This song came out during the time of should MLK day should be a holiday. Being from the south, this song to this day means alot to me and it should be for others
April 4th shots rings out in the Memphis sky, free at last they took your life, but they could not take your pride. Lead singer Bono is singing about the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. ♥️
@@bonsai67 It’s heartbreaking. My mom really liked U2, and 20 - 30 years ago I realized she didn’t know that was about MLK so I explained it to her. She was totally surprised- and she was 18 when he was killed!
@@muitomaisqueumshow9343 Martyrs in general was always my take on it. "One man caught on a barbed wire fence" I kind of see as people trying to get out of the Soviet bloc before the Berlin Wall and other barriers came down.
@@muitomaisqueumshow9343 Jesus was never caught on a barbed wire fence,FFS. I KNOW the betrayed with a kiss line is about him,I KNOW the Memphis references are about MLK,but they are NOT the only lines in the song and I think the song is about martyrs in general,with 2 specific references to JC and MLK. But hey,I've only had the Unforgettable Fire album since the day it was released back in '84 and only seen the lads live over 2 dozen times,so what do I know? (FWIW,the BEST song on that album is "A Sort Of Homecoming",in my opinion.)
They've been together since the mid 70s. They met in high school in Dublin, Ireland. Same four guys since then, and still together. The drummer was only 14. Not many bands that can say that after 4 decades!
Before seeing your comment, I was just thinking about them today, and how great they are not just as artists but as people. My aunt "knew" U2. (She passed away). But when they came to Atlanta to do their Live Aid concert in 1985, they went to my aunt's house to take her out to lunch. Who TF does that??? (Well, only Bono and Adam Clayton came, but still.) And during their lunch, Bono wrote a poem on a napkin. My aunt brought it home to me. (I immediately put it in an album for safekeeping; lol) All these guys are just real genuine people. And they're arguably the biggest superstars on the planet.
I love watching you experience new (old) music. Unlike others... you are real. You always put a smile on my face. Thank you. RIP MLK Jr... even though there are many still trying to destroy everything you worked so hard for.
One of my favorite rock bands along with Cold Play. This song gives me chills every time I hear it. RIP MLK we will continue to carry your torch until we reach the promised land.
I like you and what you're bringing. The fact your checking out U2 one of the greatest bands to do it is fantastic. So glad your not missing out on true musicians. So many of the younger generation have no clue what they missed. Your not one of them. That makes you different.
@@FredericoRoberto unforgettable fire, Joshua tree and Achtung Baby are my three favorite. Zooropa is also an honorable mention though I count it as AB part 2
Its a great song and about MLK... The line about "free at last they took your life but they could not take your pride" Bono once said here was a man willing to die for his cause but never kill for it. My favourite song of all time
yeah, agreed, young Bono was fine, lol. and he can sing. "One" is their best song. Others are Sunday Bloody Sunday and With or Without you. They were the biggest band in the world for awhile
They still are the biggest band in the world their following is bigger than any other band in history I've been a fan for over 30 years and have made so many wonderful friends through their music, it's one big family or as Bono says We are their tribe we are more than fans We are like family What other band has ever said that, none To see them live is very much like a spiritual experience Ask any diehard fan! The whole band is phenomenal but Bono is the glue that binds them Greatest frontman every! And they hold the record for winning the most Grammy's At one point Bono was the only person to be nominated for a Grammy, Oscar and the Nobel peace prize all at the same time. Phenomenal!!!!!
I love U2 they have some great songs. Sunday Bloody Sunday, Where The Streets Have No Name, Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, & One are all great songs.
Happy Thursday beautiful queen! Great reaction of the 80s era of U2! You should definitely check out their stuff from Achtung Baby album. It's a lot different than what they did in the 80s but still one of their best albums along with The Joshua Tree.
This song was written when they were into the teachings of MLK. Bono still talks about love and peace. A great song, but for me, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," is their best song. A gospel song.
Many amazing songs by U2, who evolved their music very impressively over the years. You'll get lots of different U2 song recommendations here. My favourite U2 song is Angel of Harlem. Cheers :)
The whole song is about MLK and the differences between him and Malcolm X. "One come in the name of love. One man come and go. One man come here to justify. One man to overthrow."
At the time, early 80's, Boston absorbed their fresh, angry w/ cause, melodic: w/ fab riffs, darkly poetic prose and all you needed was combat boots. Globally, have contributed to sociopolitical awareness and the inequities in third-world countries. Financially supporting funding, etc. But the "War" and "Boy" to "Joshua Tree" love love love these songs....
You can go back to the 70s and see them a decade younger! Same guys, no band changed, since 1976. Watch the performance at Live Aid, it was groundbreaking. As a fan girl, it will make you cry happy tears.
