All I Want is You
U2
Jairo (
Curaçao
)
‘Where The Streets Have No Name’ by U2 – Jairo’s goosebump moment
“Hello, I am Jairo and I come from Curacao. My goosebump moment was when I heard one of my favorite songs: ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’, from one of my favorite bands: U2. I saw a live version of the song from one of the concerts they did at Slane Castle way back in 2001. The live version was two songs merged together, ‘All I Want is You’ and ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’. What they did is that Bono sang the ending of ‘All I Want Is You’, the chorus, repeatedly, slowly, without any instruments, with the crowd signing with him. While they did that, Bono came with the guitar, with the beginning of ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’, so they sang the ending of one song and the beginning of the other one until they finally got to the intro of ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ with the crowd going crazy, the whole atmosphere coming together, to sing the most amazing version of the song I’ve ever heard. And that’s my goosebump moment!”
A Story of Inspiration and Creativity
U2’s ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ has become an iconic song, beloved by fans around the world. Written in 1987 for their fifth studio album, ‘The Joshua Tree’, this classic rock anthem is a story of inspiration and creativity.
The concept for the song came from lead singer Bono after he visited Ethiopia and was moved by the poverty he saw there. He was struck by the idea that no matter how rich or poor someone was, people were all equal on the streets. This experience inspired him to write the lyrics to ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’ – a powerful reminder of our shared humanity.
The music itself was also inspired by Bono’s visit to Ethiopia. The track features an intricate guitar riff composed by guitarist The Edge which evokes a feeling of tension and excitement. According to The Edge himself, he wanted to create something that sounded like “a hymn coming out of Africa”.
When it came time to record the song in the studio, U2 faced some technical challenges due to its complex structure. However, they persevered and with producer Brian Eno’s help, they managed to capture a unique sound that blends together elements of rock, pop, and African rhythms.
Since its release in 1987, ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’ has become one of U2’s most popular songs with over 500 million streams across streaming services worldwide. It has been covered by countless artists in different styles ranging from acoustic to EDM – a testament to its timelessness and enduring power as a classic rock anthem.
For U2 fans everywhere, this iconic song serves as a reminder that even during times of hardship or turmoil, great art can still be created through inspiration and creativity. As Bono once said about his own experience writing ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’: “It made me think that we can all make something out of nothing.”
More about ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’ by U2:
- Where the Streets Have No Name – Wikipedia
- According to U2, Where Do the Streets Have No Name?
- The historic meaning behind U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name”
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