Bullet the Blue Sky

Last updated
"Bullet the Blue Sky"
Song by U2
from the album The Joshua Tree
Released9 March 1987
Recorded1986
Genre Post-punk [1]
Length4:32
Label Island
Composer(s) U2
Lyricist(s) Bono
Producer(s)

"Bullet the Blue Sky" is a song by Irish rock band U2, and is the fourth track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree . Lyrically, the song was inspired by a trip that lead vocalist Bono made to Nicaragua and El Salvador, where he saw firsthand how local peasants were affected by United States military intervention in the region. Angered by what he witnessed, Bono asked guitarist the Edge to "put El Salvador through an amplifier." "Bullet the Blue Sky" is one of the band's most overtly political songs, with live performances often being heavily critical of political conflicts and violence.

Contents

Writing and recording

"Bullet the Blue Sky" first originated as a demo that U2 recorded during a jam session at STS Studios in Dublin with producer Paul Barrett, prior to the proper Joshua Tree recording sessions. [2] While listening to a song by English rock band the Fall, U2 guitarist the Edge tried to emulate its guitar riff, but instead came up with his own part that was, in his approximation, "uptempo, like real hard-hitting". It eventually became the chorus for "Bullet the Blue Sky". [3] Bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. then joined in playing at half-time. [2] [4] Lead vocalist Bono recalled that Clayton was also playing in a different key from the Edge, who became irritated and considered stopping the jam. [3] [2] After the take was completed, the band listened to playback in the control room and realised that the demo was "absolutely brilliant". [2] Compared to the final version of the song, the Edge described the demo as "much more bare-boned, like a heavy funk track". [5] Still, the song was discarded for some time until producer Brian Eno, who described it as a "homeless riff", convinced the band it was worth working on. [6]

In July 1986, [7] Bono and his wife Ali travelled to Nicaragua and El Salvador, where they saw firsthand the distress of peasants bullied by political conflicts and United States military intervention. The trip angered Bono and formed the basis of the song's lyrics. [5] [8] He said, "I remember the ground shaking, and I remember the smell, I suppose, of being near a war zone. I don't think we were in danger, but I knew there were lives in danger or being lost close to us, and I felt for them. It upset me as a person who read the Scriptures, to think that Christians in America were supporting this kind of thing, this kind of proxy war because of these Communists." [9] [10] In August, after reconvening with his bandmates in Dublin to resume work on The Joshua Tree, [11] Bono instructed the Edge to "put El Salvador through an amplifier", resulting in the song's feedback-based guitar part. [12] [13] The Edge said that his guitar playing was also informed by Bono's lyrics. [5]

Producer Daniel Lanois says that the most progress on "Bullet the Blue Sky" was made at Melbeach, the Edge's newly purchased home in seaside Monkstown. [14] According to Lanois, the song's performance came from a 20-minute jam that he dedicated an extensive amount of time to editing into a final arrangement, "for a song that was never a song, that was only ever a jam." He said, "It was one of those songs that was born partially by surgery – the editing of the structure was a really big part of it." [15] Recording engineer Dave Meegan helped develop the song with a mix that he made at Melbeach. Wanting it to sound like Led Zeppelin, Meegan adjusted a monitor mix to make it "really heavy sounding." Lanois was inspired by what he heard, as the song up to that point was being treated softly. [13] He quickly summoned the band, [13] who went with the primary engineer Flood to Windmill Lane Studios. [15] In a warehouse next door to the studio, the crew used a public address system to play a recording of Mullen's drums, which was then re-recorded inside the warehouse. [16] Lanois called it a "really elaborate kind of rock and roll chamber". [15] The result, according to Meegan, "made [the drums] sound like John Bonham", [13] while Lanois said they sounded "tankier". [16] He added, "it introduced a mid-range that the high-hat seemed to like. This new sonic emphasis on the high-hat made every hit more relevant... The inherent low-frequency punch of the PA also added a level of excitement to the bass drum. The overall sensation was a chestier one." [16]

