One (U2 song)
| One | |
|---|---|
| U2 | |
| publication | February 1992 |
| length | 4:36 min |
| Genre (s) | Ballad , pop rock |
| Author (s) | U2 |
| Award (s) | Billboard Music Awards - No. 1 modern rock track |
| album | Watch out baby |
One is a song by the Irish rock band U2 . It is the third track from the album Achtung Baby and was released in February 1992 as the third single on the album. During the recording of the album Achtung Baby , considerable tensions arose between the band members about the future direction of the music of U2 and the quality of the recorded material, which called the future of the band as such into question. With a simple chord progression, tried by guitarist The Edge , the band musically found their way back together and, newly inspired, began to develop Song One from it.
The text, written by lead singer Bono , tells of the difficulties in maintaining relationships with other people, but is often interpreted differently.
In 2004, One was voted 36th of the Top 500 Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone .
Cover versions
One has been interpreted numerous times. Known versions are from
- Mica Paris (1995)
- Johnny cash (2000)
- Ray Wilson (2003)
- Joe Cocker (2004)
- Cowboy Junkies (2005)
- Keziah Jones (2008)
- Ringlstetter & Zinner (2020)
Others
- October 9, 1994: Bochum colliery ; Adrian Borland (formerly The Sound ) sings the piece as a “special guest” on The Convent's tour .
- In 1995 the song was recorded live in Modena by U2 and Brian Eno under the name Passengers for Luciano Pavarotti's aid project Pavarotti & Friends Together For The Children Of Bosnia .
- Also in 1995 members of the US rock band REM released their own live version together with U2 drummer Larry Mullen junior .
- In the 2001 song "Free" by the Lighthouse Family , "One" is quoted in detail.
- In 2005 U2 released their own cover version together with the American R&B singer Mary J. Blige .
Web links
- Lyrics and video directory
- One Songlexikon, October 8, 2013
Individual evidence
- ↑ release date
- ↑ a b McCormick (2006), pp. 216, 221
- ^ McCormick (2006), pp. 221, 224: The band have been told by many fans that they played the song at their weddings, prompting Bono to respond, "Are you mad? It's about splitting up!" Many have interpreted the song's lyrics as describing a conversation between a father and his HIV- positive gay son.