High on a desert plain
I wrote this essay for English, on a song of my choosing. I chose to write about poetic devices in one of my favorite songs, "Where the Streets Have No Name" by U2. Enjoy.
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It was the middle of the decade. It was a perfect turning point, perhaps, for that little band from Dublin; a change of spiritual and musical direction was necessary. U2 had just ended a successful tour in promotion of their latest album, an ambient sound with numerous political messages. By the time 1986 rolled around, Bono, lead singer and head lyricist, and the rest of U2 decided it was time to take a different artistic path. One of the first songs Bono wrote (and the song that gave the band the most trouble) was a little anthem called “Where The Streets Have No Name.” Inspired by an area of Dublin segregated by choice, Bono took up his pen and wrote his most epic set of lyrics to date. Infused with beautiful imagery and a sensational theme, it is easily one of the most liberating musical pieces of our time.
As an avid believer in the power of spirituality, Bono felt that true unity with God could not be achieved just by visiting church, or following the religious rules imposed by society. True spiritual freedom starts from within, and where else to begin but outside the limits of this modern culture? “I want to run, I want to hide, I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside” (1). The very first lines express his desire to escape, to break off of society and enjoy the purest things in life, whether it be family, nature, or spirituality. “The cities a-flood and our love turns to rust. We’re beaten and blown by the wind, trampled in dust. I’ll show you a place high on a desert plain, where the streets have no name” (13). Basically, he feels little satisfaction in a world where so many people strive to separate themselves from diversity. Nature is the place to be.
Epic imagery is very common in Bono’s poetry, and prevalent in this song. Numerous, visual images are used to illustrate the contrast between nature and society. “I want to take shelter from the poison rain” (7), Bono writes, expressing his view on the impurity of the city. In contrast, “I want to feel the sunlight on my face, see the dust cloud disappear without a trace” (5). The voice of the poem drives these images home, and quite effectively. One can see the epic tone present in the description. He is not painting a claustrophobic picture; this portrait is endless. This is a vision without bounds, where anything is possible. “We’re still building, then burning down love” (9). Bono feels that though this civilization continues to advance, it is de-evolving in all the areas that count. Love, spiritual liberation, and nature are being destroyed, it seems, in a time when they are needed most.
These entirely natural images add a sensational level to an intellectual theme. All in all, it boils down to truly multi-faceted piece of literature, and one hell of a song. “I was just trying to sketch a location, a spiritual location, maybe a romantic location,” Bono once said. “I was trying to sketch a feeling.” He does so with excellent craft. By combining a number of beautifully detailed images with a profound emotion--true freedom,--Bono was able to create a cerebral landscape: A place where connotations are not placed on you by the amount of money you make, or the higher power you follow.
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Yeah, that's it. Keep in mind, I started writing it at midnight and finished at 1:15am. Not the best time to write an essay, I assure you.
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It was the middle of the decade. It was a perfect turning point, perhaps, for that little band from Dublin; a change of spiritual and musical direction was necessary. U2 had just ended a successful tour in promotion of their latest album, an ambient sound with numerous political messages. By the time 1986 rolled around, Bono, lead singer and head lyricist, and the rest of U2 decided it was time to take a different artistic path. One of the first songs Bono wrote (and the song that gave the band the most trouble) was a little anthem called “Where The Streets Have No Name.” Inspired by an area of Dublin segregated by choice, Bono took up his pen and wrote his most epic set of lyrics to date. Infused with beautiful imagery and a sensational theme, it is easily one of the most liberating musical pieces of our time.
As an avid believer in the power of spirituality, Bono felt that true unity with God could not be achieved just by visiting church, or following the religious rules imposed by society. True spiritual freedom starts from within, and where else to begin but outside the limits of this modern culture? “I want to run, I want to hide, I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside” (1). The very first lines express his desire to escape, to break off of society and enjoy the purest things in life, whether it be family, nature, or spirituality. “The cities a-flood and our love turns to rust. We’re beaten and blown by the wind, trampled in dust. I’ll show you a place high on a desert plain, where the streets have no name” (13). Basically, he feels little satisfaction in a world where so many people strive to separate themselves from diversity. Nature is the place to be.
Epic imagery is very common in Bono’s poetry, and prevalent in this song. Numerous, visual images are used to illustrate the contrast between nature and society. “I want to take shelter from the poison rain” (7), Bono writes, expressing his view on the impurity of the city. In contrast, “I want to feel the sunlight on my face, see the dust cloud disappear without a trace” (5). The voice of the poem drives these images home, and quite effectively. One can see the epic tone present in the description. He is not painting a claustrophobic picture; this portrait is endless. This is a vision without bounds, where anything is possible. “We’re still building, then burning down love” (9). Bono feels that though this civilization continues to advance, it is de-evolving in all the areas that count. Love, spiritual liberation, and nature are being destroyed, it seems, in a time when they are needed most.
These entirely natural images add a sensational level to an intellectual theme. All in all, it boils down to truly multi-faceted piece of literature, and one hell of a song. “I was just trying to sketch a location, a spiritual location, maybe a romantic location,” Bono once said. “I was trying to sketch a feeling.” He does so with excellent craft. By combining a number of beautifully detailed images with a profound emotion--true freedom,--Bono was able to create a cerebral landscape: A place where connotations are not placed on you by the amount of money you make, or the higher power you follow.
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Yeah, that's it. Keep in mind, I started writing it at midnight and finished at 1:15am. Not the best time to write an essay, I assure you.