Another Time, Another Place
by U2

Album: Boy (1980)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A very early U2 song, the band performed "Another Time, Another Place" at their shows in 1979 and released it on their debut album, Boy, in 1980. The song finds Bono waking up naked and afraid, and very much alone. He years for another time, another place, where he can be with the one he loves.
  • Bono mumbles something incomprehensible near the end that sounds like it's in another language, possible one he made up.
  • On the album cover is a photo of 7-year-old Peter Rowen, whose image appeared on a number of U2 releases early on. The American version of the album used an alternate cover with a black-and-white photo of the band.

Comments: 5

  • Carolyn from St. Louis, MoI have no idea what Gaelic sounds like, just always thought the language is German because it sounds that way. Gehoren is the past participle of gehort, which means "to belong to." In the context of the song it seems that it would mean "she's with someone else." I don't hear the word "gehoren" though. It would have been nice if they had put those words in the song lyric info. (My keyboard doesn't have umlauts, otherwise gehoren would be spelled correctly.)
  • Colin from Limerick, IrelandIts definitely German, you can make out some words, gehaben is in there and the last German word he says is gehoren. Wonder what it means
  • Mickey D. from Fremont, CaTowards the middle (near the end), the real lyrics go like...

    "...Yeah-ya-yi, yeah-yeah-hah
    She's a beauty, Hallie
    Yes we all look down, he's been had
    Love's what she's been holding..."
  • Rudi from Uk, EnglandI dont think it's Gaelic - I think it's German
  • Katie from Memphis, TnTowards the middle (near the end) of the song, Bono speaks in Gaelic. I don't believe a translation has ever been done. Also, when performing the song live, Bono would just improvise this part (in English).
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Classic Metal

Classic MetalFact or Fiction

Ozzy, Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest and even Michael Bolton show up in this Classic Metal quiz.

John Doe of X

John Doe of XSongwriter Interviews

With his X-wife Exene, John fronts the band X and writes their songs.

Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.

Loudon Wainwright III

Loudon Wainwright IIISongwriter Interviews

"Dead Skunk" became a stinker for Loudon when he felt pressure to make another hit - his latest songs deal with mortality, his son Rufus, and picking up poop.

In The Cards

In The CardsSong Writing

Songwriters have used cards and card games to make sense of heartache, togetherness, and even Gonorrhea.

The End Of The Rock Era

The End Of The Rock EraSong Writing

There are no more rock stars - the last one died in 1994.