Bono reveals new song

Bono premiered a new U2 song at the end of the World Aids Day presentation in Lincoln, Neb., last night. He introduced it as a song U2 was working on with Dave Stewart (Eurythmics). He had recorded accompaniment from the rest of U2 on a CD, and played it on a stereo while he sang and played acoustic guitar.

The song was called “An American Prayer” — a little nod to Jim Morrison, perhaps — and it was a ballad in the vein of “One” or “Stuck in a Moment.” The chorus featured a lyric along the lines of “When we get to the top of the mountain…” (report by Jonathan Houghton)

64 thoughts on “Bono reveals new song

  1. New song is called “An American PRAYER”?? True, I haven’t heard it but that doesn’t sound very “raw” and “rocking” to me. Me hopes the group doesn’t pull a Spinal Tap with it’s collection of “Rock Psalms” C’mon Edge…re-establish the axe!! Please!

  2. New song is called “An American PRAYER”?? True, I haven’t heard it but that doesn’t sound very “raw” and “rocking” to me. Me hopes the group doesn’t pull a Spinal Tap with it’s collection of “Rock Psalms” C’mon Edge…re-establish the axe!! Please!

  3. It’s a kind of call to action, in ballad form, and was very moving…perhaps you had to be there.

    “When you get to the top of the mountain, will you tell me what you see?”

  4. It’s a kind of call to action, in ballad form, and was very moving…perhaps you had to be there.

    “When you get to the top of the mountain, will you tell me what you see?”

  5. “But all that he could see, but all that he could see was the other side of the mountain the other side of the mountain…” Muwahahaha!

    j/k! I’m waiting here for a phone call telling me whether or not I have a ticket to the Iowa City lecture tonight. *crosses fingers*

  6. “But all that he could see, but all that he could see was the other side of the mountain the other side of the mountain…” Muwahahaha!

    j/k! I’m waiting here for a phone call telling me whether or not I have a ticket to the Iowa City lecture tonight. *crosses fingers*

  7. Heh heh, I am an American, and as far as I’m concerned the rest of the world can keep kissing my ass! Sorry, being the American that I am, I couldn’t help it. The set up by ‘annoyed’ was too good.

  8. Heh heh, I am an American, and as far as I’m concerned the rest of the world can keep kissing my ass! Sorry, being the American that I am, I couldn’t help it. The set up by ‘annoyed’ was too good.

  9. Here we go again: If I’ll hear another song containing the word “America”, I’ll kick their arses. C’mon: “An American Prayer” – *runs away to puke*

    Leave ATYCLB Behind!

  10. Here we go again: If I’ll hear another song containing the word “America”, I’ll kick their arses. C’mon: “An American Prayer” – *runs away to puke*

    Leave ATYCLB Behind!

  11. i thought u2 was going for a more punk rock, garage band sound. a far cry from the recent ES & THTBA. they always say those things, but never live up to it.

  12. i thought u2 was going for a more punk rock, garage band sound. a far cry from the recent ES & THTBA. they always say those things, but never live up to it.

  13. Love it or hate it, it was very appropriate for the occasion: this “tour” is about informing and mobilizing a fairly complacent and conservative segment of the American population. This is what “American Prayer” is about. Perhaps the song won’t make it to an album, but be released as a benefit single for DATA, Jubilee USA, or another group. Anyway, keeping my fingers crossed for Kari — I hope you get in!

  14. Love it or hate it, it was very appropriate for the occasion: this “tour” is about informing and mobilizing a fairly complacent and conservative segment of the American population. This is what “American Prayer” is about. Perhaps the song won’t make it to an album, but be released as a benefit single for DATA, Jubilee USA, or another group. Anyway, keeping my fingers crossed for Kari — I hope you get in!

  15. Does anyone have any details about the Nashville stop on Sunday? I’ve emailed everyone short of Bono himself and noone in town seems to know anything. GRRR. It would blow me away if he did another church service like in Lincoln.