The final mix of "Bullet the Blue Sky" was based on two different versions. Producer Steve Lillywhite, who in December 1986 was hired by U2 to help mix some of The Joshua Tree, [17] was asked by the Edge "to fly over from one version to another version". Lillywhite had to match the tempos of the two tape recordings by hand and then, during playback, transfer the requested sections of each onto a half-inch tape recorder. He said it "was never all played at the same time; it was a real mish-mash of two things." [18] Lanois said Lillywhite's final mix was much different from his and Eno's version, leaning more heavily on effects and overdubs: "I wouldn't have had as many effects on it, because we had a bit of a purist attitude toward some of these recordings, essentially that there was a sound that was captured in performance in a room, and we wanted to remain loyal to that space, to convey that sound. And he was not as sentimental to that idea, so he pulled out all the stops." [19]

During a spoken word passage of the song, Bono speaks of being approached by a man, "his face red like a rose on a thorn bush, like all the colours of a royal flush, and he's peeling off those dollar bills, slapping them down, 100, 200". Bono said the person he had in mind while writing the lyrics was then US President Ronald Reagan, whose administration backed the military regimes in Central and South America that Bono encountered on his earlier trip. The lyrics were partially inspired by Bono seeing a mural in El Salvador of Reagan in a chariot depicted as the Pharaoh, with Salvadorans as "the children of Israel running away". [4]

Live performances

A performance of the song on the Vertigo Tour, when the band re-interpreted it as a commentary on religious violence. U2 Bullet the Blue Sky Vertigo Tour.jpg
A performance of the song on the Vertigo Tour, when the band re-interpreted it as a commentary on religious violence.

"Bullet the Blue Sky" was played at nearly every live concert from its first performance at the opening night of the Joshua Tree Tour on 2 April 1987 through the Vertigo Tour. Its live performances have traditionally been paired with "Running to Stand Still"; this took place on the Joshua Tree Tour, Lovetown Tour, Zoo TV Tour, and the first 46 concerts of the Vertigo Tour. On the PopMart Tour, "Bullet" instead led into "Please"; Elevation Tour performances were followed by "With or Without You" or a cover of "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye; on the Vertigo Tour, "Miss Sarajevo" replaced "Running to Stand Still" for the last 85 concerts. [20] and on the Innocence + Experience Tour, it segued into "Pride (In the Name of Love)" on the first leg and an abbreviated version of "Zooropa" starting on the second leg.

During the Joshua Tree Tour, Bono would frequently grab a large spotlight and shine into peoples' faces in the audience, and would also make numerous political references to figures such as Ronald Reagan and Jerry Falwell. He also used the spotlight on the Elevation Tour. On the Innocence + Experience Tour, Bono would typically sing the majority of the song into a megaphone.

U2's following album, Rattle and Hum , featured a live performance of this song, with a pre-recorded intro of Jimi Hendrix's version of "The Star-Spangled Banner". "Bullet" then took on new meanings throughout the subsequent years. On the Zoo TV Tour, it was about Nazism; on the PopMart Tour, it, at least on occasion, featured references to consumerism and rock iconography in keeping in with the tour's theme. On the Elevation Tour, it became an indictment against handgun violence, illustrated by references to John Lennon's assassination and an ironic intro video clip featuring Charlton Heston, who was at that time the president of the National Rifle Association, while on the Vertigo Tour, it was about religious violence and the final lyrics were replaced by a snippet of "The Hands That Built America". [20] On the Innocence + Experience Tour, the song was about corruption of money, which was emphasized with images of Wall Street and Las Vegas on the video screen, as well as Bono discussing a scenario where he meets a teenage version of himself who criticizes the wealthy man he has become.

The Edge uses his black Fender Stratocaster to play this song, except during the PopMart Tour, when he used a Gibson Les Paul.

Live performances of the song appear on the concert films Zoo TV: Live from Sydney , PopMart: Live from Mexico City , Elevation 2001: Live from Boston , U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle, Ireland , Vertigo 2005: Live from Chicago , Live from Paris and Innocence + Experience: Live in Paris .

Reception and cover versions

In 2004, Mojo placed the song at number 17 on its list of the "100 Epic Rock Tracks". [21] The September 2018 issue of Q included the song on a list of the "50 Greatest Revolutionary Songs"; writer Niall Doherty said, "It's no little irony that it became the most powerful song on the album that made U2 stars in America, Bono serving up this tale of the horrors of US foreign policy to packed stadiums, night after night." [22]

The U2 Podcast Editions in iTunes mentions that this is Paul McGuinness' (former U2 manager) favorite song.

