Sunday, March 3, 2019

#33. "New Year's Day" - U2 (1983)

While in junior high I tuned into ASN's Atlantic Canada's Choice on Saturday evenings lying down two feet away from the TV.

I recall watching "New Year's Day" in a trance, captivated by this new group riding on horses and playing in an open field in the middle of winter.

This is the song that introduced Ireland's U2 to many of us in North America. 

The early U2 sound exuded fire and soul: the Edge's signature 'chugga-chugga' guitar and Bono's passionate vocals are alive and well here. 

Bono is convincing when delivering the chilling "I will be with you again" and "I will begin again". I would find out later that the lyrics were about persecuted leader of the Polish Solidarity movement, Lech Walesa.

After all these years, "New Year's Day" remains an uplifting song, an anthem of freedom and renewal, and a staple on my beach runs. 

That piano riff that weaves in and out is pure magic.

Happy New Year!

3 comments:

  1. So I like the song but I don't like whatever it is that Bono later turned into.

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  2. I prefer early to mid-life U2 (Achtung Baby and before) and the odd single since (Beautiful Day is excellent).

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  3. Could this be the only U2 song I can listen to? Strangely I never saw it as an uplifting song maybe I'm thinking of War.

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