A Day Without Me

Last updated
"A Day Without Me"
U2adwm.jpg
Single by U2
from the album Boy
B-side "Things to Make and Do"
Released18 August 1980 [1]
Recorded1980
Studio Windmill Lane Studios (Dublin)
Genre Post-punk
Length3:12
Label
Songwriter(s) U2
Producer(s) Steve Lillywhite
U2 singles chronology
"11 O'Clock Tick Tock"
(1980)
"A Day Without Me"
(1980)
"I Will Follow"
(1980)

"A Day Without Me" is a song by Irish rock band U2, and the eighth track on their debut album Boy . It was released as the album's lead single in August 1980, and was their first release to be produced by Steve Lillywhite.

Contents

Theme

The song's lyrics refer to the removal of someone from their habitual social circle, and reflecting on what the world would be like without their presence. [2]

At the time of the single's release, an Island Records press officer was notifying enquirers who were corresponding with the record label about the band that the song's lyrics were written about the death of Ian Curtis, the frontman/vocalist of the band Joy Division. [3] However, this information was erroneous as the band performed the song in Dublin in February 1980, musically and lyrically unaltered from its release format, a few months before Curtis's death. [4]

Production

The single release was produced by Steve Lillywhite, and was the first time that he recorded with U2.

The B-side is an instrumental song called "Things to Make and Do."

Cover art

The image on the single's cover, photographed by Susan Byrne, is of a footbridge at Booterstown railway station in South Dublin. [5] The image echoes the Joy Division photoshoot on the Epping Walk Bridge in Hulme, Manchester, that featured in an article of New Musical Express in January 1979. [6]

Live performances

"A Day Without Me" was played live during the first half of the 1980s. On the Boy Tour, it did not have a firmly defined set list position, initially appearing in the main set before moving to the encore. It did not appear on the October Tour until November 1981, when it was paired with "I Threw a Brick Through a Window", a song from the newly released October album. The two songs were linked by a drum segue leading from the end of "I Threw a Brick Through a Window" into "A Day Without Me", and this pairing lasted until April 1985. Since then, neither song has been played live, although snippets of "A Day Without Me" have been played on rare occasions. [7] A live performance of the song from Red Rocks Amphitheatre appears on the concert film U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky .

"Things to Make and Do" was the only instrumental played live by U2 until the U2 360° Tour ("Return of the Stingray Guitar"), and it regularly followed "The Electric Co." on the Boy Tour. It has only been played once since the end of that tour, at an early date of the October Tour on 31 August 1981.

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."A Day Without Me"3:12
2."Things to Make and Do" (instrumental)2:14

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U2</span> Irish rock band

U2 are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1976. The group consists of Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.. Initially rooted in post-punk, U2's musical style has evolved throughout their career, yet has maintained an anthemic quality built on Bono's expressive vocals and the Edge's chiming, effects-based guitar sounds. Bono's lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal and sociopolitical themes. Popular for their live performances, the group have staged several elaborate tours over their career.

<i>Boy</i> (album) 1980 studio album by U2

Boy is the debut studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Steve Lillywhite and was released on 20 October 1980 by Island Records. Boy contains songs from the band's 40-song repertoire at the time, including two tracks that were re-recorded from their original versions on the group's debut release, the EP Three.

<i>October</i> (U2 album) 1981 studio album by U2

October is the second studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was released on 12 October 1981 by Island Records, and was produced by Steve Lillywhite. The album was lyrically inspired by the memberships of Bono, the Edge, and Larry Mullen Jr. in a Christian group called the Shalom Fellowship, and consequently it contains spiritual and religious themes. Their involvement with Shalom Fellowship led them to question the relationship between the Christian faith and the "rock and roll" lifestyle, and threatened to break up the band.

<i>War</i> (U2 album) 1983 studio album by U2

War is the third studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Steve Lillywhite, and was released on 28 February 1983 on Island Records. The album is regarded as U2's first overtly political album, in part because of songs like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day", as well as the title, which stems from the band's perception of the world at the time; lead vocalist Bono stated that "war seemed to be the motif for 1982."

<i>Three</i> (U2 EP) 1979 EP by U2

Three, also known as U2 3, is the debut release by Irish rock band U2. It was released in Ireland on 26 September 1979 through the CBS Ireland record label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Year's Day (U2 song)</span> 1983 single by U2

"New Year's Day" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track on their 1983 album War and was released as the album's lead single in January 1983. With lyrics written about the Polish Solidarity movement, "New Year's Day" is driven by Adam Clayton's distinctive bassline and the Edge's piano and guitar playing. It was the band's first UK hit single, peaking at number 10, and was also their first international hit, reaching for number 9 in Norway, number 11 on the Dutch Top 40, number 17 in Sweden, and number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, becoming the band's first single to chart in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Will Follow</span> 1980 single by U2

"I Will Follow" is a song by rock band U2. It is the opening track from their debut album, Boy, and it was released as the album's second single in October 1980. Lead singer Bono wrote the lyrics to "I Will Follow" in tribute to his mother, who died when he was 14 years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">With or Without You</span> 1987 single by U2

"With or Without You" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track on their fifth studio album, The Joshua Tree (1987), and was released as the album's lead single on 16 March 1987. The song was the group's most successful single at the time, becoming their first number-one hit in both the United States and Canada by topping the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and the RPM national singles chart for one week, with a further three weeks at number two.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Even Better Than the Real Thing</span> 1992 single by U2

