1. Originally posted by robotsandmonkeys:[..]

    I always thought of it as a love song to a woman on television...possibly in a porno...where the viewer is able to control and freeze frame her via a remote control...coming from outerspace (via satellite)...but there is something semi dark and sinister about the relationship, but with a pop chime. That bright pop / dark undertone makes for a great song.


    Don't know if you guys know Every Breath You Take, by the Police?
    It's very much in the same vein:
    -a super creepy song about stalking by technology wrapped in sappy, poppy melodies.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Every_breath_you_take#Origins_and_songwriting

    Personally I love Babyface. Zooropa is bleak, dark and deliberately distasteful in lyrics and instrumentation at times: Brilliant! Babyface is an integral part of that atmosphere. It's one of many 5star songs on that album.

  2. I think you are right, the essence of the song is the contrast between major poppy sound (toy piano, playful vocals) and the deeper dark creepy meaning. That's why I never consider "Babyface" as a "catchy-pop-song-wanna-be" (like many U2 songs from recent albums starting from ATYCLB), to me it's a much more meaningful and serious effort than that
  3. If you look closely you will find a lot of cynical, almost negative lovesongs (for lack of a better word) in their more mature work:

    love comes tumbling
    trip through your wires
    hawkmoon 269
    love is blindness
    babyface
    do you feel loved?
    new york

    In other words "The blues", really...but musically these songs span the entire gamut of funk, goth, soul, blues, country, rock, new wave and pop.
    The contrast between content and format is most prominent in the latter form.

    Songs like New york, or LIB on the other hand are dark in both tone and content, so there's less of a disconnect.
    I've always found Beautiful Day a good example of this paradox as well, a bright rocking songs with very cynical lyrics, so ATYCLB isn't all happy, poppy fluff either.
  4. Well yeah, I agree, BD does not have happy content either and is a great song. But for me Babyface's lyrics are more subtle.
  5. So I was listening to this song today, and I couldn’t help notice but the part of the song where Bono sings

    Turning around and around
    With the sound and colour

    Under my control, go
    Round and around, going down

    Sounds like song for someone’s melody or has the vibe of it. Or is that just me?
  6. Originally posted by CrashCaderz:So I was listening to this song today, and I couldn’t help notice but the part of the song where Bono sings

    Turning around and around
    With the sound and colour

    Under my control, go
    Round and around, going down

    Sounds like song for someone’s melody or has the vibe of it. Or is that just me?
    Well spotted Identical to SFS's chorus almost note for note.
  7. I just think that albums AB, Zooropa & Pop are the most creative, complete and bold master pieces that U2 ever produced. The “problem” is that their other albums are also unique Set of excellent songs. Regarding this discussion, I Love Babyface, it has a fantastic echo sounding guitar, metalic drums, strong bass and Bono being Bono. What the world needs from U2 is Zooropa & Pop played in full, plus Drowning Man, Heartland and all the other songs never played live.
  8. lately this song has been growing on me, exceptional song and one of the most criative vocal lines from bono
  9. I'm in agreement - definitely been on rotation for me recently. The whole first side of the Zooropa album has in fact.

    Love the guitar and drum work.
  10. wow this one's really an underrated one, you can feel the sperimantal U2 Eno on this one. im sure that atleast Edge played this one even all alone in the past years. sadly this one wouldn't work in the past tours, only ZOOTV was appropriate for Babyface
  11. Definitely one of their underrated songs. Even amongst the people that rate the Zooropa album very highly I don’t think this one usually ranks too strong but it’s probably 5th best on the album for me behind 4 10/10 songs. Would love them to release a live version one day although it’s probably not realistic. They seemed to struggle with the song live, Bono’s vocal in particular didn’t know whether to sing it high or low but I think it’s last performance ended up being a good one and the most solid of the lot (London 20/08/93). Would be incredible if they brought it back in the future but very unlikely.
  12. the only 10/10 on Zooropa are Stay and The First Time, Dirty Day gets very close to 10