Sometimes we have to stand somewhere new in order to see an old familiar image in a different way.
I noticed this one day as I looked into a mirror while wearing my shirt with the No Line On The Horizon logo. I've loved the image of "U2" with the equal sign since the first time I saw it. It's a very powerful symbol. But seeing the flipped image along with my reflection means so much more now.
Bono has been fond of using the "no them, only us" theme on the I+E tour. He often says something about the ease of identifying enemies in youth, a time when "them" and "us" are tangible categories. Not so simple in midlife when we learn that we must "Choose your enemies carefully 'cause they will define you."
Years ago, U2 started singing about this idea at the end of "One," a practice they continue. But more than just a casual or fleeting notion on this tour, they make it a central focus on a nightly basis while singing "Invisible." As the "wall" is dismantled, the message is nothing short of provocative, a hinge-point for the entire show. I think "Invisible" is one of the most important songs U2 has ever written--I comment in depth on the song here in part one of a blog post, part two, and in a review of The Million Dollar Hotel for atU2.com.
So this "reflection" is literally a mirror image, revealing both the power of the band's name and a core purpose for its existence. U2, we find, is really "US".
(Note: the above graphic is my creation, but the original NLOTH photo is from the artist Hiroshi Sugimoto.)
Comments