  16. Does anyone have any details about the Nashville stop on Sunday? I’ve emailed everyone short of Bono himself and noone in town seems to know anything. GRRR. It would blow me away if he did another church service like in Lincoln.

  17. Speaking as an American, Enough of this “bottom kissing” as Annoyed so eloquently put it…

  18. Speaking as an American, Enough of this “bottom kissing” as Annoyed so eloquently put it…

  19. You people need to take a horse tranquilizer. Two or three of them wouldn’t hurt. This song will NOT be on the next album. It’s a piece of music Bono is using to persuade conservative American Mid-Westerners to care care about the less fortunate in Africa. You think Bono should have played a punk rock song instead? In Nebraska??

  20. You people need to take a horse tranquilizer. Two or three of them wouldn’t hurt. This song will NOT be on the next album. It’s a piece of music Bono is using to persuade conservative American Mid-Westerners to care care about the less fortunate in Africa. You think Bono should have played a punk rock song instead? In Nebraska??

  21. Aimee – I GOT IN!! I was so happy! I got there an hour and a half before the doors opened and there were already 400+ people waiting. As for the new song – it definitely *was* moving when he sang it, but I think that if it’s not played/heard in that context it would be pretty cheesy – not as bad as McCartney’s “Freedom” though (Thank God!). It worked beautifully in the setting mainly because they had the African Gateway Ambassadors singing along with the uplifting chorus and the audience got in and started clapping – some were even singing by the end!

  22. Aimee – I GOT IN!! I was so happy! I got there an hour and a half before the doors opened and there were already 400+ people waiting. As for the new song – it definitely *was* moving when he sang it, but I think that if it’s not played/heard in that context it would be pretty cheesy – not as bad as McCartney’s “Freedom” though (Thank God!). It worked beautifully in the setting mainly because they had the African Gateway Ambassadors singing along with the uplifting chorus and the audience got in and started clapping – some were even singing by the end!

  23. I agree, enough about America this and that. Get on with the heartland tour and do all that great work. And then come on over to the other side! I really do suggest Sydney, Australia would be an ideal spot.

  24. I agree, enough about America this and that. Get on with the heartland tour and do all that great work. And then come on over to the other side! I really do suggest Sydney, Australia would be an ideal spot.

  25. Any songtitel with Europe or any other continent in it would do. How about: ‘Australian patience’ (‘No,no,no, we don’t have the money to tour Australi

  26. Any songtitel with Europe or any other continent in it would do. How about: ‘Australian patience’ (‘No,no,no, we don’t have the money to tour Australi

  27. Any songtitel with Europe or any other continent in it would do. How about: ‘Australian patience’ (‘No,no,no, we don’t have the money to tour Australi

  28. Any songtitel with Europe or any other continent in it would do. How about: ‘Australian patience’ (‘No,no,no, we don’t have the money to tour Australi

  29. Ahh, has anyone heard Van Diemens Land.. i bet some don’t know that this is the original name of Tasmania .. for those who don’t know Australia.. this is the island below Melbourne. Its home to the Tassie Devil (for those cartoon fans)..anyway the point is.. they already have sang a song about Australia…also..few rumours down in melbourne the band could be doing a two show Australia gig (sydney/melbourne).. through a security firm who controls Telsta Dome in Melbourne.. Apparently this has something to do with Australia selling the most Best of Albums per unit of population. I also heard they were thinking of doing a south American rock festival… but have withdrawn.

  30. Ahh, has anyone heard Van Diemens Land.. i bet some don’t know that this is the original name of Tasmania .. for those who don’t know Australia.. this is the island below Melbourne. Its home to the Tassie Devil (for those cartoon fans)..anyway the point is.. they already have sang a song about Australia…also..few rumours down in melbourne the band could be doing a two show Australia gig (sydney/melbourne).. through a security firm who controls Telsta Dome in Melbourne.. Apparently this has something to do with Australia selling the most Best of Albums per unit of population. I also heard they were thinking of doing a south American rock festival… but have withdrawn.

