No Line On The Horizon...

I can’t fail to mention the newly (just today) released U2 album. Some commentators say that’s a breakthrough, others suggest this album summarizes thirty years of their activity. Having listened to it several times I guess the applause was a bit premature. Some songs are quite impressing but there are few apparent failures too. The band approaches the image of commercial-success-minded pop star. Music reminds me their best songs, particularly from “The Unforgettable Fire”, but corny lyrics let me down. Actually each song carries a kind of message but that’s not old good U2. From the recent album’s lyrics I picked out almost ninety quotations to set them as statuses on my GG. Having read new lyrics I found about ten. Their songs used to be lofty, used to raise political, social issues (like my blog…). Fortunately, I see one exception – the last song, as typically in their albums – very soft ballad – a confession of war correspondent from Lebanon… If it’s worth hearing – depends on your taste, but I guess it’s at least worth reading…

Cedars Of Lebanon Lyrics

Yesterday I spent asleep
Woke up in my clothes in a dirty heap
Spent the night trying to make a deadline
Squeezing complicated lives into a simple headline

I have your face here in an old Polaroid
Tidying the children’s clothes and toys
You’re smiling back at me, I took the photo from the fridge
Can’t remember what then we did

I haven’t been with a woman, it feels like for years
Thought of you the whole time, your salty tears
This shitty world sometimes produces a rose
The scent of it lingers and then it just goes

Return the call to home

The worst of us are a long drawn out confession
The best of us are geniuses of compression
You say you’re not going to leave the truth alone
I’m here ‘cos I don’t want to go home

Child drinking dirty water from the river bank
Soldier brings oranges he got out from a tank
I’m waiting on the waiter, he’s taking a while to come
Watching the sun go down on Lebanon

Return the call to home

Now I’ve got a head like a lit cigarette
Unholy clouds reflecting in a minaret
You’re so high above me, higher than everyone
Where are you in the Cedars of Lebanon?

Choose your enemies carefully ‘cos they will define you
Make them interesting ‘cos in some ways they will mind you
They’re not there in the beginning but when your story ends
Gonna last with you longer than your friend