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29听听|听Top 100
'With Or Without You'
U2
U2 recorded 鈥淲ith Or Without You鈥 and the rest of their album The Joshua Tree in Danesmoate, a Georgian mansion near Dublin now owned by bassist Adam Clayton. As if inspired by their historic surroundings the band made a |
 Song facts |
| Composer |
Composer |
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| Genre听 |
Rock
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| Album |
The Joshua Tree
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| Year of Release |
1987 |
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| UK Chart Position |
4 |
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conscious decision to write songs in a more traditional vein than any they had recorded before. The decision paid off. 鈥淲ith Or Without You鈥 became their biggest hit, topping the US charts for three weeks, while The Joshua Tree became one of the fastest-selling albums of all time. The track works on two distinct levels. For millions of fans it鈥檚 a straightforward love song best summed up by the lines 鈥淚 can鈥檛 live/ With or without you鈥 鈥 an emotion surely felt at some time by almost anyone who has ever been in a serious relationship.But as singer Bono has admitted, the song also addresses his own insecurities and anxieties. The lines 鈥淎nd you give yourself away/ And you give yourself away鈥 represent his fears about being in band, about literally giving himself away when he bares his soul in lyrics and interviews. Musically, the song is something of a slow burner, with The Edge鈥檚 understated guitar and Bono鈥檚 subdued vocals building gradually towards a towering climax. However you interpret it, it鈥檚 an immensely powerful and popular song.
Written in the studio |
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A real joint effort this one - Adam had the bass line, Bono the title. But a musical invention "the infinite guitar" helped to create the eerie production sound.
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Other versions |
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听This version of With or Without You听was performed听live at a concert in Dublin and broadcast on Radio 1 on 26th December 1989.
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