For those in the gaming community, this weekend marks an important event in the on-going history of Magic: The Gathering. In case you don't know, Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is a strategy card game created in 1993 by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and marketed by Wizards of the Coast. Currently the world's most popular trading card game, MTG outpaces both Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon and was recently recognized to be the "world's most complex game." The comprehensive rule-book currently runs to nearly 200 pages.
MTG, as its name implies, involves players acting as dueling mages who cast their spells by playing various card types (creatures, instants, sorceries, enchantments, artifacts, etc.) and managing resources (mana, energy) in the hopes of outmaneuvering and defeating their opponents. These spells can be cast at different times and at different speeds, leading to an intricate web of card interactions. Moreover, even though there is a complex set of rules governing gameplay, individual cards frequently allow players to violate those rules on a conditional basis--adding to the game's complexity. A variety of MTG formats exist (both 1v1 and multiplayer) which allow players to use cards from different card sets (in both paper and online versions). Several of these sets are released each year, which both add to the evolving dynamics of the game and continue to develop its rich mythologies and story-lines. Lore and aesthetics are important aspects of the game's enduring appeal.
This weekend the newest set is being released--Theros: Beyond Death--which marks the return of the game to Theros, a realm of the MTG multiverse modeled on the Graeco-Roman past. Although much of the game's early story-line took place inside its own self-generated sci-fi fantasy universes (such as Dominaria and Phyrexia), later expansion sets came to be inspired by various world cultures--such as medieval Japan (Kamigawa), early modern Europe (Innistrad), colonial South America (Ixalan), central and south Asia (Tarkir and Kaladesh), and, in the case of Theros, classical antiquity.
Are these depictions historically accurate? No. To be clear, the realm of Theros is an alternate classical universe. There are gods, demigods, archons, titans, satyrs, centaurs, gorgons, and hydras, as well has human cultures loosely based on Athens and Sparta. The gods make war with one another, as do the various sentient beings that populate this classical corner of the Magic multiverse. The fact that Theros is only an approximation of the ancient world allows for more creative license on the part of the games developers than would be the case with a more strictly historically accurate depiction. If anything, this quasi-classical world might inspire players to look more closely at the historical period it is meant to reflect. In my view, this is a plus. There are many areas of popular culture--gaming included--in which the ancient world is represented with varying degrees of accuracy. Assassin's Creed is another prime example. For the most part, the target audience of such productions are not classical scholars, but the general public. Yet, for many people, film, television, novels, and gaming are their first point of contact with depictions of the ancient world. Academics, instead of dismissing them as "inaccurate" and "popular," would do well to pay attention to how how antiquity is engaged with by means of such cultural products. They provide important opportunities for learning and debate both inside and outside the classroom. So, this pre-release weekend, if you're a classics nerd or gamer (or both), you might want to take a moment to investigate or reflect upon Magic: The Gathering's creative and intriguing take on the Graeco-Roman world.
I know that a many people don't like, or rather don't understand, Rush. That's fine. They're not for everyone. I, for one, would proudly consider myself a lifelong fan, and I certainly don't consider them to be a guilty pleasure. More than any other band their music has stayed with me through the years--in good times and in bad. I discover and re-discover my love for it over and over, and every time appreciate something new and fresh. To me, it always seems timeless.
I first found Rush when I was an acne-laden 13-year old in Chatham, Ontario. My older brother had happened to tape a CBC broadcast of their 1989 concert video "A Show of Hands." I was completely mesmerized and subsequently wore out the VHS cassette through hundreds of repeated viewings. As an awkward and socially isolated teen, this Canadian band spoke to me on a deep, intangible level. At a time when vapid glam-metal was omnipresent and the power ballad reigned supreme, Rush's music was complex, ethereal, innovative, and intelligent. I hadn't realized I'd been musically malnourished until Geddy, Neil, and Alex came into my life. As an aspiring teenage guitar player, I soon made it my life's mission to emulate Alex Lifeson's effect-infused guitar sound and soaring, melodic solos. It seemed like all three members were at the top of their games and played together with such intricate and seamless mastery. I'd spend the next several years slowly acquiring their complete discography on cassette and studying each one exhaustively. In those days new music was costly and hard to come by, so each acquisition was cherished, experienced, lived with, worn out.
