U2 have written a pile of apocalyptic songs over the last three decades, though the band seem to go through phases. The last two albums, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and No Line on the Horizon, are clearly grounded in the here-and-now, the themes and topics are on the streets and usually offer a challenge to make a change. But other albums are more end-of-the-world focused. All That You Can’t Leave Behind reminds the listener of intangible relationships, rewards and desires that aren’t of this world. POP, Zooropa and Achtung Baby, almost seem to be conversations with the “other side,” often filled with dark and ominous characters who sometimes espouse half-lies and half-truths in an attempt to persuade the listener through irony and satire; at other times these albums bluntly and painfully reflect the failures and sufferings of this physical existence. The Joshua Tree and The Unforgettable Fire remind the listener that some longings and desires are constantly in conflict with human nature; the songs speak of reunions, relationships, departures and arrivals, and all the stuff of dreams yet to be realized. The early works, War, October and Boy, lay the groundwork for some pretty serious thought on the coming apocalypse, be it political, cultural or theological – we can almost hear the band counting down the “Seconds.”
Having given such a brief and woefully inadequate overview of U2’s foray into the apocalyptic genre, I offer the following: My U2 Rapture Playlist. I could have easily picked twenty tunes, or even whole albums, but here are ten songs that get me thinking and moving. And if the rapture doesn’t happen on May 21, 2011, it’s at least a good track list for a decent motorcycle ride! Feel free to leave your own list in the comments section. "On earth as it is in heaven..." -Tim
TOP TEN RAPTURE PLAYLIST
10. “Tomorrow,” October (1981)
Won't you come back tomorrow / Won't you be back tomorrow
Will you be back tomorrow / Can I sleep tonightOpen up, open up to the love of God / To the love of He who made the blind to see
He's coming back / He's coming back
I believe Him / Jesus is coming / I'm gonna be there
9. “Stateless,” The Million Dollar Hotel (2000)
I've got no home in this world / Just gravity, luck, and time
I've got no home in this world / Just you and you are not mineStateless / Weightless / Stateless
8. “A Sort of Homecoming,” The Unforgettable Fire (1984)
And you know it's time to go / Through the sleet and driving snow
Across the fields of mourning / To a light that's in the distanceAnd you hunger for the time / Time to heal, desire, time
And your earth moves beneath / Your own dream landscape
7. “Last Night on Earth,” POP (1997)
She feels the ground is giving way / But she thinks we're better off that way
The more you take the less you feel / The less you know the more you believe
The more you have, the more it takes todayYou got to give it away / You got to give it away
Well, she don't care what it's worth
She's living like it's the last night on earth
6. “Gone,” POP (1997)
You get to feel so guilty got so much for so little
Then you find that feeling just won't go away
You're holding on to every little thing so tightly
Till there's nothing left for you anyayGoodbye, you can keep this suit of lights
I'm be up with the sun / I'm not coming down
5. “I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight,” No Line on the Horizon (2009) (Live U2360 Remix of course!)
It's not a hill, it's a mountain / As you start out the climb
Listen for me, I'll be shouting / We're gonna make it all the way to the light
But you now I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight
4. “Where the Streets Have No Name,” Joshua Tree (1987)
Where the streets have no name / Where the streets have no name
We're still building, then burning down love / Burning down love
And when I go there I go there with you / It's all I can do
3. “Walk On,” All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000)
You're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been
A place that has to be believed to be seenLeave it behind
2. “Until the End of the World,” Achtung Baby (1991)
Waves of regret and waves of joy / I reached out for the one I tried to destroy
You, you said you'd wait / 'Til the end of the world
1. “Elevation,” All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000)
You elevate my soul / I've lost all self-control
Been living like a mole / Now, going down, excavation
I and I into the sky / You make me feel like I can fly so high
Elevation
Full-time professor, part-time pastor, husband, father of two small boys, news writer for @U2 (atu2.com), just trying to find my way in a new world.
One of my favourites: One Tree Hill; "I'll see you again, when the stars fall from the sky, and the moon has turned red, over One Tree Hill."
Posted by: Clayton Adams | May 30, 2011 at 02:21 AM
That's a great one, Clayton! Thanks.
Posted by: Tim | May 30, 2011 at 07:44 AM