U2 is everything to me. Longest relationship of my life. Bono is not the best technical singer, but for passion and power none can top him. The Edge us one if the most unique guitarists. Adam us a virtuoso on bass. Larry is completely solid and driving on drums. A world without a U2 songbook is unthinkable to me.
Yes, they are a great band that has stayed together for so long. They sing about things that matter and what and things that are going on in the world!
You missed the reference to the assasination of Martin Luther King Jr. Early morning, April four Shot rings out in the Memphis sky Free at last, they took your life They could not take your pride
You really nailed it there, in the 1970's '80s's people did not get signed unless you had something, I mean thousands auditioned, few got chosen, you had to have serious talent. But also many had a LOT to say, where is this now when there is so much wrong?
I'm a Queen and Freddie Mercury girl here, but I saw U2 in concert and they were fantastic!! Incredible European bands came out of the UK back in the 70s/80s.
And still it goes on, the brits appropriate Irish people if they are successful and call them brits. Maggie Thatcher called Bob Geldof "a true brit with true grit" only problem is that he is Irish also.
They are 100% heart and soul. 40 years on, their new music is still beautiful and meaningful, and they are still the best live act on the planet. Check out their performance at Live Aid in 1985, which introduced them to the masses, and their 2002 Super Bowl performance, just a few months after 9/11. Keep up the great videos!
Yes he sure was fine 😂 I remember being nine years old when the “With Or Without You” video came out and though I don’t think I called it a crush at that age, I was definitely glued to the TV every time it came on. He and Michael Hutchence from INXS (RIP) were probably my first rock star crushes.
*@THE JAYY SHOW* Ty for playing it...That was U2`S AND BONO`S Ultimate Props for the Courageous Warriors of Peace that Died....MLK AND Jesus...That Props Moved me..Again,Ty!
The songs lyrics Early morning, April four. Shot rings out in the Memohis sky. Free at last, they took your life. But they could not take your pride" is a direct reference to the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King. In fact the whole song is a tribute to King and other activists, freedom fighters and non violent protesters who lost their lives trying to help humanity, all in the name of love; it pertains particularly ti the civil rights movement, although the song even makes referernce to Jesus. U2 have long been an activist band for human and civil rights, the end of apartheid in South Africa, the fight for justice reform and the fight for human rights and humanity. They are an exceptional band, and exceptional human beings particularly the lead singer Bono.
Bono, the voice, whatever you want to call him. You should probably watch their epic live performance of Bad at Live Aid. Epic. On the note of beautiful, talented men with insane live performances, please watch INXS Suicide Blonde live at Wembley stadium. 😳
‘O man’ as you say😊 So nice of you to appreciate my generation. ‘My my my generation’ 😆 I felt you got it💚 I get stars in my eyes when I hear that my children understand what was going on back then in the 80 s and how we expressed ourselves.💕
Listen to sunday bloody sunday ...if your are not yet in love with this band than you will be after hearing sunday bloody sunday in the live version ...check it out
I think with or without you is another great tune, where the streets have no name, I still haven't found what I'm looking for, one and all I need is you. Five there which will really touch your soul.
Three of the band were religious, so, like in the first verse here, they occasionally would make lyrical references, cause it was part of their lives, but they didn't push it. They were very politically and environmentally aware though, and 'Sunday bloody Sunday' is an even earlier song you should react to. That one addresses 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland between Catholics and Protestants amidst the terrorist bombings, shootings and reprisals on civilians on both sides of the religious divide.
Mothers of the Disappeared. There's a 'official/unofficial' version; you can search with those terms and it should come up. There was another version in South America where the band brought several women onstage; holding pictures of their children and asking the corrupt government "where are they?"
Written for MLk Hence the line Early morning April 4 shot rings out in a Memphis Sky free at last they took you're Life they could not take you're Pride " 🙏🙏🙏
U 2 was one of the greatest bands of 80s and 90s and Bono always puts his money where his mouth is he is making a difference in the world by fronting so many great causes around the world
Sunday Bloody Sunday is one of their best, but it helps to know what happened on that day. I see loads of "first time" videos but none of them ever talk about the meanings of the songs
“Early morning April 4, shot rings out in the Memphis sky” refers to the Martin Luther King assassination. This was a mistake on Bono‘s part due to it happening in the “evening“ and not the morning, he has since rectified this in more recent concerts.
The MLK and Christ references are pretty obvious, but the gist of the song is really about the choices that people make when they're faced with oppression. Some people go the distance, like MLK. Others try to escape ("One man caught on a barbed wire fence"). The cool thing is that the people who choose to try to escape aren't being judged here either, because that's a heroic and dangerous choice as well sometimes. It's just an open-ended question that is being asked.