Yet, there was another aspect of Rush's music that greatly appealed to me--the lyrics--which I soon discovered where all written by Neil Peart, the band's virtuosic yet reclusively brainy drummer. Peart's lyrics were thoughtful, interesting, intellectual, imaginative, and coherent. Which is more than can be said for a lot of prog lyricists. Is it great poetry? Perhaps not. Some of it has not aged well, especially the early sci-fi-fantasy stuff--not to mention to whole Ayn Rand subtext. Still, Peart continued to mature as a lyricist, and as rock lyrics go, they don't get much better than those that grace the melodies of "Limelight," "Subdivisions," or my personal favorite "The Pass."
Rush has often been called a "thinking man's band"--and yes there are women among their many long devoted fans--but, with Rush you often felt like you were getting entertained and educated at the same time. Hard-rock and heavy metal frequently serve as a gateway to history, literature, even philosophy. It was in the music of Rush that I first heard about Xanadu, Rivendell, Apollo and Dionysus, the Manhattan Project, Bastille Day, and the DEW line, not to mention concepts such as Freewill and the Prime Mover. After all, everybody has to start somewhere. Now, many years later, I teach at a university and can proudly say that Rush and Neil Peart played an important part in my intellectual development.
As accomplished as he was, Neil Peart shied away from the limelight, and experienced more than his share of personal tragedy. As a result he often seemed aloof, arrogant, and anti-social. Yet this intensely private man opened himself up in his own way through his drumming and writing. He was a man truly devoted to his craft.
Now Neil has passed, but I am confident his legacy will remain.
Religious themes have long been central to some of the greatest
works of fantasy and science fiction. In some they are obvious and even heavy handed,
as in C. S. Lewis’ Narnia series, in others, just as Tolkien’s Lord
of the Rings, they are understated yet profound. Even the Dune saga
is driven by deeply rooted and omnipresent religious themes.
Game of Thrones, for its part, carries on this tradition
today. Existing as it does in an alternate “medieval” universe it presents
religion in a way that is both familiar and unfamiliar. In fact, there are a
number of forms of religious devotion in Westeros, which itself is a world in a
process of religious transition. The oft-uttered phrase—“the old gods and the
new”—indicates that two forms of religious worship are present in the Seven
Kingdoms. The “old gods” found in sacred weirwood trees evoke some vague and
un-named notion of pre-historic nature worship, while the “new gods” are represented
by a pantheon of archetypes—the Father, the Mother, the Maiden, the Warrior,
etc. On the surface the Faith of the Seven appears polytheistic, but for some
they are in fact representations of a single, multi-dimensional deity. Add to
this the Drowned God, the Many-Faced God, and the Lord of Light and you have a
rather crowed religious environment.
Yet in spite of this alternate medieval religiosity, there
are themes and images that are evocatively Judaeo-Christian. From the messianic
“prince that was promised” to the resurrection of Jon Snow, biblical archetypes
seem to lie just below the surface of the Song of Ice and Fire. This, in
itself, is not surprising, since much of western literature, both ancient and
modern, is infused with biblical themes.
Last night’s episode “the Bells” was no exception, as it
carried us into the realm of the apocalyptic. Not only was there a torrent of
fire and brimstone, but also a dragon and a woman about to give birth (Apocalypse
of John 12?). More poignantly, however, was the appearance of a “pale horse”
ridden by Death (Apocalypse of John 6:8)—one of the famous “Horsemen of the
Apocalypse.” The fact that this horse is then mounted by Arya Stark, herself
devoted to the God of Death, serves to reinforce the allusion. This many be an
interpretive reach or it many have been deliberate. Regardless, it was a
powerfully expressed moment in such an overwhelmingly cataclysmic episode.
