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U2 - Elvis Presley and America
 Album:
The Unforgettable Fire (1984)
  1. This is all I have that represents the lyrics of the song. The remainder, as stated the foot of page 187, are improvised lyrics.



    Originally posted by raynman009:[..]
    Such a beautiful song. Eno was right to not finish it giving us fans a glimpse into how U2 created songs back then. How Bono makes up the lyrics as he sings. One of my favorites too from my favorite album.
    Elizium, any chance can you post a picture of the rest of the lyrics please?
  2. Originally posted by cbornel:I had a strange feeling yesterday. It was a feeling of sadness and I felt like listening to "Elvis Presley and America." I didn't listen to this song in a long time, maybe years, and I was hungry for it yesterday. The funny and strange thing for me was to find a post about the song here on the website. Anyway... "Elvis Presley and America" is one those gems from U2. It's totally unexpected that way it captures and involves whoever listens to it. The lyrics are just snippets of what it could have been if finalized. However, they tell a story through the emotions Bono emulates along his singing. The guitar carries the sadness while the bass and drums are dry. I finish the track with goosebumps every time and I never can listen just one time. I come back for more as if I could uncover the mystery that makes a song like that to be so adorable and enigmatic the way it is. Hope I will never find out. ; )
    It IS a rather sad sort of song, isn’t it
  3. Originally posted by cbornel:I had a strange feeling yesterday. It was a feeling of sadness and I felt like listening to "Elvis Presley and America." I didn't listen to this song in a long time, maybe years, and I was hungry for it yesterday. The funny and strange thing for me was to find a post about the song here on the website. Anyway... "Elvis Presley and America" is one those gems from U2. It's totally unexpected that way it captures and involves whoever listens to it. The lyrics are just snippets of what it could have been if finalized. However, they tell a story through the emotions Bono emulates along his singing. The guitar carries the sadness while the bass and drums are dry. I finish the track with goosebumps every time and I never can listen just one time. I come back for more as if I could uncover the mystery that makes a song like that to be so adorable and enigmatic the way it is. Hope I will never find out. ; )
    Are you aware the music is a sort of homecoming backwards
  4. It's actually the backing track slowed down, Brian Eno encouraged Bono to improvise over it.
  5. The song is pure art! I love it to bits.
    It's the best example of what U2 can achieve when they don't over-polish and over-produce their song ideas, but just put out the original ideas. First ideas are often the best.
  6. That’s it. I knew it was something to do with ASOH
  7. Thanks Jules. I never knew that part of the lyrics were in the liner notes. I bought the deluxe edition but never opened it. I knew the lyrics were made up on the spot so figured nobody knew what Bono sung.
  8. I read it in Niall Stokes book, "U2, The Stories Behind Every U2 Song." It is hard to reconcile, but knowing how it was built in reverse it's possible to identify the similarities in one snip or another. In the end, the song drinks from the same fountain of "Unforgettable Fire," "Promenade," "4th of July," and "MLK," giving a dreaming atmosphere to the album because of The Edge's guitar.
  9. Brian Eno encouraged Bono to improvised, but also convinced Bono to keep the recording as is in the first attempt. This is according to Niall Stokes' book. It was a very bold move.
  10. Originally posted by u2joost:The song is pure art! I love it to bits.
    It's the best example of what U2 can achieve when they don't over-polish and over-produce their song ideas, but just put out the original ideas. First ideas are often the best.
    The whole concept of "The Unforgettable Fire" came from an art exhibition. So, it's not a surprise the abstract approach in the album and in the songs like "Elvis Presley and America." For me, this song is the statement of what U2 is capable of doing musically speaking. You have an unpolished song that was never one of their big hits and we are still talking about it in a post 34 years later. Do you know how big is that?
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U2start is run by fans for fans. Help us reduce personal costs. Consider to make a donation to support us.
U2start is run by fans for fans. Help us reduce personal costs. Consider to make a donation to support us.