The days run away like horses over the hills

Top underrated U2 songs that should be rated higher than a rates demand from the council or rather some of Jimmy’s fave songs by U2.

Please, from the album Popmart.

Popmart is probably Bono’s best effort lyrically. With word plays on Michael Jackson being history over Jackson’s own HIStory pun, the blind leading the blonde and the line from Please “Your Catholic blues, Your convent shoes” pretty much summing up Bono’s eternal search for his place and pace in the world this song was depressing yet uplifting at the same time. Edge’s solo (esp in live recordings) was up there with his best.

Dirty Day, Zooropa

“These days, days, days run away like horses over the hills” being sung over and over at the end always remind me that I never have enough time to do what ever it is I wanted do. This song did make me go see a documentary on the guy it was dedicated to, the author Charles Bukowski and read some of his books. So if anything this song taught me it sux to be a drunk alcoholic author who used to work in a post office. In fact I think Charlie boy actually went postal before the term was applied to the fine people at the US Postal Service.

Van Dieman’s Land, Rattle and Hum.

It has the Edge singing and he actually means it but you believe it too even though its about Aussie bastards?! It has good chord changes. Hmm have I said this before? Also was there actually any humming on the album? Ok Edge, play the blues.

In to the Heart, Boy

I like this because of the outro from the prior song, An cat Dubh, becomes the into to this. Kind of a plodding but hypnotic bass riff with crisp Edge playing.

MLK, The Unforgettable Fire.

While the fire is a reference to atomic bombs being dropped in Japan (an early portent of How to dismantle an Atomic Bomb maybe?) the album seemed dedicated to two Kings – Elvis and Martin Luther King. The song is sung like a lullaby, actually encouraging sleep. While Bono’s politic rants and beseeches and besmirches of The Man might put the more jaded and cynical amongst us to sleep you can’t complain that this song does the same in a nice under the covers on a rainy day kind of way.

Beat on the Brat, cover of The Ramones, from the We’re a Happy Family Ramones Tribute Album.

Beat on the brat with a baseball bat. Yeah punk. U2 started out playing Ramone’s covers trying to pass them off as their own. Which is pretty much the music industry down pat these days. What can you do?