Strictly speaking, such a reference should not work, since
the biblical narrative is not a part of the Game of Thrones universe.
Still, in an episode in which Jon and others bear witness in horror to the apocalyptic
end of the world as they know it, it is nonetheless fitting.
The full implications of the imagery remain to be seen as the series comes to a close.
Growing up I would have never called myself a “geek.” In
those days, geek was a label one desperately wanted to avoid. Still, like many
80s kids, I enjoyed my fair share of Star Wars, G.I. Joe, He-Man, Transformers,
and Robotech. I happily acquired and played with related merchandise, although
eventually all such things were left behind as childhood turned to adolescence.
I didn’t think to keep them as “collectables” and certainly wouldn’t buy them
today.
As a teen I was more of a music nerd, spending most of my
time learning to play guitar, studying album sleeves, and (if I read at all)
reading books about my favorite bands. The bands I loved tended to be fairly
cerebral—Iron Maiden, Rush, Pink Floyd. It was music that helped me cope with
rejection and alienation in the early years of high school, two of which I spent
eating lunch not in the main cafeteria but in a classroom, the leper colonies
of the secondary school social world. As a social exile, it was music that
transported me into an imaginative universe of science fiction and fantasy. So,
yeah, I really was a geek!
This music also had a formative effect. If it wasn’t for the
songs of my favourite bands, I wouldn’t have encountered the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Animal Farm, or the story of Alexander the Great. Later in
life, I would pursue such themes as part of an academic career. As much as my
parents may have been puzzled by some of my musical choices, I can confidently
say now that they bore much important fruit.
Fast forward several years, I became a father when my son
Alex was born. (I’ll admit that both Alexander the Great and Alex Lifeson were
in my mind when I floated the name.) I knew that I’d be in store for something
unique when he entered the world on Halloween (Devil’s Night to be exact). Ever
since his birthday has been accompanied by imagination, mystery, costume, and
of course candy.
INTO EQUESTRIA
As Alex grew up I could see that he had a tendency toward
fandom. At two years old, after a cousin gave him a few die-caste Thomas the
Tank Engine toys, we spent the next several years on the Island of Sodor. Next
came Cars, the Wiggles, Star Wars, and even Doctor Who. The dialogue of entire
films was memorized and relevant literature studiously devoured. A couple of
years ago, however, Alex’s fandom took a rather surprising turn. A visiting six-year
old cousin exposed him to one of her favorite shows—My Little Pony. Alex,
as it turns out, fell deeply in love with the ponies of Ponyville—Applejack,
Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. All of this was unknown to me until
his mom gave me a heads up about this new development. Alex, it seems, was
reluctant to tell me about this new-found fandom.
I had heard of “Bronies” prior to this—for those who don’t
know these are boys (and men) who appreciate MLP (as they call it). Like many
people I had dismissed this phenomenon as one of the worst examples of what I’d
considered a childish nostalgia culture. How wrong I was! A turning point came
when we sat down to watch a Netflix documentary called A Brony Tale. It
was an eye-opening and sympathetic portrait of the Brony subculture that
revealed in a profound way just what all these boys and men (some of them US
marines) saw in My Little Pony.
The key is this—the subtitle of the current MLP reboot is Friendship
is Magic. The premise involves a studious and magically inclined young pony
princess named Twilight Sparkle who is sent to Ponyville to learn the true
meaning of friendship. This she accomplishes not through her enormous book-learning,
but through often very ordinary interactions with her circle of friends. The
series is a thoughtful (and I’ll admit cleverly entertaining) portrayal of
relationship, loyalty, maturity, identity, and purpose. All values that
resonate deeply with the audience, many of whom feel like misfits and outcasts.
