"The first two records had a sort of cinema sound, a cinematic Panavision feel, the broad, big sound we wanted for U2. Now that we've done the cinema sound, I'd like to make it a bit rougher." — Bono
Beautiful Day - Live From Pasadena 2009 Lyrics
U2360 At The Rose Bowl (2010)
"'Beautiful Day' has a directness reminiscent of early U2 but with Edge bringing a dizziness and futuristic quality so that it doesn't feel retro. The guitar chords were nothing special but they were my attempt to get the album airborne, the way a rock band like the Buzzcocks would. The lyric expresses amazement, really, that whatever situation you find yourself in, as uncomfortable and upsetting as they can be, if you're alive and you are awake, then you have perspective on it... Pain is evidence of life because it reminds you there are things in your life that aren't right. So you should be thankful for it really and celebrate that there is so much to live for." - Bono, U2 By U2 2006
The heart is a bloom
It shoots up through the stony ground
But there's no room
No space to rent in this town
You're out of luck
And the reason that you had to care
The traffic is stuck
You're not moving anywhere
You thought you'd found three friends
To take you out of this place
Some folks you could lend a hand
In return for grace
The sky falls and you feel like
Day, day
You're on the road
But you've got no destination
You're in the mud
In the maze of her imagination
You love this town
Even if that doesn't ring true
You've been all over
And it's been all over you
Don't let it get away
You can touch me
Take me to that other place
Teach me, love
I know I'm not a hopeless case
See the world in green and blue
Larry Mullen Jr. right behind of you
See the canyons broken by clouds
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out
See the Bedouin fires at night
See the oil fields at first light and
See the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood all the colors came out
It was a beautiful day
Teach me love
What you don't have you don't need it now
What you don't know you can feel somehow
Don't need it now
It's beautiful
I dream beneath the desert sky
The rivers run but soon run dry
We need new dreams tonight
You're good
World, we're part of the world
And the whole world
The heart of the world
Soul, you got soul
Soul, soul, soul, soul, soul
God only knows the way I feel about you
God only knows how this stranger
In blue eyes of a girl