Eleven O'Clock Tick Tock
by U2

Album: Boy (remaster) (1980)
Play Video
  • It's cold outside
    It gets so hot in here
    The boys and girls collide
    There's music in my ear

    I hear the children crying
    And I know it's time to go
    I hear the children crying
    Take me home

    A painted face
    And I know we haven't long
    We thought that we had the answers
    It was the questions we had wrong

    Hear the children crying
    And I know it's time to go
    I hear the children crying
    Take me home

    Sad song, sad song
    Sad song, sad song

    (La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la, la-la-la)
    (La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la, la-la-la)
    La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la, la-la-la
    La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la, la-la-la

    Sad song, sad song
    Sad song, sad song Writer/s: Adam Clayton, Dave Evans, Larry Mullen, Paul Hewson
    Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 7

  • Beau from Phoenix, AzActually, Bono revealed in "U2 By U2" that the note was left by Gavin Friday.
  • Steven from Regina, SkCome on man, this song was NOT written in '87, it was a single released in 1980!! It also had nothing to do with clubs or gavin friday. The band was supposed to meet for practice in thier jam space where everyone showed up but Bono, the rest left and when Bono finally showed, a not had been posted by Larry on the jamspace door regarding him being late, "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" . .they were supposed to jam at 11 that day!
  • Cristián from Santiago, ChileI guess it's been a long time since anyone could've posted a comment. Well, my tip is that this song was previously known as "Silver Lining", with different lyrics, as you may find out at http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/song250.html. It's from 1979.

    Cristián, Santiago de Chile.
  • Rudi from Uk, EnglandThis is actually about the crowd at a Cramps concert Bono went to in London. They were all turfed out at 11pm ("I hear the children crying ... and I know it's time to go") It was the sight of all these young punk kids spilling out onto the streets at 11pm. B
  • Ryan from Windsor, CanadaRichard, Newport, Isle of Wight, England, theres no way this song was about the 1987 bombings. Considering Bono was preforming this song in 1983 it would mean he's either psychic or was involved.
  • Richard from Newport, Isle Of Wight, EnglandThe title of this song, and the line "I hear the children crying", suggest that it is about the 1987 bombing by the IRA of a Remembrance Day parade in Enniskillen in the United Kingdom, which killed 11 innocent civilians. It is not about this, of course, as it was released seven years earlier! As a side note, the bombing is mentioned in the film Rattle and Hum: the night of the bombing, the band were playing a gig -during Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bono angrily denounced the IRA's act of mass murder that day, describing it as "leaving people dead and dying under the rubble of a revolution that most of the people in my country don't want."
  • Chris from Kingston, OtherNot really true that the only place to find it would be on the Under a Blood Red Sky album - it was released as a single in the UK back in 1980. The flip side of the single included another good but not often heard song "Touch"
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

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.

Mike Scott of The Waterboys

Mike Scott of The WaterboysSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Whole Of The Moon" and "Red Army Blues," and why rock music has "outlived its era of innovation."

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Dwight Twilley

Dwight TwilleySongwriter Interviews

Since his debut single "I'm On Fire" in 1975, Dwight has been providing Spinal-Tap moments and misadventure.

Leslie West of Mountain

Leslie West of MountainSongwriter Interviews

From the cowbell on "Mississippi Queen" to recording with The Who when they got the wrong Felix, stories from one of rock's master craftsmen.