What U2 Has Taught Me About Love.

The above picture is of a tank top that was made for a Zoo Station (U2 tribute band) show in February of this year. I wear it quite often and get so many compliments on it (here's lookin' at you, SB) but just recently, I actually looked at it and realized how many damn songs U2 has about love. Love is a clichéd topic to write songs about but U2 has never had the overly romancey "oooo baby, I just wanna love you, girl" type songs. I can only stomach those...well...never.

Bono writes about love in a much more tangible way. Love between two people, love for a child, love for a parent, love for a group of people, love for a cause...it's not necessarily a romantic love as he says in "Miracle Drug". He also tells us that love is blindness and The Edge creates a guitar solo that makes you fucking believe it. Go watch Zoo TV Live in Sydney, you'll see what I mean. Oh look, a video...

"Oh, can't you see what love has done?" What does a line like that mean? To me, it means love has a lot of power. You can do a lot with love. Bono, in particular, has shown his love for the causes he chooses to represent and campaign for. He shows love for the audience at every show U2 does. And you know, maybe it's crazy, but I believe it. Some of the songs he writes are a gift of love to the people (us) who he writes them for. It was so many years ago that I actually felt that gift of love and music from U2.

In April 2002, my mom passed away very abruptly. Music has always been my coping mechanism but somehow, it wasn't helping. I had listened to Bono's references to his mother's death in his music for years, the fucking pain in "Tomorrow" never really hit me until I actually listened to the song again after my mom's death. Sometimes it takes an incident like losing someone you love to make you realize how important each person in your life is. Major lesson from that: Don't take love for granted, it may not always be there.

U2 has shown love by staying together for 30-something years. They are a band of brothers, and Bono shows them his gratitude every night on stage. As most of us know, the history of U2 hasn't been always smooth sailings. You can love someone, but not necessarily like them very much. I love my family, but sometimes, they piss me off. Doesn't make me love them any less. U2 has remained together longer than most marriages and it's because a love of the music has kept them going. Love unites.

My interpretation of "Mercy" is the struggles of love. And lyrically is one of the best U2 songs in years. It still makes me shiver when I hear it. Bono has this ability to really fucking sing when he knows he needs to and this song is just the epitome of emotional singing. "Love puts the blue back in my eye." Love gives some people a reason to wake up and keep going.

What is the point of this post, you may be wondering. There comes a point in your life when you realize what it is that you're looking for. Realizations can hit like a ton of bricks and you can hear a song that reminds you that love is not just a romantic thing, it's a universal thing. Love can be shown by a hug, compliment, smile...small gestures of the heart can mean a lot to a person. U2 has given us love by bringing us the music. We can share that love with others in so many ways. Open your heart.