U2 has dropped another great (IMHO) EP. The last was on Ash Wednesday and called, reasonably enough, “Days of Ash.” That EP is a powerful set of songs offering a critique of the news of today.
Today, on Good Friday, they drop “Easter Lily.” With songs titles like “Scars,” “Resurrection Song,” and “Easter Parade,” you would think it obvious that this drop was timed to coincide with the Christian holy days of Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and (ahem) Easter. You wouldn’t know it by reading the Apple Music blurb that comes with the album.
It is absolutely true that the “Easter Lily” (more properly, calla lily) is a symbol of Irish independence and it is certainly possible that the artists wanted a double meaning for their album’s title. However, Bono himself referenced the religious meaning of the title.
“We are in the studio, still working towards a noisy, messy, ‘unreasonably colourful’ album to play LIVE… which is where U2 lives. We still look to vivid rock n roll as an act of resistance against all this awfulness on our small screens. These are for sure ‘wilderness years’ for so many of us looking at the mayhem out there in the world.”
‘It’s a time that has our band digging deeper into our lives to find a wellspring of songs to try meet the moment… With Easter Lily we ended up asking very personal questions like: Are our own relationships up to these challenging times? How hard do you fight for friendship? Can our faith survive the mangling of meaning that those algorithms love to reward? Is all religion rubbish and still ripping us apart…? Or are there answers to find in its crevices? Are there ceremonies, rituals, dances that we might be missing in our lives? From the rite of Spring to Easter and its promise of rebirth and renewal… Patti Smith’s album Easter gave me so much hope when it was released in 1978. I wasn’t yet 18. The title is a nod to her.
So there it is, Bono is asserting the religious meaning of the album, with all that complexity “Can our faith survive the mangling of meaning that those algorithms love to reward? Is all religion rubbish and still ripping us apart…?” The Edge called into “Propaganda” and reported a similar sentiment.
There’s no doubt this collection of songs have a kind of seasonal bent but I wouldn’t get too carried away with the religious calendar here the point is there are ceremonies and rituals some of us are missing in this most material of times …..we wrote some songs meant for our album but they started to assert themselves in some unexpected ways, demanding special attention, their own devotional world, suggesting they didn’t feel part of our album So we folded …agreed to their timeline… which was Easter… 40 days after Ash Wednesday… the songs are the boss, you have to do what they say or they’ll abandon you for someone else.
I point this out because it seems some just cannot allow serious, complex, and beautiful religious reflection in popular music, even when the artists acknowledge the relationship. Maybe the author (AI?) simply didn’t want to mar U2’s reputation with Christian overtures, but they have never shied away from it. Does anyone else remember the stories in the 80s that the song “40” was thus titled because they wrote it in only 40 minutes? Hint: It is Ps. 40.
Never mind. Please, go listen to both EPs. U2 are doing reflection and repentance well. No easy answers, just a lot of wrestling with life and how we live it with others. To that I say, Amen.
Resurrection Song
“Lyrically it is a road trip song. There is a bit of a tongue in cheek aspect; [the signs] are a reference to bumper sticker Christianity.” (https://easterlily.u2.com)
One time we had a lot of miles to go
Road sign, the death and resurrection show
You smile, the next thing you know, we died
Next life was waiting through an open door
You said it’s better than the one before
Last night you promised the sun would rise
If love is in the air
Let’s take a breath
If I sound ridiculous
I’m not done yet
All these signs to forever
Have we got heaven for you
Or you can go to hell together
’Til death dies too
Are you holding on?
Hold on
Are you holding on?
Resurrection song
All time number one inside my head
Break rhyme, we could spend the day in bed
You’re line “we gotta get the hungry bread”
‘Til death dies too and love’s its epitaph
Do it for a dare
Do it for a laugh
Love is always somewhere
At the back of the photograph
Love extravagantly
And without regret
If there’s anything better
I’ve not heard it yet
Love is in the air
So let’s take a breath
Fear to love, my friend,
And remain in death
If love is in the air
Let’s take a breath
If I sound ridiculous
I’m not done yet
All these signs to forever
Have we got heaven for you
Oh you can go to hell together
Til death dies too
Are you holding on?
Hold on
Are you holding on?
Resurrection song