The song is covered by Sepultura in their covers EP Revolusongs , by P.O.D. in their album The Fundamental Elements of Southtown and Queensrÿche in their album Take Cover .

Charts

Chart (1987)Peak
position
US Billboard Album Rock Tracks [23] 14

See also

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>The Joshua Tree</i> 1987 studio album by U2

The Joshua Tree is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 9 March 1987 on Island Records. In contrast to the ambient experimentation of their 1984 release, The Unforgettable Fire, the band aimed for a harder-hitting sound within the limitation of conventional song structures on The Joshua Tree. The album is influenced by American and Irish roots music, and through sociopolitically conscious lyrics embellished with spiritual imagery, it contrasts the group's antipathy for the "real America" with their fascination with the "mythical America".

<i>How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb</i> 2004 studio album by U2

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is the eleventh studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was released on 22 November 2004 in the United Kingdom by Island Records and a day later in the United States by Interscope Records. Much like their previous album All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000), the record exhibits a more mainstream rock sound after the band experimented with alternative rock and dance music in the 1990s. It was produced by Steve Lillywhite, with additional production from Chris Thomas, Jacknife Lee, Nellee Hooper, Flood, Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno, and Carl Glanville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of</span> 2001 single by U2

"Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the second track on their tenth studio album, All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000), and was released as the album's second single on 29 January 2001. The band's lead vocalist Bono has said the song was inspired by a fictional conversation with his friend Michael Hutchence about suicide. The song peaked at number 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in Canada, their native Ireland, and Italy, while reaching the top 10 in Australia, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. In 2002, the song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Where the Streets Have No Name</span> 1987 single by U2

"Where the Streets Have No Name" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree and was released as the album's third single in August 1987. The song's hook is a repeating guitar arpeggio using a delay effect, played during the song's introduction and again at the end. Lead vocalist Bono wrote the lyrics in response to the notion that it is possible to identify a person's religion and income based on the street on which they lived, particularly in Belfast. During the band's difficulties recording the song, producer Brian Eno considered erasing the song's tapes to have them start from scratch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In God's Country</span> 1987 single by U2

"In God's Country" is a song by the rock band U2. It is the seventh track from their fifth studio album The Joshua Tree and was released as the album's fourth single in November 1987 in North America only.

<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">I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For</span> 1987 single by U2

"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the second track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree and was released as the album's second single in May 1987. The song was a hit, becoming the band's second consecutive number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 while peaking at number six on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vertigo (U2 song)</span> 2004 single by U2

"Vertigo" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track on their eleventh studio album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004). It was released to radio as the album's lead single on 8 November 2004, and upon release, it received extensive airplay. The song was an international success, bolstered by its usage in a television advertisement featuring the band for Apple's iPod digital music player. The song lent its name to the band's 2005–2006 Vertigo Tour.

<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, two weeks after the album. 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">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.

"Running to Stand Still" is a song by rock band U2, and it is the fifth track from their 1987 album, The Joshua Tree. A slow ballad based on piano and guitar, it describes a heroin-addicted couple living in Dublin's Ballymun flats; the towers have since become associated with the song. Though a lot of time was dedicated to the lyrics, the music was improvised with co-producer Daniel Lanois during a recording session for the album.

"Until the End of the World" is a song by rock band U2 and the fourth track from their 1991 album Achtung Baby. The song began as a guitar riff composed by lead vocalist Bono from a demo, which the band revisited with success after talking with German filmmaker Wim Wenders about providing music for his film Until the End of the World. The song's lyrics describe a fictional conversation between Jesus Christ and Judas Iscariot. The first verse discusses the Last Supper; the second is about Judas identifying Jesus with a kiss on the cheek in the Garden of Gethsemane; and the final is about Judas' suicide after being overwhelmed with guilt and sadness.

