No Line on the Horizon

If you looked at my CD collection you would quickly see that I'm a bit of a fan of those famous Irish Rockers, U2 - actually, they were the first CD that I ever bought. And so it is that almost 30 years after the release of ‘Boy’ on 20th October 1980, their 13th studio album ‘No Line on the Horizon’ was released a few weeks back. So here I am chilling out listening to it thinking what has changed about U2 and what’s the same. Their sound is one of those things that’s still distinct yet totally different. When you think of those early songs and then their newer stuff, you can certainly hear a lot of changes. There isn’t so much of that old sense of anger that’s there in songs like ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’, ‘Pride (In The Name Of Love)’ and ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’. They don't have those overtly Christian vibes such as in ‘I Will Follow’, and ‘I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For’, yet they r still rocking the world in the same way.

I know that a lot has been made of their ‘Christian beliefs’ and all that with lots of statements being made that they are and they are not Christian. Throughout their works they have often included Christian references right up to a possible reference to Jeremiah 3:33 on the cover of their album ‘All that you can’t leave behind'. I’m not going to head down that road however and start to speculate, in the end I believe that’s between you and God. But look at their Lyrics and listen to their songs and you might see what I’m talking about.

This is the words to 'Magnificent', one of my favourite songs on ‘No Line on the Horizon’:

Magnificent
Magnificent



I was born
I was born to be with you

In this space and time

After that and ever after I haven't had a clue

Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue



Only love, only love can leave such a mark

But only love, only love can heal such a scar


I was born
I was born to sing for you 

I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise ...

Only love, only love can leave such a mark

But only love, only love can heal such a scar


Justified till we die, you and I will magnify

The Magnificent

Magnificent


Only love, only love can leave such a mark

But only love, only love unites our hearts



Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent

Magnificent

Magnificent


Whether it be the true God of the Bible or one loosely created around their own ideas and Christian heritage I don't know. It doesn’t change the fact that U2 is still one of the biggest name bands in the world and I really enjoy listening to them.

* Lyrics copied from U2.com