This is lyrically a better song.
The guitar work and the composition is very much like Mercy in the verses.
It builds in that classic U2 way, much like the Mercy demo does so well.
I love the album version too but this is the right blend of melancholy and joy.
I remember Nuno saying Little Things evolved from Mercy during the JT2017 rehearsals and I was confused when I heard the final song and it had very little similarity. I was actually thinking about that just the other day and laughed to myself about how wild a conclusion that had been.
It all makes a lot more sense in light of the demo!
Wow! This was quite lovely to hear! It’s one of those Bono vs Edge songs… but in a good way. Like they are paying to each other and trying to outplay the other as if they are battling.