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Rating: At the end of 1981, U2 have a revelation: rock and Christ are not at odds with each other. Their existential doubts have ended, and so they get back to work with enthusiasm.
The first piece they released, after the resurrection, is "A Celebration," an excellent pop-rock that sees the light in March 1982. As the B-side, they choose a piece that swiftly enters the hearts and ears of the fans: "Party Girl," the first of their absurd B-sides.
After making the video for "A Celebration," U2 lock themselves in the studio and produce the jewel.
The Beatles, at 23 years old, were releasing the amateur "Please, Please Me"; U2, at the same age, released "War" - for many, their most authentic masterpiece.
The first three songs are epochal, in the sense that they are the document of an era. U2 wrote "War" in 1982, during a truly particular moment for the world, when, as Helmuth Kohl said, "we were a step away from the third world war" (a danger that disappeared only with the arrival of Gorbachev). The danger at the time was so great (with NATO's nuclear warheads a hundred kilometers away from the missiles of the Warsaw Pact countries), that only in this way can one understand a song like "Seconds," which might seem, to a young person, a bit too exaggerated and dramatic: "It takes a second to say goodbye, push the button and pull the plug." The fear was truly real, and the Police also spoke of it in "Walking in Your Footsteps" from "Synchronicity" (which came out three months after "War").
The song that sets the tone for the album is "Sunday Bloody Sunday." This piece, as almost everyone knows, refers to the Derry massacre (Northern Ireland) of January 30, 1972, an infamous day when the English army opened fire on a group of young people who were peacefully protesting, killing 14 people. In reality, this is the pretext to talk about something else: namely, the spectacle of war on television: "Every day we saw images of killings on TV, and there were wars in countless parts of the world" (for example, the extermination of Argentine soldiers in the Falklands War of Spring '82). "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is mainly about this: "And it's true we are immune. When fact is fiction and TV reality." The simple, but memorable riff from the first listen, and Mullen's work on the drums, also memorable, join a simple but very beautiful text and sung with sincerity that cannot help but touch you. The result is well-known. The essence of melodic rock. No need to celebrate it.
The most successful song from the album was undoubtedly "New Year's Day." I will never forget the summer of 1983, when it was continuously played on the radio - almost with the same frequency as "Every Breath You Take." Its text refers to the "Solidarnosc" union. In December 1981, Polish Prime Minister General Jaruzelski had arrested Lech Walesa (the union's president) and declared martial law to ensure that New Year's 1982 was all normal - hence the irony of the words "Nothing changes on New Year's Day" (nothing changes on New Year's, everything is quiet on New Year's). About the musical greatness of the song, a magnificent piano-guitar ballad, there is little to say: the distorted guitar (almost uniting the anger to the irony of the lyrics), up to the melancholic piano solo, in a crescendo that arrives at the simple, but beautiful, guitar solo. "New Year's Day" teaches that you don't have to know how to play to write a masterpiece, that you can be decent musicians and composers but excellent songwriters.
Fourth track: "Like a Song." An excellent pop-rock, a whip of energy. The text contains a few clichés, like "too right to be wrong" or "nothing to lose, nothing to gain," "Two wrongs won't make it right," but the essence of the piece (I will never be one to kill a fellow human for patriotism, or offend someone to defend my political or religious ideas) transcends a text that, in fact, needed refining. Strange that such a "rock-arena" song was abandoned by the group in live shows. Undoubtedly among the best ever written by U2.
But despite the title, the album isn’t just about war. It also talks about friendship, hope, love, and marginalization.
"Drowning Man" is a beautiful acoustic ballad. The text was written for Adam Clayton, who was experiencing a crisis at the time, and so Bono wrote verses to give him strength. It is a song of hope, without ever falling into immaturity: "Storms will pass." The beautiful work of Edge on the acoustic guitar is combined with magnificent violins which - far from being cloying - fill with emotion. One of U2's most underrated masterpieces.
