(Released
October 2000) |
Track
list: |
|
Beautiful
Day |
| Stuck
in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of |
| Elevation
|
| Walk
On |
| Kite
|
| In
a Little While |
| Wild
Honey |
| Peace
on Earth |
| When
I Look at the World |
| New
York |
| Grace
|
| The
Ground Beneath her Feet |
U2
decided to go back to their roots and play the way they used
to, without electronic and other genre influences for their
12th album. The original album cover contained references to
the Bible with an inscription of a verse but this was later
changed.
While the album contains a few songs that expose the soul of
the band, like "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of,"
written about the suicide of Bono's friend and INXS band member
Michael Hutchence, the most prominent influences behind the
songs are the political forces the band was passionate about.
The song "Walk On" is dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi, a leader
in the pro-democracy movement in Burma. "Peace On Earth"
makes reference to the victims of the terrorist bomb that killed
29 people in Northern Ireland . The names "Sean and Julia,
Gareth, Ann and Breda" mentioned in the song are the names
of some people who died in the terrorist attack. These people
and moments influenced Bono greatly because of the issues they
bring up. Using these examples, Bono pushes for peace and an
end to violence within
the lyrics of his songs.
The album reached number one in twenty eight countries, but
peaked at number three in the United States. Both "Beautiful
Day" and "Walk On" won Record of the Year while
the album overall achieved #139 on Rolling Stone Magazine's
Top 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time. The album's popularity
has enabled Bono to push his message to its listeners. He combines
good music with important issues so that the important issues
become part of everyday life. Once this is achieved, the issues
can be recognized and resolved.
