U2 is a band that has had no trouble securing hits. Songs like “With or Without You,” “One,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and “Beautiful Day” stand as some of the most important songs of their eras.
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Despite their chart-topping status, U2 has had a number of tracks that have fallen through the cracks. With 14 studio albums to their name, it stands to reason not all of them would be well picked over. To remedy this, we’ve compiled a few lesser-known U2 cuts that are worthy of single status in their own right. Find five deep cuts from U2 that you should be listening to, below.
1. “One Tree Hill”
“One Tree Hill” serves as a eulogy for Greg Carroll, a Māori man the band met while touring in Auckland, New Zealand. The group had an instant connection to Carroll and brought him along as a roadie.
Carroll was killed in a motorcycle accident in Dublin in 1986. The lyrics to this somber ode speak to Bono’s time with Carroll and his raw feelings while at the funeral. He sings I’ll see you again / When the stars / Fall from the sky.
2. “Acrobat”
And you can dream, so dream out loud / You know that your time is coming round / so don’t let the bastards grind you down, Bono wails out on “Acrobat.” This song concerns itself with the band feeling left behind in a new decade. Though U2 dominated in the ’80s, many people were trying to count them out as 1991 rolled around. This biting response made it clear that U2 wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
3. “Kite”
Bono and his father were known to have a tumultuous relationship. While the group was recording All That You Can’t Leave Behind, his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. This song, “Kite,” was written as a reflection of the frontman’s feelings during his final days with his father. He sings I’m not afraid to live / And when I’m flat on my back / I hope to feel like I did.
4. “Ultraviolet (Light My Way)”
“Ultraviolet (Light My Way)” became a live staple for the group in 2009. The powerful track acted as the first encore for the rock icons. Despite being a relatively unknown track, the crowd responded well to the Achtung Baby cut.
5. “Bad”
“Bad” was standout during U2’s set at Live Aid in 1985. Bono kept the track going for nearly 12 minutes, cutting out the rest of their previously agreed-upon setlist. It didn’t matter though, the crowd ate up all 12 minutes of the Unforgettable Fire track. So much so, that it found a recurring slot in their subsequent tours.
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