This review is on selected songs from U2’s 1984 album, “The Unforgettable Fire”-
\nIsland Records, Ltd.<\/p>\n
Song 1: “A Sort of Homecoming”<\/p>\n
This song opens the album, “The Unforgettable Fire”, with a tone that generates great optimism. I think of the power of a vocal choir, paired with earthy beat and enchanting instrumentals. The first half of the album delivers in this same spirit, consistently to side B.<\/p>\n
Without looking too deep into the poetry of the lyrics in “A Sort of Homecoming” – time leaves its mark, age appears on the body, ruins crumble around you, yet there is a chance to go. There is a chance to find home. Is home what we left behind? Or, is it what we traveled toward\/to?<\/p>\n
The song speaks of the latter; in one sense, most literally by fleeing war. Specifically, from WW2, as many from around the world did. The act of escaping before the end of day, and promising the reception to those who await us or will follow us, is painful.<\/p>\n
I think of this song as an ode to every man or woman, particularly father or mother, who longs for their child left in a distant land for many years. I connect with U2’s message in this way as my own family is divided across continents. Specifically, the European continent and the USA. Many immigrants now living in the USA, were at one time enemies who bore the brunt and force of armed hostility. And while many wars are (or have been) inevitable, there always is room for reconciliation and reconstruction. People rebuild.<\/p>\n
In a few days, my country celebrates Independence Day. We celebrate! We also reflect on all the people and families (our families) who suffered war, so that our relatively young country could persevere and take shape to its lasting heritage, protecting her people by governing laws. We also here learn to celebrate with former foes and more recent foes, who have come to our land to coexist side by side and in peace.<\/p>\n
Through the martyrs of this land, our fighting soldiers, our pilgrims and scouts, our founders and governors, our saints and missioners, our treasure seekers and industrialists, our natives, the families today here, are living and breathing remnants of the suffering that was World War 2, combined with native peoples, pilgrims, and slaves. That is tumult.<\/p>\n
Perhaps, U2’s “Unforgettable Fire” message, is that the fire is only “unforgettable”, if we have one of our feet firmly planted in the memory of World War 2’s destruction. Although dissonance exists between the victims of war and those who waged it, this complex duality of the American psyche, has been an engine for those who came to prove that they could help it to prosper.<\/p>\n
This album, challenges us to think about a few of America’s martyrs. Three tracks on the B-Side are entitled: “MLK”, “Elvis Presley and America”, and “Indian Summer Sky”. Study all the songs’ lyrics for yourself, and see if you agree with my take on what the “Unforgettable Fire” is to you.<\/p>\n
And, if you listen to track 1 on the B-side (entitled “4th of July”), you will find that no words are required, for you to enter the sublime instrumental; and to truly think about the bitter-sweet complexity between death and freedom.<\/p>\n
In sublime punctuation, the last song on the B-side might lull you into passivity; but, likely is an anthem to the practice of giving in to power that is higher than our own… receiving the “rain that the cloud would pass”, and being subject to God, rather than to Lord over another by way of force and subjectivity.<\/p>\n
As a collection of free people,\u00a0 we have to remember that the grasslands bend to the prairie winds. We want to be a mighty oak in perpetuity, but that cannot always be. We should be an oak tree when required. But, as U2’s lyrics suggest in the song “MLK”, the peace that M.L.K. dreamed of most, actually came for him, after his own death. As, God promises to all who die and love Him. That is the greatest rest of all. And, it is unmatched by a mortality where we strive to create Heaven on Earth according to our own design. But, the day is promised, where we will not need force to protect our interests. The laws will be respected, and we will serve each other as we should.<\/p>\n
I hope you enjoyed this review of U2, as I promised to write you before.<\/p>\n
If you like the sound of this album, I recommend another band from the same region: “The Cranberries”.<\/p>\n
Soon I will present the upcoming movie review: “Mamma Mia 2”.<\/p>\n
I enjoyed the first “Mamma Mia!” (2007) a great deal. Let’s see what can be said about the sequel. I hope to enjoy the film and will review it after Independence Day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This review is on selected songs from U2’s 1984 album, “The Unforgettable Fire”- Island Records, Ltd. Song 1: “A Sort of Homecoming” This song opens the album, “The Unforgettable Fire”, with a tone that generates great optimism. I think of …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.film-shorts.tv\/wpress.cfonseca160\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.film-shorts.tv\/wpress.cfonseca160\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.film-shorts.tv\/wpress.cfonseca160\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.film-shorts.tv\/wpress.cfonseca160\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.film-shorts.tv\/wpress.cfonseca160\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2306"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.film-shorts.tv\/wpress.cfonseca160\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2309,"href":"https:\/\/www.film-shorts.tv\/wpress.cfonseca160\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2306\/revisions\/2309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.film-shorts.tv\/wpress.cfonseca160\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.film-shorts.tv\/wpress.cfonseca160\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.film-shorts.tv\/wpress.cfonseca160\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}