Author Topic: Elvis Presley and America -- other versions?  (Read 2796 times)

Z000

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Elvis Presley and America -- other versions?
« on: November 07, 2011, 02:27:38 PM »
This is a lyric inquiry but could potentially become an actual transcription thread. Feel free to move it to a different section.

I know there's a lot of impressionism and abstract symbols to the lyrics of EP&A. From what I read, Bono recorded words describing images that came to his head with the intention to re-record the vocals with something that made a little more sense, but Brian Eno insisted on keeping it as it was.

Has the song been done live, and if so, how did Bono approach the abstract, demo-style lyrics? If anyone knows of any live recordings or transcriptions thereof, how are the lyrics different?

slaneman

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Re: Elvis Presley and America -- other versions?
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2011, 01:39:14 PM »
Z000---Never done live though according to u2gigs there was a lone occurrence of a snippet Nov 2, 1984 at a concert in London during Bad.
I checked the bootleg and at the very end of Bad , Bono was improvising a bit singing 'come on down, come on down' which he often did at that point and then he sang 'and the rain came down' a couple times-- but that was the extent of the snippet.

Carl

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Re: Elvis Presley and America -- other versions?
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2011, 04:23:07 PM »
Well he did do a poetry style reading of it (forget what for), and as I recall it was pretty much off the lyrics sheet.

Z000

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Re: Elvis Presley and America -- other versions?
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2011, 09:38:37 PM »
I thought that was Elvis Ate America.

Carl

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Re: Elvis Presley and America -- other versions?
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2011, 05:45:58 AM »
Ah. True.