Song of the Day (8/29/06)

U2 - Walk On (2001)

You know, with all the crazy Sept. 11 conspiracy theorists out there pointing the finger at everyone that might have had something to benefit from the terrorist attacks, I'm surprised no one has mentioned U2. I mean, less than a year before the attacks, the band releases their All That You Can't Leave Behind album which was just chalk full of "Your dog was just run over but let me hold your hand and we'll get through this together" songs. There's even a track on there titled New York.

So what happens on the heels of Sept. 11? The band sells out arenas across the world, wins Grammys, plays the SuperBowl, and once again becomes the biggest musical act in the world.

Timing is everything.

I've been a fan of U2 for years. But it took this song, released in the early months of 2001, for me to buy what will become perhaps their most relevant album.

This performance is from the post-9/11 live fundraiser, America: A Tribute to Heroes, which was syndicated throughout the world on Friday, Sept. 21, 2001.

I liked the song before but this version floored me. It was an emotional period and no one seemed to express it better at the time than Dublin's Fab Four.



I was extremely fortunate to see U2 perform at the Baltimore Civic Center about a month later, Oct. 19. Their closing set featured One, while the names of all those onboard the four hijacked plans scrolled up a giant screen behind the stage, and then finished with a version of Walk On very similar to the above performance.

Well worth the high ticket broker price I paid to get a floor seat.