U2's This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now is about/dedicated to Joe Strummer. "Joe Strummer was some soldier … his guitar a weapon, his mouth almighty", Bono writes in the booklet, and "we weren't sure exactly what they (The Clash) were fighting for/against but this was a public service announcement with guitars on behalf of the soul and we signed up". This is where This is where you can reach me now comes in. "Soldier soldier, we signed our lives away. Complete surrender, the only weapon we know" the song begins – fighting injustice, with peaceful means. U2 look back at their own history, not least the white flag of the War era. But maybe it’s a look not just back but also forward, and U2’s ongoing social conscience?
Produced by Danger Mouse the song starts with a march-like rhythm, mirroring the imagery of battle, before keyboards move the song into a different (more peaceful?) place. Musically the song is reminiscent of early The Clash sound, including their dub roots.
It is interesting to note, too, that the surprising and free release of Songs Of Innocence has parallels with The Clash – who for their double and triple albums London Calling (1979) and Sandinista! (1980), in spite of the resistance of their record label CBS, insisted to sell the albums at the price of a normal single album (i.e. Sandinista! with only a 20 per cent price increase). Maybe U2’s stunt with iTunes is more "punk" than we think?
In conclusion, a song which is likely to be well received live, and in which the band confronts their own political and musical inspirations.
U2's This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now is about/dedicated to Joe Strummer.
ReplyDelete"Joe Strummer was some soldier … his guitar a weapon, his mouth almighty", Bono writes in the booklet, and "we weren't sure exactly what they (The Clash) were fighting for/against but this was a public service announcement with guitars on behalf of the soul and we signed up". This is where This is where you can reach me now comes in. "Soldier soldier, we signed our lives away. Complete surrender, the only weapon we know" the song begins – fighting injustice, with peaceful means. U2 look back at their own history, not least the white flag of the War era. But maybe it’s a look not just back but also forward, and U2’s ongoing social conscience?
Produced by Danger Mouse the song starts with a march-like rhythm, mirroring the imagery of battle, before keyboards move the song into a different (more peaceful?) place. Musically the song is reminiscent of early The Clash sound, including their dub roots.
It is interesting to note, too, that the surprising and free release of Songs Of Innocence has parallels with The Clash – who for their double and triple albums London Calling (1979) and Sandinista! (1980), in spite of the resistance of their record label CBS, insisted to sell the albums at the price of a normal single album (i.e. Sandinista! with only a 20 per cent price increase). Maybe U2’s stunt with iTunes is more "punk" than we think?
In conclusion, a song which is likely to be well received live, and in which the band confronts their own political and musical inspirations.
Thank you for a most interesting and informative comment. Greatly appreciated.
ReplyDelete