Author Topic: Staring At The Sun - PopMart Live From Mexico City  (Read 6741 times)

u2met86

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Staring At The Sun - PopMart Live From Mexico City
« on: July 30, 2009, 05:09:54 PM »
Quick correction.

After the song ends, and Bono begins bantering,

"Oh
He's been called The Edge for a while now
Go for it"

Bono then says,

"Imagine being called The Edge."

The currently listed line is,

"I shouldn't have been called The Edge."

Which to me doesn't make sense, nor did I hear it that way.

If anyone else wants to check and give an alternate opinion, here's the YouTube link right to that part of the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEAJdI9Dra0#t=5m40s

God, Part II

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Re: Staring At The Sun - PopMart Live From Mexico City
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2009, 08:47:32 PM »
Sounds to me like "awesome to be called The Edge"...

jw

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Re: Staring At The Sun - PopMart Live From Mexico City
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2009, 01:09:09 PM »
"I shouldn't have been called the Edge" was what I heard first which makes sense if it's Edge saying it.  But after multiple listenings it sounds like "I couldn't have been called the Edge." which makes sense if it's Bono still talking.

Yes, it's very important we get this right!   :)

u2met86

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Re: Staring At The Sun - PopMart Live From Mexico City
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2009, 08:58:03 PM »
Upon multiple further viewings, I'm 100% certain that this disputed line is coming from Bono's raspy voice, sounding entirely consistent with Bono's banter immediately before it and sounding very different from the sound of Edge's softer, slightly-higher-pitched voice that can be heard introducing Sunday Bloody Sunday.

As for the line itself, the interpretation "I shouldn't have been called The Edge," does not make any sense conversationally. Bono is not called "The Edge," so it makes no sense to express dissatisfaction with and disown a nickname he's never been given... BUT...

That does sound like what he's saying.

As an expert in vocal imitation & caricature, and someone who has a very anal ear (pun intended)...

I very strongly contend that, what sounds like "I-shouldn't-have" (basically pronounced, "AHH-shun" with the "have" omitted entirely) is really "MAHH-gin," the ending of "imagine."

And "been" is really "being." Usually, continental Europeans pronounce "been" in almost the same way that Americans pronounce "being," with the long "e" vowel sound and the "n" sounding like an "-ng" ending, so we Americans can easily confuse those 2 words. However, I really think Bono is saying "being" here in this context.

The above reasons, combining to form an unquestionably strong gut feeling, convince me. Think about the joking tone Bono has throughout Popmart that is absent in the Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, or Elevation eras. It makes perfect sense to me that in introducing Edge he would finally comment on how absurd it is that his mate's bloody name is actually "THE Edge," and that he would invite us to wonder how crazy it is to "own" and respond to a generic, universal description instead of a normal name.

slaneman

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Re: Staring At The Sun - PopMart Live From Mexico City
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2009, 07:31:26 PM »
You make a good case and I liked your reasoning. I think I can sympathize with your "ear affliction."

"O hoher Baum im Ohr!"

Nonetheless I don't quite hear it the same. I agree it's probably Bono speaking, but I hear "I should've been called The Edge". Just how I hear it. I did try hearing "imagine being" but I couldn't.

I finally got out my DVD and listened. First of all, what a great performance! These guys are good!

For anyone else interested, at least use the DVD, not the Youtube clip. Weren't the current lyrics done from the VHS? That's pretty remarkable in itself. Not an easy thing to do that.

So I think the database is pretty close here.
But I've been wrong before...

miryclay

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Re: Staring At The Sun - PopMart Live From Mexico City
« Reply #5 on: August 29, 2009, 06:13:40 PM »
"Oh
He's been called The Edge for a while now
Go for it"

Bono then says,

"Imagine being called The Edge."


I hear this

miryclay

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Re: Staring At The Sun - PopMart Live From Mexico City
« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2009, 06:17:37 PM »
When he says "Imagine" what he means is
'What would life be like'? if you were called the Edge?

Carl

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Re: Staring At The Sun - PopMart Live From Mexico City
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2011, 11:41:17 PM »
It was from the VHS tape, though I'm not sure if I actually rewound it or had a rip of it (I have vague memories of rewinding it a lot, which probably explains some parts just being a "oh wtf that's close enough".

I'll take another stab when I'm near a good rip again.