Jaylynn Lyons
U2
‘Beautiful Day’
All That You Can’t Leave Behind
4.08
Bono isn’t just good, he is extraordinary. He spends considerable time writing music that expresses ideas, thoughts, and emotions significant to his audience and the world. Bono weaves in personal stories and writes songs for his audience allowing them to reflect on their own lives to share a memory of their own. The song opens up with the unique sound of a reverberating electric piano playing over a string synthesizer which immediately lights me up when recognizing that it is my favorite song of all time. Bono wrote ‘Beautiful Day’ to speak to those who feel hopeless, stuck, or out of luck, but still finding joy in life.
Life seems to have come to a stop. The house felt quieter; no yelling. I sense peace but feel sadness. I think to myself, where’s my dad?I’m in the car with my mom listening to U2 when ‘Beautiful Day’ begins to play. The perfect reminder that the human spirit cannot be smothered but can be protected in hard times. It’s important to realize that life is hard and can feel like we have no room to share it with anyone else, however, having a friend can increase your sense of belonging and purpose to help you realize that it is a beautiful day. The chorus electrifies the car with my mom and I both screaming out the lyrics thinking about nothing but the verses to follow. The upbeat rhythm strengthens the powerful lyrics throughout the song making it uplifting and optimistic. The ineffable beauty of the song is moving to those struck by disaster such as those a part of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This song exemplifies hope that can be absorbed by a community or individual experiencing a low which for me was my parents’ divorce. Pain is proof of life since it reminds us there are things in our lives that aren’t perfect. It is crucial to be thankful for what you do have and celebrate that there is so much to live for. It’s a beautiful day. Don’t let the day be taken from you. Appreciate what is in front of you and soak in all of life’s beauties. Concentrate on the present and don’t let the past haunt you. Accept it and move forward.
The world is against me. I’ll never be happy. Thoughts that have circled around my head over and over. God, show me the beauty in the world. Take me to that other place. Teach me. He tells me I am not a hopeless case. I catch myself looking out the window subtly seeing my reflection but taken away by the colors and beauty of Seattle Washington.
See the world in green and blue
See the mountains right in front of you
See rainier broken by clouds
See the salmon fleets clearing the sea out
See the stars shining at night
See the needle at first light
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood all of the colors came out
This line references the story of Noah from the Bible. The flood resembles a period of depression but the bird with a leaf in its mouth brings content to the people and the rainbow after the flood is God’s promise that it would not happen again. It was a beautiful day.
I understand why he is gone. There is an end to this darkness. Years have gone by, and I know that I am close to that other place. Good days, bad days, I want to find myself in that place of love, happiness, and prosperity. At the end of the song, Bono encourages everyone through his lyrics to be happy and realize that it’s a beautiful day despite the things you may not have. Human nature is to desire things that we can’t have or don’t have. It is time to start to live in an effortless and authentic way, not wishing for what you don’t need.
If a flower can survive and flourish in inhospitable conditions, I can to. He isn’t here for a reason. I am happy, I am loved, I am complete. We all have an astonishing capacity to make progress, to find hope, and to absorb all of the beauty in the world. It is up to us to choose how we interpret and reflect upon what is around us. Everything we need to make it a beautiful day is right in front of us. Now I wake up every morning, and it’s a beautiful day.
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