Many people have argued that U2 is really a christian band that has achieved the ultimate crossover success. Others say they were a christian band that have fallen away from their faith. I argue that they are a band that express their whole lives in their music, faith, love, dirt, everything. It shouldn’t surprise people when someone who has a lot of faith then expresses it in their music. Many people see the Joshua Tree album as the defining moment in the argument, particularly the song I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. Critics point to this song as U2’s declaration of faithlessness (This was a hot topic when I was younger and one of the reasons my mom didn’t want me to listen to U2). I say it is only a natural response to the difficulties of maintaining faith. I consider myself a very strong christian but I struggle at times. I believe C.S. Lewis’s metaphor of faith as a journey around a mountain, in A Grief Observed, is the best analogy. If you start at the top of a mountain traveling to a village in the valley, as you wind your way down the trail you sometimes reach points you don’t see your destination anymore. Sometimes during these times it seems hard to travel on but when you see your destination again you receive renewed energy and pick up the pace. I think U2 in …Looking For are describing one of those moments you find yourself on a particularly long stretch of road were you can’t see the village below. The point is, though, you keep walking and you will reach it eventually.
But as to the idea of christian lyrics in U2 songs check out this site compiled by Angela Pancella. And this quote by Bono
“We’ve found different ways of expressing it, and recognized the power of the media to manipulate such signs. Maybe we just have to sort of draw our fish in the sand. It’s there for people who are interested. It shouldn’t be there for people who aren’t.”—Bono on faith, quoted in “U2 at the End of the World”
“All I Want Is You”
You say you want diamonds on a ring of gold
You say you want your story to remain untold
But all the promises we make from the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you
You say you’ll give me a highway with no one on it
Treasure just to look upon it
All the riches in the night
You say you’ll give me eyes in a moon of blindness
A river in a time of dryness
A harbour in the tempest
But all the promises we make from the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you
You say you want your love to work out right
To last with me through the night
You say you want diamonds on a ring of gold
Your story to remain untold
Your love not to grow cold
All the promises we break from the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you
You
All I want is you
All I want is you
All I want is you
U2 is still putting out music thirty years after they began in 1978. Here is an article about the new album. I have heard the first song and it is good. I still haven’t gotten Atomic Bomb (2004) yet but the music there is really good. I am falling Behind on my U2 collection.
I know there are bands and artists that continue to make music well into their careers but how many can still grab the conscience of the youth and also maintain a loyal fan base. The only albums I have a hard time listening to are Achtung Baby and Zooropa. Some of the songs on those albums were good They are starting to grow on me though. I think the music they make is very universal. Especially songs like One and All I Want is You. They capture a person where they live. It is one of the struggles I have with my writing. I am almost too scared to delve too deeply at times. U2 has no trouble with that though. Here’s to a and who wears their hearts on their sleeves.
After listening to a Taylor Swift song, Love Story, in which she uses Romeo and Juliet as a metaphor for eternal love, I begin to wonder if I misunderstood the play. I have always viewed the play as an example of teenage infatuation that gets out of hand. I think it is more about lust than love. Am I wrong?
I am curious about James Clyburn’s assertion that southern governors who refuse stimulus money are harming black people. Why did he single out southern governors? I know there is a history of racism in all the states that he named. It is well documented. But, the four states he mentioned, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, are not the only ones thinking about rejecting the stimulus money. So why these states? It is because of the history of racism. There is an assumption that all white southerners are racist.
I have been accused of racism solely because I am from Georgia and am white. I know I will never understand what blacks have gone through in many cases, but an accusation against me, by someone who doesn’t know me, is just as harmful. From an early age I have been taught to respect all people. It has been emphasized in my family because I do have family members who are not as tolerant. Many of them have changed, but some have not. Because of these elements in my family, my father and mother have taught me not to judge. I try not to judge also. It does become hard when people do accuse me of racism solely because of the place I was born. I begin to wonder what the fight is for when some blacks only see my heritage not me.
There has been a phrase “The New South” used to describe the increased industrialization of Southern states. But, it also means there are new people with new ways to see race, mostly not to see race. I am from this generation. I chose to continue to fight against bigotry. I chose not to let cynicism come into my heart because of peoples prejudice against me. I chose, none else, me. My only wish is that others will join me and begin to drown out the old way of thinking. Looking forward is much better than looking back. I believe Martin Luther King would agree today that his proclamation of “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty I’m free at last.” should apply not only to equality of the races but also the unshackling from past thought processes and stepping forward to a new way where all people are free from racist beliefs. A place where it is just as wrong to stereotype whites a it is to stereotype blacks or asians or hispanics. Let us free our minds so we can free ourselves and this nation.
I have always heard from hockey fans and radio hosts that if you go to a hockey game you will begin to enjoy it and become addicted. I am a person who is willing to try anything twice. I try things twice so just incase the first time was an abnormality, the second time is a better indicator of the exprience. If the first time is bad but the second time is good, then I know the first time was a fluke. Now the exprience will get a third shot. If both times I tried something was bad then I know I probably will not enjoy whatever it is I’[m trying.
So, I have been to two hockey games now. I didn’t enjoy either one. I guess I will never enjoy hockey. I think part of the problem is I have no exprience in playing to sport. I have tried to ice skate, I know it is difficult. I know everything that hockey players do is hard, but the fact I have never done it means I can’t really appreciate the difficulty. I also think part of it is how quiet it is when the puck is in play. The announcer is not describing what is happening so I’m not really sure what is happening. I don’t know. It also doesn’t help that the Hurricanes were destroyed in both games I attended so fans were not as excited.
Now we begin the administration of President Obama. I hope he is able to bring about the good many people believe he will. I am worried though that he will only make this country worse and reduce our opportunities instead of increasing them. I really hope I’m wrong. We shall see in a year’s time.
Alas, the schools were close yesterday and today for snow. It was rather sad. We were working on exams and now have to figure out how to finish them. There will also be no transition time, even a day, between semesters to prepare. I can’t wait for the the legislature to change the school start time law back to its original form. We desperately need to be able to finish the semester before Christmas. That gives teachers an opportunity to compose themselves and prepare for new students, while on block schedule. The need would not be as urgent if we were still on a traditional schedule. The students would be missing midterms not finals right now. It is just frustrating now because we can’t get tests and scores compiled in the manner we need. Please change the law!
I have not dropped off the face of the Earth. I have been busy though. I have not been able to use my down time at work to post anything lately because they are cracking down on this type of thing. I have also started working a third job. Yes that is three jobs. Needless to say I have been busy. I am also looking into a family tree beta program ancestry is running to try to get a family tree started. I will update you more on that later. Having been so busy I have not had time to blog and when I have had time to do anything I have only wanted to sit and do nothing. We have also been trying to watch all the DVD’s we got for Christmas. I may post something tomorrow. Hope the New Years is going well for everyone.
Wake County, in an effort to help improve lagging grades, is thinking of implementing a no zero policy. How this will work is unclear right now but the thought is to set a minimum grade, probably 60 or 65. No student can receive below this grade. You can imagine my thoughts on the topic but I feel restrained from sharing them here since I am a Wake County School Emplyee. Feel free to respond in any way you chose.
