). It would be kind of weird if Bono were instructing Johnny to worship his sister by getting his knees or to follow this feeling, etc. Plus Bono never worships an object of sexual desire in his songs quite like he does the subject of Mysterious Ways. Aside from MLK and other humanitarians, this level of reverence is reserved solely for the man upstairs in U2 songs
Just my perspective, so take it for what it's worth.
Oh, and One is a song I didn't get at first but now love.
eV: 8/4/08, 8/5/08, 6/21/11
SG: 10/4/08<-- MET STONE!!!
Mysterious Ways LIVE
To me U2 music and songs especially hardly ever portray one meaning or message, that's the cool thing about there lyrics. To me *Mysterious Ways* was written to be taken to mean many different ways along with all their other songs. The genius of Bono's writing style is that he paints an image or ideas frm his creative mind that he wants you to be the artist/creative mind. He wants you to come up with that particular song is about. That's why you'll see many post here with various interpretations of this song *Mysterious Ways*. They're several different interpretations that could apply here to this song, because like I said U2 songs hardly ever have just a simple message or meaning.
That said, I think this is a very spiritual song in general, but I also think most people try to oversimplify U2 to the point that all their songs and lyrics are simply 'Praise Jesus' hymns in disguise. It gets to be a bit old that U2 songs become defined as God-like in general. While yes, their lyrics are always spiritual and many of them are about God or a higher power, I don't think their lyrics are getting the full credit they deserve because so many people just pass them off as blandly being "about God". There is always so much more to it than that.
So let's take a closer look at the song but from the Christian context of U2:
Johnny take a walk with your sister the moon
Let her pale light in to fill up your room
You've been living underground
Eating from a can
You've been running away
From what you don't understand...
Love
My belief is that this is a take on "Fratello Sole Sorella Luna" ("Brother Sun, Sister Moon") - a biopic on St. Francis of Assisi that was in movie theaters in 1972. St Francis was an ascetic, so the humility of "eating from a can" fits. U2, I'm sure, is well familiar with the 1972 film "Fratello Sole Sorella Luna". I'm certain the Bono and company were well exposed to this religious this movie in the early 70s. And they're well exposed to St Francis of Assisi's theology. I'm guessing here though.
You're sliding down
She'll be there when you hit the ground
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
A reference to someone who will be there when you've hit bottom. More on that in a moment. Note the feminine reference.
Johnny take a dive with your sister in the rain
Let her talk about the things you can't explain
To touch is to heal
To hurt is to steal
If you want to kiss the sky
Better learn how to kneel
(on your knees boy)
I can't speak to who "Johnny" is. He could, I suppose, be John the Baptist- "a dive in the rain" could be a reference to baptism. Or he can simply be the general "everyday man". While there isn't enough information in the song to really know, it appears that "Johnny" represents you and me.
"To touch is to heal, to hurt is to steal", the reference to kissing the sky by kneeling- well of course these are references to learning humility before God if you wish to ascend to God's Grace. Again sort of like when one has hit rock bottom, the humility of that and then seeking God's Grace to redeem oneself. Well said by U2, actually!
She's the wave
She turns the tide
She sees the man inside the child
Now we get to some solid clues about who "She" is. "She's the wave, she turns the tide." Whomever this is, she's making a difference, a CHANGE for the better. She's the harbinger of change as she "turns the tide"!
"She sees the man inside the child"
Come on everyone- we know who "saw the man inside the child" in a Christian context! Mary, of course! It was Mary who looked upon the infant Jesus and saw the man inside the child. MARY turned the tide in accepting Christ...in her words, by being the Lord's handmaiden.
Now we know who "she" is. It's Mary. And she does indeed move in "mysterious ways".
It's Mary who personifies much of the Holy Spirit:
One day you will look...back
And you'll see...where
You were held...how
By this love...while
You could stand...there
You could move on this moment
Follow this feeling
A reference to God's Love. And if I may say so, Mary's love for Jesus.
We move through miracle days
Spirit moves in mysterious ways
She moves with it
She moves with it
Lift my days, light up my nights
Mary is not the Holy Spirit, of course. She does, though, move through the Holy Spirit - "She moves with it". Note that she moves "with" it, but isn't "it". And through the Spirit, she moves in Mysterious Ways.
Note the context of Bono and his sincere respect for John Paul II, who simply adored Mary. Mary moves with "it", where "it" is the Holy Spirit.
Then again I could way off base but this is just my take on the song.
Peace & Love As We do Things In Mysterious Ways
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
Nirvana - Nevermind
U2 - Achtung Baby
Pearl Jam - Ten
R.E.M. - Out Of Time
And also a few albums that some people might consider to be very good:
Michael Jackson - Dangerous
Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I / II
"You need the patience of like a National Geographic photographer sitting underneath the bush in a tent, trying to get a picture of zebras fucking or something for the first time." -Eddie Vedder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh-ACkYmdc4
8/08 - Ed solo in DC, 6/09 Ed in B'more,
10/10 - Brad in B'more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPjQZ4_92Aw
8/08 - Ed solo in DC, 6/09 Ed in B'more,
10/10 - Brad in B'more
I remember that being a real treat at that show..it sounded slower or different somehow. I Havent watched that since (it was left off the dvd), so thanks for that!
You can't deny that this one's a classic.
I like Achtung, Baby for it´s own special atmosphere (that´s the feeling I get when I listen to Zoo Station, Mysterious Ways or The Fly). It´s a great record but for me The Joshua Tree is U2´s "best", followed by War and The Unforgettable Fire. That´s just my opinion because that´s the music I love U2 for
I was just thinking about starting a thread on this the other day. Don't forget Metallica - Metallica (Black Album) and RHCP - Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Best year for rock music in my lifetime. Of course I wouldn't include MJ in my list though.
Word.
-my dad after hearing Not for You for the first time on SNL .