"Surrender" is another forgotten masterpiece of the group. I would call it "a watered-down masterpiece," due to the one-word chorus ("surrender") repeated too many times and lasting longer than the verses. Instead of a 3-minute masterpiece, we have a watered-down 5:30 masterpiece. The music is among my favorites, with Edge's sparkling guitar joining the distorted guitar. The text is one of the best on the album and talks about a girl who "surrendered," too herself to integrate: she realized she was incapable of being a good wife and mother and now lives on the margins observing the hypocrisies of the city.
In "Refugee," the protagonist is a pretty-eyed girl, who sees her father leave for war, then waits for her boyfriend to take her to America, the promised land. An excellent song - perhaps too rockish for the themes treated.
"Two Hearts Beat as One" is a song written by Bono for his wife. The text is an admission of his inadequacy - which in some points becomes really excessive. Musically, the song does not reach the level of the previous ones, but it remains excellent, with a memorable chorus. Bono wanted it in "Best 1980-1990," although it is not a masterpiece. In my opinion, such intimate verses deserved a delicate ballad.
"Red Light" is, in the text, the sister of "Roxanne" by The Police, who at the time had taken U2 under their wing, and in the summer of 1982 had wanted them as their support group. The song is about a boy who fell in love with a prostitute, to whom he offers his love, trying to convince her to leave "the life." It takes time to make it your own, but then you fall in love with it. Maybe with some jingle-jangle from Edge, it would have been more "graceful."
At the end of the recording sessions, the album lasted 38 minutes, and someone told them they needed to add another piece (why?). So U2 improvised. Bono took the Bible and stopped at Psalm 40. Thus, "40" was born: an enchanting masterpiece, and for years it will be the closing song of all the group's concerts.
"War," without being a commercial album, sold about 11 million copies and remained at the top of the UK charts for an entire year, contributing not only to creating U2's popularity in England but, in my opinion, to creating greater respect from the English towards the Irish.
The touching images of Live Aid 85 at Wembley, with Bono singing "Sunday Bloody Sunday," while in the audience there are many flags waving with "U2", is proof of what I said.
Someone said that music brings people together. In this case, it's true. Another reason to love this album.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Sunday Bloody Sunday (04:40)
Yeah...
Hmm... hmm....
I can't believe the news today
Oh, I can't close my eyes
And make it go away
How long...
How long must we sing this song?
How long? How long...
'cause tonight... we can be as one
Tonight...
Broken bottles under children's feet
Bodies strewn across the dead end street
But I won't heed the battle call
It puts my back up
Puts my back up against the wall
Sunday, bloody Sunday
Sunday, bloody Sunday
Sunday, bloody Sunday
(Oh, let's go)
And the battle's just begun
There's many lost, but tell me who has won?
The trench is dug within our hearts
And mothers, children, brothers, sisters torn apart
Sunday, bloody Sunday
Sunday, bloody Sunday
How long...
How long must we sing this song?
How long? How long...
'cause tonight... we can be as one
Tonight... tonight...
Sunday, bloody Sunday
Sunday, bloody Sunday
(Yeah, let's go)
Wipe the tears from your eyes
Wipe your tears away
Oh, wipe your tears away
I wipe your tears away
(Sunday, bloody Sunday)
I wipe your blood shot eyes
(Sunday, bloody Sunday)
Sunday, bloody Sunday (Sunday, bloody Sunday)
Sunday, bloody Sunday (Sunday, bloody Sunday)
(Yeah, let's go)
And it's true we are immune
When fact is fiction and TV reality
And today the millions cry
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die
(Sunday, bloody Sunday)
The real battle just begun
To claim the victory Jesus won
On...
Sunday, bloody Sunday
Sunday, bloody Sunday...
02 Seconds (03:10)
It takes a second to say goodbye, say goodbye
Oh, oh, oh
It takes a second to say goodbye, say goodbye
Oh, oh, oh
Say bye-bye
Where are you going to now?
Lightning flashes across the sky
East to West
Do and die
Like a thief in the night
See the world by candlelight
Fall, rise and...
Fall, rise and...
In an apartment on Times Square
You can assemble them anywhere
Held to ransom, hell to pay
A revolution every day
U.S.S.R., G.D.R., London, New York, Peking
It's the puppets, it's the puppets pull the strings, yeah
Fall, rise and...
Fall, rise and...