"Bad" is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the seventh track on their 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire. Thematically, the song is about heroin addiction, though lead vocalist Bono has given varying accounts of who was the inspiration behind his lyrics. "Bad" is considered a fan favourite and is one of U2's most frequently performed songs in concert. The band's 12-minute performance of the song at the Live Aid charity concert in 1985 was a breakthrough moment for them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunday Bloody Sunday</span> 1983 song by U2

"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track from their 1983 album War and was released as the album's third single on 21 March 1983 in the Netherlands and West Germany. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is noted for its militaristic drumbeat, harsh guitar, and melodic harmonies. One of U2's most overtly political songs, its lyrics describe the horror felt by an observer of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, mainly focusing on the 1972 Bloody Sunday incident in Derry where British troops shot and killed unarmed civil rights protesters. Along with "New Year's Day", the song helped U2 reach a wider listening audience. It was generally well received by critics on the album's release.

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

"Mothers of the Disappeared" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the eleventh and final track on their 1987 album The Joshua Tree. The song was inspired by lead singer Bono's experiences in Nicaragua and El Salvador in July 1986, following U2's participation in the Conspiracy of Hope tour of benefit concerts for Amnesty International. He learned of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, a group of women whose children had "forcibly disappeared" at the hands of the Argentine and Chilean dictatorships. While in Central America, he met members of COMADRES, a similar organization whose children had been abducted by the government in El Salvador. Bono sympathized with the Madres and COMADRES and wanted to pay tribute to their cause.

"Exit" is a song by rock band U2. It is the tenth track on their 1987 album The Joshua Tree. "Exit" was developed from a lengthy jam that was recorded in a single take and edited down to a shorter arrangement. The lyrics, which portray the mind of a serial killer, were inspired by lead singer Bono's reading of Norman Mailer's 1980 novel The Executioner's Song, and other related works.

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

"One Tree Hill" is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the ninth track on their 1987 album The Joshua Tree. In March 1988, it was released as the fourth single from the album in New Zealand and Australia, while "In God's Country" was released as the fourth single in North America. "One Tree Hill" charted at number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart and was the country's second-most-successful hit of 1988.

References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Pareles, Jon (15 May 2017). "Review: U2 Revisits 'The Joshua Tree' in the Here and Now". The New York Times . Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 McCormick (2006), p. 172
  3. 1 2 Eccleston, Danny (7 July 2017). "U2: Inside Their Joshua Tree Tour". Mojo . Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  4. 1 2 Inskeep, Steve (20 March 2017). "U2 On 'The Joshua Tree,' A Lasting Ode To A Divided America". NPR Music . National Public Radio . Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 McCormick (2006), pp. 178–179
  6. ↑ Sandall, Robert (October 1990). "Back to the Future". Q . No. 49.
  7. ↑ McGee (2008), p. 97
  8. ↑ Dalton, Stephen (October 2003). "How the West Was Won". Uncut . No. 77.
  9. ↑ Legaspi, Althea (20 May 2016). "See Bono Talk U2's 'Bullet the Blue Sky' Origins in New Video". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  10. ↑ Crandell, Ben (9 June 2017). "U2's 'Joshua Tree' and America come full circle". SouthFlorida.com. Sun-Sentinel . Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  11. ↑ McGee (2008), p. 98
  12. ↑ "U2". Legends . Season 1. Episode 6. 11 December 1998. VH1.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Jobling (2014), pp. 158–159
  14. ↑ Runtagh, Jordan (9 March 2017). "U2's 'The Joshua Tree': 10 Things You Didn't Know". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  15. 1 2 3 O'Hare, Colm (28 November 2007). "The Secret History of 'The Joshua Tree'". Hot Press . Vol. 31, no. 23. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  16. 1 2 3 Lanois (2010), pp. 47–48
  17. ↑ McCormick (2006), pp. 184–185
  18. ↑ King, Philip, and Nuala O'Connor (directors) (1999). Classic Albums: U2 - The Joshua Tree (Television documentary). Isis Productions.
  19. ↑ Henke, James (17–31 December 1987). "Q&A: Daniel Lanois". Rolling Stone . No. 515/516. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  20. 1 2 "Live performance history of 'Bullet the Blue Sky". u2-vertigo-tour.com.
  21. ↑ "100 Epic Rock Tracks". Mojo (125). April 2004.
  22. ↑ "50 Greatest Revolutionary Songs". Q . September 2018. p. 59.
  23. ↑ "U2 – Mainstream Rock Airplay". Billboard . Retrieved 27 February 2023.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.