The Brony fandom binds a community together around a shared set of interests
and values.
The purpose theme is central to the MLP ethos. Each pony in
Equestria (the realm they all inhabit) receives a distinctive “cutie mark” when
they find their purpose in life. (The metaphor for puberty is pretty clear).
This gives each character a unique sense of identity and purpose that propels them
forward and gives their lives meaning. Few people would object to this array of
life lessons. It is certainly more than I took away from the stories of killer
robots and conquering aliens that I enjoyed at his age.
Yet, it is one thing to privately enjoy such an animated
series, even one primarily aimed at young girls, it is another to project that
as part of your identity. Today, Alex proudly proclaims himself to be a Brony
to anyone who will listen and he has multiple t-shirts and ballcaps that
re-enforce this message. It is this more than anything, however, that has
caused me the most anxiety.
One thing I’ve learned as a parent is that you relive your
own childhood experience through your kid(s). I, for instance, had a difficult
time in the first years of grade school, so when Alex was about to embark on
that path I was beside myself with worry. He faced his own challenges, to be sure,
but my perception of those challenges was colored by my own experience.
Similarly, as he’s entered middle school, I’ve been afraid of how his Bronydom
will be perceived. I’m acutely aware of how cruel kids can be. I know what it’s
like to be ridiculed, bullied, and socially excluded. This is the last thing
that anyone wants for their child, so I was terrified about how he would be
perceived as he leapt from the little pond of primary school to the (somewhat)
bigger pond of middle school. What assumptions would people make? Would he be
marginalized?
So far, these fears have been unfounded. In fact, what makes
me immensely proud is that Alex is aware of the possibility of negative perception.
He knows full well that Bronies are misunderstood and mocked by mainstream
culture. Still, he goes on undeterred. None of this prevents him from putting
his Bronydom on full display as an ambassador of all things Equestrian. It also
helps that he has found friends that share the same appreciation.
ENTER THE BATTLEFIELD
More recently, our journey through geekdom has taken yet
another turn. For a while Alex had been hinting at getting into some sort of offline
gaming, in particular Warhammer. As I quickly discovered, this would be
an expensive proposition even to acquire the basis tools of gameplay. Again,
Netflix intervened, when we happened to watch the documentary Enter the
Battlefield, which explores the world of Magic: The Gathering, a
popular trading card came. This, it seemed to me, could be a less expensive
alternative. (Oh, how naïve I was at the time!). It also seemed like a good
father-son bonding activity that would get us both away from screens and out interacting
with other people. Soon we had acquired our first decks and began to learn the
many, many rules of MTG (as players tend to call it).
Eventually we felt confident enough to attend our first “Friday
Night Magic,” a weekly ritual at local gaming stores where players “gather” to
cast their favorite spells. Our first experience wasn’t so great. In the basement
of the downtown comic shop, we met a group of mostly twenty-something hardcore
players. As newbies, neither of us felt very comfortable and left after a
single round.
A few weeks later we learned of another group at a small
gaming shop closer to home. This turned out to be a far more positive
experience. The group was immediately welcoming, encouraging of beginners, as
well as generally fun and friendly. It was also a far more diverse demographic.
Although predominately male, it includes players from tweens to 40+. All of
them are united by their common devotion to the game regardless of economic
background, education level, sexual orientation, or linguistic profile. I’m impressed
by the degree to which they’ve taken Alex under their wings, as well as their
sheer intellectual prowess. These are extremely smart people. Many players can
effortlessly rhyme off the stats and abilities of hundreds of different Magic cards
and create intricate spell combinations resembling elegant mathematical
formulas. Such complexity and skill can be daunting. In fact, I’ve sometimes
thought of giving it up. It can be disheartening to have three university
degrees and the ability to read seven languages, yet still be bewildered by the
intricacies of a card game. As time goes on, I’ve come to appreciate this complexity and embrace it as a challenge. Also, I’ve come to appreciate that it’s
not only about the game, it’s also about the community. Like the Brony fandom,
MTG subculture is about building relationships with other people. That’s what
keeps Alex and I coming back.