Say goodbye, say goodbye
Say goodbye, say goodbye
Say goodbye
It takes a second to say goodbye
Say goodbye, oh, oh, oh
Push the button and pull the plug
Say goodbye, oh, oh, oh
Fall, rise and...
Fall, rise and...
And they're doing the atomic bomb
Do they know where the dance comes from?
Yes they're doing the atomic bomb
They want you to sing along
Say goodbye, say goodbye
Say goodbye, say goodbye
Say goodbye.
03 New Year's Day (05:35)
All is quiet on New Year's day
A world in white gets underway
And I want to be with you
Be with you night and day
Nothing changes on New Year's day
On New Year's day
I... will be with you again
I... will be with you again
Under a blood red sky
A crowd has gathered in black and white
Arms entwined
The chosen few
The newspaper says, says
Says it's true, says it's true and
We can break through
Torn in two
We can be one
I... I will begin again
I... I will begin again
Yeah
Oh...
Oh and maybe the time is right
Oh... maybe tonight
I... will be with you again
I... will be with you again
And so we are told this is the golden age
And gold is the reason for the wars we wage
Though I want to be with you
To be with you night and day
Nothing changes on New Year's day
On New Year's Day...
On New Year's Day...
06 The Refugee (03:40)
Wa, war... she's the refugee
I see your face
I see you staring back at me
Wa, war... she is the refugee
Her mama say one day she's gonna live in America
In the morning
She is waiting
Waiting for the ship to sail
Sail away...
Wa, war... her papa go to war
He gonna fight but he don't know what for
Wa, war... her papa go to war
Her mama say one day he's gonna come back from far away
Oh help me
How can you help me?
In the evening
She is waiting
Waiting for her man to come
And take her by her hand
And take her to this promised land
Wa, war... she's a pretty face
But at the wrong time in the wrong place
Wa, war... she's a pretty face
Her mama say one day she's gonna live in America
Yeah, America
Wa, war... she is a refugee
She coming back, she come and keep you company
Wa, war... she is a refugee
Her mama say one day she's gonna live in America
08 Red Light (03:46)
Oh I talk to you
You walk away
You're still on the down beat
You say you don't want my help
But you can't escape
If you're running from yourself
I give you my love
I give you my love
Give you my love
Still you walk away
Well...
It's your own late show
As you jump to the street below
But where can you go
To leave yourself behind?
Alone in the spotlight
Of this, your own tragedy
I give you my love, love, love...
09 Surrender (05:34)
Oh, the city's alight
With lovers and lies
And bright blue eyes
Oh, the city is bright
It's brighter than day tonight
(Surrender, surrender)
(Surrender, surrender)
Sadie said she couldn't work out what it was all about
And so she let go
Now Sadie's on the street and the people she meets you know
She tried to be a good girl and a good wife
Raise a good family
Lead a good life
It's not good enough
She got herself up on the 48th floor
Gotta find out
Find out what she's living for
(Surrender, surrender)
(Surrender, surrender)
Oh, the city's a fire
A passionate flame that knows me by name
Oh, the city's desire to take me for more and more
It's in the street gettin' under my feet
It's in the air, it's everywhere I look for you
It's in the things that I do and say
And it I wanna live I gotta die to myself someday
Oh, oh, oh, oh...
Papa sing my sing my song
Papa sing my sing my song
Papa sing my sing my song
10 "40" (02:35)
I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He brought me up out of the pit
Out of the miry clay
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long, how long, how long
How long to sing this song?
You set my feet upon a rock
And made my footsteps firm
Many will see, many will see and hear
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
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Other reviews
By rickyfrusciante
The feeling you get listening to "SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY" is indescribable: the desperate march and MULLEN's hits go straight to the heart.
Back then they were indeed sincere, they had so many ideas, back then they really wanted to change the world…
By Alevox
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is an unforgettable protest anthem with powerful and angry vocals that hit like arrows straight to the heart.
"40" is a calm, prayer-like closing that has endured as a staple in U2's concerts for over 25 years.
By Ocean
"War speaks (primarily) about this and can thus be defined as an excellent period document."
Bono’s lyrics about the Bloody Sunday massacre are "simple but effective" and evoke a deep sadness and anger.
