Like A Song: Falling At Your Feet

The newest addition to @U2's "Like A Song" series of personal takes on U2 lyrics is a story about theodicy, forgiveness, and "Falling At Your Feet." (Actually not exactly a U2 lyric per se, but I pretty much count it as one.) The medical context of the piece and its framing as a prayer for grace in that context brought to mind something that had never occurred to me (focused as I always have been on how the words paraphrase Philippians 2), which is that "Falling at Your Feet" would have been written around the period where Bono thought he had throat cancer. Whatever the context, it is a lovely song and this is a heartfelt reflection.

update

A reader has emailed to point out that the audio of the Dylan review in the previous post is no longer available on YouTube.

"I thank thee, O Father, because thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes."

Hat tip to the @U2 blog for pointing out some recent posts to YouTube that document a very early phase in U2's history, radio interviews from before Boy. In addition to the one mentioned on their blog, the same user has posted the show where listeners are invited to pick the single for U2:3 -- as well as a two-part 1981 audio post which readers of this blog will also doubtless be motivated to check into. In it, Bono plays and reviews tracks from what was then Bob Dylan's new Christian album, Shot of Love with great enthusiasm and interest.

To a listener in 2008, it is hard not to notice that the themes of rebirth and starting over which are so prominent on U2's most recent album were already eliciting great energy from U2's lyricist in 1981. Part 1 of the Dylan review is here.

Africa update

There's an evocative and informative video of an interview with Bono (and Jamie Drummond) about the DATA agenda and its many successes in Africa over the past few years on the Guardian site, along with an article that profiles Drummond (more video on him here) in very interesting detail. The video's filmed during the liturgy at what one guesses is either a Catholic or an Anglican church in Tanzania (Tanzania has 9 million Catholics and 4 million Anglicans, so let's say, a little better than a 65% chance the place is Catholic).

Beliefnet does some googling

I'm not sure how long this has been there, but someone has pointed out to me that Beliefnet has a U23D related feature: a gallery of film stills combined with what they identify as "our favorite spiritual quotes and lyrics from the band" (the quotes are actually all, unfortunately, from Bono. Come on, guys. There are four of them. It's not that hard). The site also offers a link to Bono's Beliefnet interview from 8 years ago, which at the very least offers a head-spinning reminder of how much such interviews have changed since the year 2000.