***
It’s easy to dismiss geek culture or to criticize it as
childish, but I think this misses the point entirely. At its worst in certainly
can be insular and tribal, although at its best it can create community and
connection. Moreover, it can also serve as a bridge between the generations,
where parents and children can connect over a mutual interest. Most geek
subcultures involve some form of storytelling. For millennia people have told
each other stories that communicate their shared values, fears, and aspirations.
When past cultures have done this, we tend to call it mythology or epic. But
one thing’s for sure, such stories have always been passed down from one
generation to the next. In the past, it may have been the story of Troy. Today
it could be Middle Earth or the Marvel universe. Although the content may
change, the function remains the same.
So, next time you see
pictures of parents and children cosplaying at a Comicon, or attend one
yourself, don’t be too quick to judge. We all “geek out” over something, be it
our favorite sports team, TV show, hobby, or musical genre. We just haven’t
label those things in the same pejorative way. Geek and fandom cultures may not
always be easy to understand. Sometimes our biases, fears, and anxieties get in
the way. Mine certainly did. But happily, I overcame them. At the very least,
they teach us something important about the inner lives of children, as well as
those who remain children at heart.
Therefore, in honour of my own original geekdom, I'll let Rush end the reflection with some words of wisdom:
U2 are arguably the world's biggest "Christian" rock band. Christian, not in the tediously parochial WOW worship style, but, to put it another way, U2 are one of the world's biggest bands that just happens to be Christian. That an Irish band would be interested in religious questions is by no means surprising. To be sure, many popular musicians have private religious sympathies which are sometimes expressed in a public way, even in their music, but the pervasively profound yet understated spirituality of U2 is of an entirely different order. In fact, it is totally unique.
What's surprising is that U2's religiosity is curiously unknown to many, even those familiar with their music. Yet anyone who's inquired into their back story will understand that the band members met at Mount Temple, a north Dublin Christian school. If fact, as chronicled the classic biography of the band, spirituality seems to have been the band's primary motive early on, as well as a source of great tension with bassist Adam Clayton, the only non-religious member of the group.
IN TE DOMINE
U2's religious optic is somewhat obscured on their first album Boy (1980), which deals primarily with themes of maturity and relationship, but is on full display in their 1981 follow-up October, notably in songs such as "Gloria":
I try to sing this song
I I try to stand up
But I can't find my feet
I try, I try to speak up
But only in you I'm complete
Gloria in te domine
Gloria exultate
Gloria Gloria
Oh Lord, loosen my lips
Similar sentiments are expressed even more explicitely in other songs such as "Rejoice" and "With a Shout":
Shout, shout
With a shout, shout it out
Shout...shout it out...
I want to go
To the foot of the messiah
To the foot of he who made me see
To the side of a hill
Where we were still
We were filled
With our love
We're gonna be there again
Jerusalem Jerusalem
At appeared at this point that the band was indeed headed down the path of producing "Christian rock" in a more conventional sense. Fortunately, they took a more ambitious direction.
On 1983's decidedly more political War, the lyrical piety is more tempered but still evident, as in "Sunday Bloody Sunday," a song which itself deals an infamous case of sectarian religious violence, and pointedly asking: "Has the real battle yet begun / to claim the victory Jesus won?" The album also contains "40" a song based on Psalm 40 and that the band used frequently as a set closer.
I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He brought me up out of the pit
Out of the miry clay
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
Hymnic, biblical, and totally U2. The spiritual content of U2's early songs is sometimes a juxtaposition of frustration and elation; frustration with intolerance and religiously motivated violence, yet elation as the potentiality of divine encounter.
