Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way by U2

Album: Songs of Experience (2017)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

The band began playing this tune live during The Joshua Tree Tour in summer 2017, and on several occasions Bono told audiences that it was going to be the last song on Songs Of Experience. It ended up being the penultimate track before "13 (There is a Light)."
Bono explained the lyric, "Lead me in the way I should go. I'm running out of chances to blow," to Q magazine. He said: "The older protagonist is asking the younger one for help."
Directed by Vogue photographer and filmmaker David Mushegain and filmed in U2's Dublin hometown, the song's music video pays tribute to the city's youth culture.

"I gravitated towards that song immediately," said Mushegain. "It has the spirit of these young people I'd come to know, the spirit that says whatever's in your way, you can overcome it. It's such an uplifting song, it has such a positive spirit."

He added: "It's about being young and expressing yourself, it's about how we all have friends and relatives who dress or look or style themselves differently but, as the song says, love is bigger than anything in its way."
The track was remixed by Beck, Cheat Codes, Will Clarke, the Funk Hunters and Daybreakers. The new versions helped the song take the top spot on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. It was the fourth time the Irish band had reached #1 on that tally, following visits to the summit by "Lemon" (1993), "Discotheque" (1997) and "Beautiful Day" (2001).

Comments: 1

Theresa1 from U.s.What a truly beautiful song. After the news came out that Bono had some un-named brush with "mortality" - and that he wrote these songs thinking that he might not even be around to hear them played; these songs took on new meaning (and the ones I like, preciousness). Bono said, in a documentary, that the songs on this new album were like "letters" to various person(s). I heard it alluded to that this was to his sons/children/family. As much as I strongly spiritually object to some of Bono's songs, and some performances/videos/speeches/writings and teachings; for the good things messaged, how could a human being not love this guy (and band). I hope he/they get right with Jehovah/Yahweh and live forever. To lose him/them would be heartbreaking. That being said; since Bono likely put out this song too, thinking he might not be around, I find it both beautiful, but also profoundly devastating. The beginning comes off like it could be a wedding processional - or a graduation; or some other life's doorway, for one's child. The very thought that this could be a song, for one's children, for a future meaningful event, when a parent might not be there, but so wants to be, and is leaving a message of love, life advice, encouragement, and hope, is absolutely devastating. It's 5-star crying/wiping tears material. Familial love is so strong and so special. Makes me think - what song would I leave for my kids and grandkids.....I don't want to die though - I want Armageddon and the God's new world Kingdom to roll on in soon (enough of all this trouble stuff). Please do not die, please be well. "Write a world where we can belong...."

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out The Barrel)Will Glahe

In 1939, a polka craze swept America thanks to "Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out The Barrel)."

BloodstreamEd Sheeran

Ed Sheeran's "Bloodstream" was written after an experience taking MDMA during a wedding celebration in Ibiza; it's basically about all the feelings that he got from that time.

"Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who is about a revolution, but it doesn't have a happy ending, since in the end the new regime becomes just like the old one. Pete Townshend thought that whoever was in power was destined to become corrupt.

Good TimesChic

The disco song "Good Tmes" by Chic was a huge influence on early rap, providing the bassline for "Rapper's Delight."

Dancing QueenABBA

ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson conceived "Dancing Queen" as a dance song with the working title "Boogaloo," drawing inspiration from the 1974 George McCrae disco hit "Rock Your Baby." Their manager Stig Anderson came up with the title "Dancing Queen."

Uptown FunkMark Ronson

The actress Michelle Pfeiffer gets namechecked in the 2014 megahit "Uptown Funk" ("Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold"). When it was released, "Riptide" by Vance Joy was on the charts; that song also mentions her ("Closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you've ever seen").