"Even Better Than the Real Thing" is a song by Irish rock band U2, and is the second track on their seventh album, Achtung Baby (1992). It was released as the album's fourth single on 8 June 1992, and it reached number three in Ireland and Canada while becoming a top-ten hit in Austria, New Zealand, and Sweden. A remixed version of the song released the same year peaked at number eight in the United Kingdom and number 10 in Ireland. In 1997, readers of Mojo named the song the 71st-best track of the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walk On (U2 song)</span> 2001 single by U2

"Walk On" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the fourth track on their tenth studio album, All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000). The song was first released in Canada on 20 February 2001, then was given a UK release in November of the same year; it was the album's second single in Canada and the fourth internationally. The song was written about Burmese academic Aung San Suu Kyi, who was the chairperson of the National League for Democracy and was placed under house arrest from 1989 until 2010 for her pro-democracy activities, which led to the song being banned in Burma. In 2002, the song won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony, marking the first time an artist had won the award for songs from the same album in consecutive years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mysterious Ways (song)</span> 1991 single by U2

"Mysterious Ways" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the eighth track from their 1991 album, Achtung Baby, and was released as the album's second single on 2 December 1991. The song began as an improvisation called "Sick Puppy", with the band liking only the bass part that bassist Adam Clayton composed. The band struggled to build a song from it, with vocalist Bono and producer Daniel Lanois arguing intensely during one songwriting session. The song's breakthrough came after guitarist the Edge began experimenting with the Korg A3 effects unit. "Mysterious Ways" features a danceable beat, funky guitar hook, and conga-laden percussion, as well as mystical lyrics by Bono about romance and women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">When Love Comes to Town</span> 1989 single by U2 with B.B. King

"When Love Comes to Town" is a song by Irish rock band U2 featuring blues guitarist B.B. King. It is the twelfth track from U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum, and was released in 1989 as the record's third single. The song was recorded at the historic Sun Studio in Memphis. "When Love Comes to Town" reached number one in the Irish Singles Chart, number six in the UK Singles Chart, number ten in the Dutch Top 40, and number two in the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desire (U2 song)</span> 1988 single by U2

"Desire" is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the third track on their 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. It was released as the album's lead single on 19 September 1988, and became the band's first number-one single in the United Kingdom and Australia. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and topped both the Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, making it the first song to reach number one on both charts simultaneously. It reached number two on the Dutch Top 40. At the 31st Annual Grammy Awards, "Desire" won the 1988 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">40 (song)</span> 1983 single by U2

"40", also known as "40 (How Long)", is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the tenth and final track on their 1983 album, War. The song is noted for its live performances; guitarist the Edge and bassist Adam Clayton trade instruments during performances of it, and as it was commonly played to end their concerts, the band would leave the stage one-by-one as the audience continued to sing the refrain "How long to sing this song?". The lyrics are a modification of the Bible's Psalm 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two Hearts Beat as One</span> 1983 single by U2

"Two Hearts Beat as One" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the seventh track on their 1983 album, War, and was released as its second single in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia on 21 March 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Celebration</span> 1982 single by U2

"A Celebration" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It was released as a non-album single in March 1982, between the records October (1981) and War (1983). The song's music video was filmed at the Kilmainham Gaol former prison in Dublin. The single reached number 47 on the UK Singles Chart and number 15 on the Irish Singles Chart. "Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl", commonly shortened to "Party Girl", was released on the single's B-side. It later became a live favourite with fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">11 O'Clock Tick Tock</span> 1980 single by U2

"11 O'Clock Tick Tock" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It was released as a single on 16 May 1980, and was produced by Martin Hannett. It followed their debut EP Three and the single "Another Day." It was the group's first release for Island Records. The song's lyrics were written by lead vocalist Bono based on his experience at a Cramps concert in London, where he watched a "lifeless, goth-style" crowd from the balcony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Another Day (U2 song)</span> 1980 single by U2

"Another Day" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It was commercially released as a single on 26 February 1980 by CBS Ireland as a follow-up to the band's first release, the EP U2-3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight</span> 2009 single by U2

"I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" is the fifth song from U2's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon. The song was released as the album's third single in a digital format on 25 August 2009 and in a physical version released on 7 September 2009. Two music videos were made, one directed by David O'Reilly, and one by Alex Courtes.

This is a timeline of the history of rock band U2:

References

  1. Sams, Aaron; Kantas, Harry. "U2 – "A Day Without Me" Single". U2songs.com. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  2. U2 - Dublin, Ireland 26-February-1980 (Full Concert With Enhanced Audio) , retrieved 2024-03-11
  3. Letter from Island Records Press Officer Neil Storey, dated 16 October 1980, for sale on eBay 2 March 2018: "... A Day Without Me was based, loosely, on the death of Ian Curtis. The band were deeply affected by his death as they felt that it was a senseless waste of human life." https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323088854785?_trksid=p11021.c100851.m5053&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20170803121420ul_noapp=true
  4. "U2 Dublin, 1980-02-26, National Stadium, Early Days - U2 on tour". U2gigs.com. 1980-02-26. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  5. 'It was the Summer of '79, when the Heat was felt by McGuiness', by Declan Lynch. 'Irish Independent' 29 October 2006.
  6. "BBC - Kevin Cummins: Britain's bands in pictures - Joy Division". BBC. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  7. Mühlbradt, Matthias; Axver, André. "A Day Without Me". U2Gigs.com. Retrieved 2009-08-17.