IN GOD'S COUNTRY
1984's Unforgettable Fire saw the band breaking new sonic territory, thanks to the production efforts of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. As we might expect, even though Bono suffered from a severe case of writer's block through much of the recording sessions, spiritual themes came to run alongside images of nuclear annihilation and drug addiction. "Pride", for instance, evokes the legacy of Martin Luther King (as does the closing track "MLK") while simultaneously referencing "one man betrayed with a kiss". It was in this period that they gave a now historic performance at 1985's Live Aid concert for African famine relief. This was an era when musicians wore their social conscience on their sleeves.
After a string of progressively impressive albums, it was in 1987 that U2 gained full control of their writing and performing abilities, releasing their first masterpiece The Joshua Tree. Although the title references a park in California, the name also has obvious biblical implications. The album opens with the majestically soaring "Where the Streets Have No Names." In this song, Bono can be heard striving for a state of mystical ecstasy beyond the reference points of language and location.
I wanna run, I want to hide
I wanna tear down the walls
That hold me inside.
I wanna reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name
Even more spiritually poignant is track two, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," a song which chronicles a desperate, but hopeful, search for the sacred amid darkness and confusion.
I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
I believe in the Kingdom Come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
But yes, I'm still running
You broke the bonds
And you loosed the chains
Carried the cross of my shame
Of my shame, you know I believe it
Other tracks from the album, such as "Bullet the Blue Sky" and "In God's Country" evoke more powerfully biblical imagery. The latter is a kind of Solomonic ode to sensuality in the holy aridity of the American wilderness.
After a period of extensive touring in support of the Joshua Tree, which was both a critical and commercial success, U2 released at live album and concert film called Rattle and Hum in 1988. Conceived by the band as a sort of love letter to Americana, some observers considered the project a misstep, although both the album and film remain beloved by many fans and contain a number of strong compositions. One in particular, "God Part 2", is in hindsight a clear foreshadowing of the band's radical re-invention in the early 90s. True to form, biblical references abound, especially in a collaboration with B.B. King.
FAR AWAY, SO CLOSE
Critical ambivalence about Rattle and Hum aside, there can be no denying that U2 released a second master-stroke with 1991's Achtung Baby. Arguably the band's crowning achievement, the album inaugurated a new era of musical experimentation and (as yet untapped) sexual energy. Although perhaps less overtly religious than previous releases, Achtung Baby nonetheless contains one of Bono's most darkly spiritual meditations--"Until the End of the World":
Haven't seen you in quite a while
I was down the hold just passing time
Last time we met was a low-lit room
We were as close together as a bride and groom
We ate the food, we drank the wine
Everybody having a good time
Except you, You were talking about the end of the world
I took the money
I spiked your drink
You miss too much these days if you stop to think
You lead me on with those innocent eyes
You know I love the element of surprise
In the garden I was playing the tart
I kissed your lips and broke your heart
You, You were acting like it was the end of the world
Love, love, love
In my dream I was drowning my sorrows
But my sorrows, they learned to swim
Surrounding me, going down on me
Spilling over the brim
Waves of regret and waves of joy
I reached out for the one I tried to destroy
You, you said you'd wait
'Til the end of the world
Recounting the betrayal of Jesus from the perspective of Judas, the song is both violent and sexy; qualities which aptly describe the epic multimedia extravaganza that became the subsequent ZooTV tour.
Achtung Baby's juxtaposition between spirit and flesh is also evident in the hugely popular video for "Mysterious Ways" filmed in Morocco. Again, the title has obvious spiritual implications.
Remarkably, as the Achtung Baby tour worn on, Bono's on-stage persona morphed into a character called "Macphisto", a demonic trickster fond of making prank phone calls. This, however, was not the only unexpected development. In 1993, while on tour, the band released Zooropa, in many ways a companion piece to Achtung Baby. The lead single, "Stay (Far Away, So Close)", rivals "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" in its longing spiritual pathos.
If I could stay, then the night would give you up.
Stay, and the day would keep its trust.
Stay with the demons you drowned.
Stay with the spirit I found.
Stay, and the night would be enough.
Three o'clock in the morning
It's quiet, there's no one around,
Just the bang and the clatter
As an angel runs to ground.
Just the bang and the clatter
As an angel hits the ground
Once again, a classic video accompanied the song, replete with angelic imagery filmed by "Wings of Desire" director Wim Wenders.
What's also notable about Zooropa is that it gives us the first inklings of spiritual desolation in U2's catalogue, as subtly expressed in "The First Time":
My father is a rich man
He wears a rich man's cloak
Gave me the keys to his kingdom coming
Gave me a cup of gold
He said I have many mansions
And there are many rooms to see
But I left by the back door
And I threw away the key
Similar sentiments are expressed in the stand-alone single from 1995 "Miss Sarajevo". As it happens, much of the ZooTV and Zooropa tours coincided with the Bosnian War. This track, produced in collaboration with late Italian opera singer Pavarotti, captures the confusion and despair of this brutally sectarian conflict.
Is there a time for first communion
A time for east 17
Is there a time to turn to Mecca
Is there a time to be a beauty queen
...
E non so pi pregare
E nell'amore non so pi sperare
E quell'amore non so pi aspettare
[And I cannot pray anymore
And I cannot hope in love anymore
And I cannot wait for love anymore]
After an extended hiatus, U2 returned in 1997 with Pop, once again considered a misstep by some, brilliant by others. It seemed to depend on whether one saw irony in the apparent commercialism surrounding the release. Nevertheless, Pop does contain two more highlights from U2's spiritual song book--"If God Will Send His Angels" and "Wake Up Dead Man," both of which continue the theme of spiritual desolation by powerfully evoking the apparent absence of God.
Jesus, Jesus help me
I'm alone in this world
And a fucked up world it is too
Tell me, tell me the story
The one about eternity
And the way it's all gonna be
Wake up, wake up dead man
Wake up, wake up dead man
Jesus, I'm waiting here boss
I know you're looking out for us
But maybe your hands aren't free
Your father, he made the world in seven
He's in charge of Heaven
Will you put a word in for me
Wake up, wake up dead man
Wake up, wake up dead man
These later songs display a lack of optimism and spiritual conviction that characterised early U2 efforts. On these tracks the band explores the depths of spiritual despair and alienation--to powerful effect.
WALK ON
2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind sees the band returned to form. As the title seems to imply, there's a searching for simplicity and essential value on this album--a sense of renunciation and loss. This is a sentiment we see in one of the standout tracks "Walk On", which in the live version ends with a powerful spiritual refrain.
All that you fashion
All that you make
All that you build
All that you break
All that you measure
All that you feel
All this you can leave behind
After another short break, U2 released How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, a sonic and lyrical extension of the previous release. Here, spiritual themes pervade songs such as "Miracle Drug" and "Yahweh", and continue to be expressed on subsequent albums.
***
As we can see, a deep spiritual sensibility can be discerned throughout much of U2's musical catalogue. Yet what is so remarkable about many such tracks is their often understated ambivalence. The listener is invited to take it or leave it. Those with no religious background might not even notice the spiritual imagery and themes, while those that do may enter into something deeper. It's entirely up to them. U2 does not overtly "evangelize" their audience, but allows them to pick up the themes as needed. Moreover, although ostensibly "Christian", the band's denominational orientation is left ambiguous. In fact, such sectarian divisions are set aside in favour universal themes of longing, alienation, love, and desire. They provide a positive, constructive, and accessible spiritual vision. One that isn't hung up on questions of doctrine or the politics of exclusion. In this way, it surely appeals to the "spiritual not religious" demographic. Those who search for meaning and encounter but do not necessarily fit into conventional religious categories. This, it seems, would at least partly explain the band's enormous and enduring appeal.
