Love Is All We Have Left
by U2

Album: Songs of Experience (2017)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the opening track of U2's 2017 album Songs of Experience. Bono kicks off the song by singing:

    Nothing to stop this being the best day ever

    He described the lyric to Rolling Stone as: "My favorite opening line to a U2 album."
  • Bono croons in the second verse:

    Seven billion stars in her eyes
    So many stars
    So many ways of seeing
    Hey this is no time not to be alive


    Bono summarized the lyric as "innocence admonishes experience."
  • Love and love is all we have left
    A baby cries on a doorstep
    Love is all we have left


    Bono said: "In the chorus I was pretending to be Frank Sinatra singing on the moon, a sci-fi torch song."
  • The song was one of five Songs of Experience tracks produced or co-produced by Andy Barlow, best known for being one half of the chilled downtempo electronic duo Lamb. His other credits include records by David Gray, and Snow Patrol. Asked how he hooked up with U2, Barlow told Billboard:

    "Lamb was playing Russia and my manager called me just as we were to go onstage, so I knew it must be something important. He said, 'I'm going to tell you something and you can't tell anyone.' I was like, 'I can tell Lou, right?' And he goes, 'No. You can't tell anyone. You've got to promise. I've signed a non-disclosure. I've just spoken to U2's manager and they wondered if you would like to go to Monaco and do a two-week tryout?'

    The weird thing is, when I was 19 I had a premonition that I was going to one day produce a U2 album. And then the even weirder thing is, 24 hours before I got the call my best friend said to me, 'What do you want to do next?' And I said, 'I'd love to do a U2 album. Wouldn't that be something?' Literally 24 hours later my manager called with the offer."

Comments: 1

  • Bosal from San AntoIs the 7 billion stars reference to the earth's population at the writing?
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Edie Brickell

Edie BrickellSongwriter Interviews

Edie Brickell on her collaborations with Paul Simon, Steve Martin and Willie Nelson, and her 2021 album with the New Bohemians.

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.

Into The Great Wide Open: Made-up Musicians

Into The Great Wide Open: Made-up MusiciansSong Writing

Eddie (played by Johnny Depp in the video) found fame fleeting, but Chuck Berry's made-up musician fared better.

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Charlie Daniels

Charlie DanielsSongwriter Interviews

Charlie discusses the songs that made him a Southern Rock icon, and settles the Devil vs. Johnny argument once and for all.

Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."