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U2 - Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
 Album:
Achtung Baby (1991)


  1. I can't see why people like stay so much... I wouldn't have it in my top 50... Ultraviolet however is maybe the best song, its hard to say... I'd like to hear a rerecorded version in the studio from 2010, that would be cool, cuz they have changed it a bit...
  2. Originally posted by u2spear:[..]

    I can't see why people like stay so much... I wouldn't have it in my top 50... Ultraviolet however is maybe the best song, its hard to say... I'd like to hear a rerecorded version in the studio from 2010, that would be cool, cuz they have changed it a bit...


    No way, Bono can't sing it properly anymore. Ok, he's solving the job almost decently when they play it live, but I wouldn't enjoy a re-recorded version I think.
  3. Like Bono's singing more than during ZooTV on this specific song. Until Dublin his voice had much more melody in it than during ZooTV. Also I really like the cleaner sound.

    I wouldnt mind it as properly mixed b-side on some forgettable single
  4. always been one of my all time favourite songs and i was over the moon when they brought it back last year definitely the high point in an otherwise quite disappointing setlist.

    have to say though i do prefer the way it was performed back in 92-93 for the following reasons:

    i preferred the intro with the backing track synths on zootv - now edge just plays the chords and i dont think it has the same impact

    i preferred bono's old delivery.. it was much more varied and interesting and i'm not keen on the way he now sings the second verse high... it seems out of place and makes the song peak too early. i also dont like the way he sings edges "ultraviiiiolett" part - it was much better when he did his hi pitched 'ooooooo''s and left the "ultraviolet" bit to edge as the two parts worked really nicely together i thought... and finally he always sung the outro with much more passion in the zootv versions - maybe thats just age though?

    and finally (and this is just a small thing) in the zootv version larry always used to play a drum roll leading into the "i remember when we could sleep on stones" bit which i always really miss on the 360 version! maybe its just cos im a drummer but small things like that can make all the difference!


    oh and just for the record my all time favourite version is the last time they ever played it til 2009 - (dublin 93) i love the beatles 'help' snippet he sings at the start! works so well in a dark desperate kind of way
  5. Yes, the Help snippet before the 08-28 Dublin version really makes the song, it's one of the best versions for sure

    I also agree with you in the song peaking up too early. Bono should not scream the second verse, only the third, the "I remember when we could sleep on stones - and now we LIIIIEEEE together in w. and moans", which is the most desperate verse of the song - and probably one of the most desperates in their whole career, it's simply awesome. But screaming the second verse fucks it up

    I like him singing "Ultravioleeeeeet", though. He can't do the falsetto anymore, so well done on singing the chorus!
  6. Originally posted by LikeASong:Bono should not scream the second verse, only the third, the "I remember when we could sleep on stones - and now we LIIIIEEEE together in w. and moans", which is the most desperate verse of the song - and probably one of the most desperates in their whole career, it's simply awesome. But screaming the second verse fucks it up




    bingo! thats exactly what i was trying to say but you put it perfectly!

    i do however disagree that he wouldn't be capable of singing the falsetto bits in the chorus... he still manages to hit those high notes at other parts in the show so i don't see why he couldn't here.. and even if he couldn't he still shouldn't sing edges part - one of my favourite things about the zoo version was the chance to hear edge's voice on its own singing the really passionate "ultraviiiiiiiiiooleeeeeeet's. you very rarely get to hear edge on his own, forcing his voice and it sounds so good and is a nice contrast to bonos voice so it spoils it when bono eclipses it with his own vocals. i think that part of the song needs two totally different vocal parts to work properly
  7. Originally posted by LikeASong:Yes, the Help snippet before the 08-28 Dublin version really makes the song, it's one of the best versions for sure

    I also agree with you in the song peaking up too early. Bono should not scream the second verse, only the third, the "I remember when we could sleep on stones - and now we LIIIIEEEE together in w. and moans", which is the most desperate verse of the song - and probably one of the most desperates in their whole career, it's simply awesome. But screaming the second verse fucks it up

    I like him singing "Ultravioleeeeeet", though. He can't do the falsetto anymore, so well done on singing the chorus!


    yeh this would be really good
    what do u guys think this song is about???
  8. why'd you reckon they brought it back? i'm glad they did, obviously, but they must have had a reason to play this song specifically instead of, say, RTSS or Mofo or something every night.

    or maybe they just remembered how good it is
  9. Originally posted by wangmaster:why'd you reckon they brought it back? i'm glad they did, obviously, but they must have had a reason to play this song specifically instead of, say, RTSS or Mofo or something every night.

    or maybe they just remembered how good it is


    maybe they read all the forum posts by people like us in the months leading up to the tour?

  10. Desperation for a lost love, or a relationship in proccess of destruction... You and your sweetheart used to love each other a lot, and shared great moments together (...I remember when we could sleep on stones...), but... not anymore (...but now we lie together in whispers and moans...). And you cry for it. But, even though the good times are gone, you still love the other person and appreciate what he/she did/does for you (I feel like trash, you make me feel clean).

    For me, this verses are the most important on the song, and one of their deepest verses ever:

    I remember
    When we could sleep on stones
    Now we lie together
    In whispers and moans
    When I was all messed up
    And I had opera in my head
    Your love was a light bulb
    Hanging over my bed


    Simply genoius, how beautiful it sounds yet it's so immensely sad...
  11. Originally posted by wangmaster:why'd you reckon they brought it back? i'm glad they did, obviously, but they must have had a reason to play this song specifically instead of, say, RTSS or Mofo or something every night.

    or maybe they just remembered how good it is


    I've envisioned this moment of a tour meeting, where they were sitting down, discussing a setlist, and they got to talking about stuff they did last tour, tour before, etc, and what they brought back then, and what they wanted to do this time...and it may have gone something like this-

    ADAM: The ZooTV encore was cool on the Vertigo Tour.
    EDGE: Really takes you back, doesn't it?
    BONO: We should do something similar...what other songs haven't we-
    LARRY: Ultraviolet.


    Are they conscious of the fact that they opened their encore LAST tour with ZooTV's intro, and this tour, they're opening the encore with ZooTV's encore? I honestly think ZooTV is branded in their brain as the greatest thing they ever pulled off, and they can't help but revert back to certain aspects of it to guarantee themselves success. And what did everyone rave about after the Vertigo Tour? The Zoo encore.

    Think about it- they moved from Zoo Station/The Fly/Mysterious to variations like The Fly/Until the End of the World/Mysterious, opening the encore with UTEOTW, etc...maybe this time we'll see variations on Zoo's encore like Ultraviolet/Lemon, or Daddy's Gonna Pay/Ultraviolet....it's really not THAT implausible. If they're keeping the encore short, they only have to re-learn 2 or so new songs to rotate around about 6 different possibilities for an encore.


  12. So its Larry's fault we aren't hearing Acrobat this tour Where are the pitchforks!

    Glad they brought UV back though, didnt get all the fuzz about the ZooTV versions, but its one of my favs now
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