It would probably take a pretty serious U2 fan to have caught the reference in the title of my last post, Dreaming It All Up Again. What my title refers to is a now legendary speech (among U2 geeks) that Bono gave from the stage during one of the last songs from one of the last shows of the marathon Joshua Tree tour in December of 1989. (I say it that way for brevity, my statement is not technically correct, if you want to get into the details of their tour, here is the exact reference.) The speech is now looked at as the start of a period of monumental change in the band’s sound.
My point is that during the time period leading up to the speech, U2 had become a super-group and was on top of the world. At the point Bono said that they had to go away for a while and dream it all up again, they had been touring for 3 years, and all the while becoming the biggest band in the world, after releasing what many people, including casual fans, probably consider one of the best albums of all time, The Joshua Tree. My speculation is that this is also the point where they realized they were taking themselves way too seriously. Mental and physical exhaustion had set in, along with a growing and soul-crushing sense of pressure, now realizing that they were going to have to come up with something to top everything they had just accomplished. They came back several years later with Achtung Baby, which went in a bold new direction, and was a departure from their usual sound. How must it have felt to be the biggest band in the world, coming off an all time classic record, to turn everything everyone knew about you on it’s head? Knowing that this would either be a spectacular success or failure. Listening to their own voice was so important, that they risked it all. And fan or not, it worked out well by any measure.
But before your eyes start to glaze over, if they have not already, let me say that I think there is a life lesson in there. I may be the only one that sees it, but let me try to explain. Once in a while, you have to take stock of whatever it is you are doing. Even if what you are doing is working well for you, you should evaluate from time to time. You should be assessing how what you are doing is working for you, and you should be on the look out for, and open to, the next opportunity. And if what you are doing is not working for you, then you need to get into your head and figure out something better.
And at some point, you have to make a decision. You have to trust your gut, listen to your instincts, believe in what you are selling, and jump off the cliff with it. It is either going to be a success or it is not, but it won’t define who you are either way. Only you can define yourself. Be yourself and do what you love to do for you and those you love.
And sometimes all you can do is to have faith that everything will fall into place.
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I don’t know who I am talking to. You…or myself? Most likely me, but I hope that made at least a little sense to you.
From Achtung Baby:
