Friday, May 27, 2011

Still building, then burning down love

Many consider "Where the Streets Have No Name" the high point of any U2 concert. There is a funny story about the guitar part to this song. If you listen closely you may note that it begins with arpeggios that are not quite in the same time signature as the rest of the song. Gradually the tempo of the guitar accelerates until the guitar and the song come into focus together.

The story goes that this guitar part was so convoluted and it took so long to record this song (weeks and weeks) that at one point the producer decided to erase the whole thing and force the band to start over. An engineer had to physically hold him back from hitting the erase button -- which would have been a disaster. The song eventually came together and has become one of U2's most classic and enduring anthems.



I want to run
I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I want to reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name

I want to feel sunlight on my face
I see the dust cloud disappear
Without a trace
I want to take shelter from the poison rain
Where the streets have no name

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

The city's aflood
And our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled in dust
I'll show you a place
High on a desert plain
Where the streets have no name

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
Our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh, and I see love
See our love turn to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh, when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do

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