"Heartland" is by far my favorite U2 song. This one is absolutely beautiful. There is so much more to it than just the lyrics. In fact, this is a classic example of truly fantastic songwriting ability. Most of the beauty and meaning behind the song isn't conveyed in the lyrics but more so in the mood and tone behind the words. In it, you can tell that the lyricist (Bono) is fascinated with the land and you can almost imagine him jotting down haphazard notes from the window of the tour bus while cruising down Route 66. Mostly what I feel when I hear this song is that Bono was deeply homesick when he wrote it. He's experiencing a foreign land completely behind the glitz and glamour of what America is made out to be in the media. In the way he describes every curve and feature and the way "belief goes on and on", you can't help but wonder if he isn't really yearning for his own home after having been away for nearly two years.
This song is extremely powerful because you can feel his emotions. You can feel that he's awestruck, he's tired, he's homesick, and he's lonely. Notice that the lyrics are very different from other U2 lyrics. This song stays on one track and doesn't waver. It isn't about anything in particular. He's using the land laid out before him as a palette to paint a picture of how he feels in that moment. It's almost as if he's reaching out toward something in this song. I love it because it conveys raw emotion. It's not about anything; it just is.
"Heartland" is by far my favorite U2 song. This one is absolutely beautiful. There is so much more to it than just the lyrics. In fact, this is a classic example of truly fantastic songwriting ability. Most of the beauty and meaning behind the song isn't conveyed in the lyrics but more so in the mood and tone behind the words. In it, you can tell that the lyricist (Bono) is fascinated with the land and you can almost imagine him jotting down haphazard notes from the window of the tour bus while cruising down Route 66. Mostly what I feel when I hear this song is that Bono was deeply homesick when he wrote it. He's experiencing a foreign land completely behind the glitz and glamour of what America is made out to be in the media. In the way he describes every curve and feature and the way "belief goes on and on", you can't help but wonder if he isn't really yearning for his own home after having been away for nearly two years.
This song is extremely powerful because you can feel his emotions. You can feel that he's awestruck, he's tired, he's homesick, and he's lonely. Notice that the lyrics are very different from other U2 lyrics. This song stays on one track and doesn't waver. It isn't about anything in particular. He's using the land laid out before him as a palette to paint a picture of how he feels in that moment. It's almost as if he's reaching out toward something in this song. I love it because it conveys raw emotion. It's not about anything; it just is.