THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

190-U2-Pride (In the Name of Love)

1984-Number 3 single.

Best Bit-At 0.09. Unbelievably the lyrics contain a glaring error. In reference to Martin Luther King’s shooting, Bono sings,’Early morning April 4,’when actually King was assassinated at 6.01.pm, the evening of April 4th, 1968. Bono who wrote the songs lyrics acknowledges the error, and in live performances he sometimes changes the lyrics to ‘Early evening.’

‘Pride (In the Name of Love’) was the first of two singles released from U2’s fourth studio Album ‘The Unforgettable Fire,’ from 1984, the lyrics were written by Bono, with all four band members receiving credit for the music. For the bands fourth studio Album U2 (see also best songs 766-320 and 84) wanted to pursue a new musical direction, and persuaded Brian Eno (see also best songs 766-302-118-109 and 57) to produce, in turn Eno brought Daniel Lanois with him to assist, Lanois (see also best songs 766) would go on to produce a further five studio Albums for U2.

U2 had first begun work on the song which would become ‘Pride (In the Name of Love’) during their 1983 ‘War Tour.’ Bono had initially intended the song to be about the American President Ronald Reagan’s (1911-2004) pride in America’s military power, but after reading the book ‘Let The Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King Jr.’, and a biography of Malcolm X, Bono began to ponder the different sides of the civil rights campaigns, the violent, and non violent. Bono decided to revise his lyrics to pay tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968.)

U2 became supporters of making ‘Martin Luther King Day’ a U.S. federal holiday, but then in 1987 when they took their ‘Joshua Tree Tour’ to Tempe, Arizona, they received death threats for supporting the holiday. Someone claimed that they would shoot Bono on stage if he sang ‘Pride (In the Name of Love,’) which the ‘FBI’ were taking very seriously. U2 went ahead and played the show, Bono has said, ‘During ‘Pride,’ I was singing the third verse, ”Early morning April 4, a shot rings out in the Memphis sky.” I just closed my eyes and sang, and when I opened my eyes, Adam (Clayton) was standing in front of me.’

‘Early morning, April 4, shot rings out in the Memphis sky. Free at last, they took your life, they could not take your pride. In the name of love, what more in the name of love?’