U2Blog

// 9.10.09

Bullet the blue sky

As per usual when the U2 circus hits the road, there is a LOT of debate on which songs should or shouldn't be played.

If they'd ask me (which they obviously won't...) a lot of the hits can be skipped.
For me this has to do with making room for more new songs and the fact that some of these songs don't seem to 'evolve' throughout the years (e.g. Pride or Beautiful Day).

Don't get me wrong, I love those songs. And again I found myself jumping, clapping & singing along at the top of my lungs when they got played during one of my U2360 shows. But, besides maybe the odd snippetry, they never seem to reach a new (musical) identity.

A song that has evolve throughout the years, but to my regret has not (yet) been performed on the U2360 tour is Bullet the Blue Sky.

Lyrically Bullet the Blue Sky is inspired by Bono's trip to Central America in 1985 as part of Amnesty International. On return to the studio he asked Edge to "put El Salvador through an amplifier". Musically the drums and the bass provide a simple but steady groove that leaves a lot of room for Edge to fulfil this task.

1987-1989 Joshua Tree & Lovetown tour
Beautifully introduced by Adam in the movie Rattle & Hum, it's focusses on American foreign policy, mainly in Central America. Directly aimed at the US by the 'Star spangled banner' intro it also took a swing at the televangelist practise: "I can't tell the difference between ABC News, Hill Street Blues, And a preacher of the old-time gospel hour Stealing money from the sick and the old. Well the God I believe in isn't short of cash, mister!".

From the movie Rattle & Hum:

1992/1993 Zoo TV tour
A very fierce version, with it's focus on the renewed racial divides of the early nineties. Any visitor of these concerts will remember the burning crosses on the video screens turning into burning swastikas. But it also ended referencing war as the song segued into Running to stand still, Bono surrounded by smoke -an effect inspired by Vietnam vet stories.

Live from Zoo TV Sydney:

1997 Popmart tour
For the Popmart extravaganza the band provided Bullet (and Streets as well) with a groovy hip-hop feel, accompanied by colourful, playful pop-art Roy Lichtenstein visuals of fighter jets bombings. Bono in a Cuban style outfit, parading with an American flag umbrella as visual reference to the songs original theme.

Live Popmart Santiago:

2001 Elevation tour
With a new focus on American internal gun politics and the influence of National Rifle Association (NRA), the intro on the Elevation tour includes NRA president Charlton Heston stating that "Guns don't kill people, people kill people", then followed by footage of a young child carrying a gun found somewhere around the house. The song closes with a lyrical reference to the killing of John Lennon by Mark Chapman, but also the bodybags from Vietnam.

Elevation live from Boston:

2005/2006 Vertigo tour
A return to the visuals of Popmart with a fighter jet hovering the big screen for the duration the song. Thematically, this time around it combines religious violence and, like in 1987, American foreign policy, now inspired by the war in Iraq, with Bono in blindfolds, clearly a reference tot the treatment of Iraqi prisoners in Abu Graib prison. Musically the song has a much more haunting and bluesy feel, mainly because of the revised guitar solo.

Live from Sao Paolo:

Conclusion? They're all different, as were the concerts. I have my pesonal favourites (Zoo TV and Popmart) but you can have your own.

Will we see Bullet resurface during a 360 show?...Who knows...I for one would like to see and hear where else they can take this song.

Labels: Bullet U2360

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