  31. Why not “No more debt for Argentina”? This song could be inspiring for our goverment…

  32. Why not “No more debt for Argentina”? This song could be inspiring for our goverment…

  33. Kari: Great news!! I was wondering about that this morning. It was the same in Lincoln — people were clapping, and singing. I hope the sound was better in Iowa — we couldn’t hear his guitar well, even when he held it up to the mike. Hey, did I mention that I got my daughter a press pass? She got some great photos, and is writing a story. Cameras in Lincoln were not allowed at all in the auditorium. To the person in Nashville: see if there’s a Jubilee USA meeting beforehand. They have had tickets to the lectures.

  34. Kari: Great news!! I was wondering about that this morning. It was the same in Lincoln — people were clapping, and singing. I hope the sound was better in Iowa — we couldn’t hear his guitar well, even when he held it up to the mike. Hey, did I mention that I got my daughter a press pass? She got some great photos, and is writing a story. Cameras in Lincoln were not allowed at all in the auditorium. To the person in Nashville: see if there’s a Jubilee USA meeting beforehand. They have had tickets to the lectures.

  35. what a shitty name
    U2 were over in 1999 .
    after MDH soundtrack , everything else is crap . Pure american crap , like Springsteen and his fookin nebraska

    hehe

  36. what a shitty name
    U2 were over in 1999 .
    after MDH soundtrack , everything else is crap . Pure american crap , like Springsteen and his fookin nebraska

    hehe

  37. There’s only one song about good ole Britain and that’s Red Hill Mining Town. Or maybe there are more. I can’t think at the moment…

  38. There’s only one song about good ole Britain and that’s Red Hill Mining Town. Or maybe there are more. I can’t think at the moment…

  39. WHAAA!!! U2 hasn’t done a song about me personally, and my ass hurts because of it… Easy for me to say, I’m an American, and I like American crap, like Springsteen, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, The Ramones, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, Soundgarden, Metallica, Tori Amos, Filter, Rage Against The Machine, Smashing Pumpkins, Pantera (who are from my backyard almost literally), The Doors, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Beck, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Korn, Garbage, Live, and Aerosmith… Oh, and Duke, we make good movies, too…

  40. WHAAA!!! U2 hasn’t done a song about me personally, and my ass hurts because of it… Easy for me to say, I’m an American, and I like American crap, like Springsteen, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, The Ramones, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, Soundgarden, Metallica, Tori Amos, Filter, Rage Against The Machine, Smashing Pumpkins, Pantera (who are from my backyard almost literally), The Doors, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Beck, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Korn, Garbage, Live, and Aerosmith… Oh, and Duke, we make good movies, too…

  41. While I do get a weird feeling in my gut whenever a new “America” song comes out, please remember that there *are* some good sides to the country as well, though the government tries to hide them well.

    And Ryan made a good point there, although I’m sure he forgot at least one or two American bands. :p

  42. While I do get a weird feeling in my gut whenever a new “America” song comes out, please remember that there *are* some good sides to the country as well, though the government tries to hide them well.

    And Ryan made a good point there, although I’m sure he forgot at least one or two American bands. :p

  43. Oh yes, that was all I could get off the top of my head, and yes I DID forget the lovely Shirley, but you reminded me!!!

  44. Oh yes, that was all I could get off the top of my head, and yes I DID forget the lovely Shirley, but you reminded me!!!

  45. Aimee – that’s awesome that you got your daughter a press pass! I’ll bet she had a blast! It looks like this tour is turning out to be a pretty huge thing, with appearances on the Today Show and everything. I’m so glad I was lucky enough to see it. As for the sound – it wasn’t bad. You could hear the guitar a little bit and Bono made a hilarious attempt at playing a guitar solo…hehe!

  46. Aimee – that’s awesome that you got your daughter a press pass! I’ll bet she had a blast! It looks like this tour is turning out to be a pretty huge thing, with appearances on the Today Show and everything. I’m so glad I was lucky enough to see it. As for the sound – it wasn’t bad. You could hear the guitar a little bit and Bono made a hilarious attempt at playing a guitar solo…hehe!

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