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"I'm a minimalist at heart. If a song doesn't need a solo, I'm not going to force one into it." -- Edge |
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"I'm a minimalist at heart. If a song doesn't need a solo, I'm not going to force one into it." -- Edge |
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Like a Song: MLK
@U2,
February 27, 2008
[Ed. note: This is the sixteenth in a series of personal essays by the @U2 staff about songs and/or albums that have had great meaning or impact in our lives.]
 Dreams have been a powerful force for as long as we have been on this planet, and they have helped shape many ancient civilizations. Although many cultures no longer look upon dreams as important, they are still important to many on a personal level. Maybe that is why many people refer to their hopes, plans and visions as dreams. Dreams are powerful, mystical, and they speak to our core being. We ignore them at our own peril. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. Born in America, he lived in a time and place where the concept of civil rights was still not widely accepted. Preaching nonviolent protest as the tool to draw attention to his cause of equality for all, Dr. King traveled extensively and spoke at numerous events and gatherings in an effort to further encourage change. While civil rights had been legalized almost a century earlier in the United States, there were many pockets of resistance, especially in the Deep South. Some elements of the government even considered Dr. King and his message a threat. Despite this controversy and the threats made against him, Dr. King continued forward on his march to achieve equality for everyone regardless of the color of their skin. Knowing that he and his cause were hated by some, and knowing that his life was in danger for the cause he espoused, Dr. King was still able to speak these words on Aug. 28, 1963, during his famous "I Have a Dream" speech: "Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force." Pursuing his dream of equality for all in the most selfless way imaginable, Dr. King's life was eventually taken. Fortunately, his dream inspired many others to pick up where he left off. Sitting here 45 years later, it gives us hope that his dream draws ever closer to reality when a man like Barack Obama can be a realistic and valid candidate for the office of president of the United States. Like ancient cultures and Dr. King, who both used dreams to shape their world, I also have dreams. Like all of these people, my dreams concern myself, my loved ones and the greater good -- at least as I see it. Some dreams seem to be at odds with each other and create an inner struggle. I dream of becoming less materialistic while another dream is that those closest to me have everything they need. I dream of strengthening the areas of myself that I find lacking while also dreaming of not becoming a self-absorbed person. I dream of a world where justice and equality create an atmosphere of respect for all while struggling not to be drawn in to the corporate world where self-promotion is required to move ahead. Finding the proper balance is very difficult. Sometimes it seems that these things are only possible when I sleep. "MLK" is the final song on The Unforgettable Fire. It starts with an organ holding one chord. The chord clearly started before I got there. Perhaps it has been there throughout time. The volume comes up slowly to envelop me in a cocoon of comforting sound. It is a place where I can let down the walls I put up throughout the day to protect myself. I trust that nothing bad can happen here. Sleep Sleep tonight A voice beckons from deep within the sanctuary built here. He is drawing deep breaths and stretching syllables as one might experience in a dream state. Soothingly, he addresses me. I am invited to sleep knowing that I must set aside all of my life concerns in order to re-energize for the next day. I am invited to sleep tonight because I must go through this cycle every day to stay healthy and to take on daily challenges with the greatest chance of success. Some days, letting go of the day can be a huge challenge. Whether the day went so well that I don't want it to end or it went so poorly that it can't end soon enough, letting go can be difficult. Nothing is permanent. I need to trust in that and not get tied to the day regardless of how it went. And may your dreams Be realized The realization of a dream is one of life's great payoffs. I remember the first time I saw an article of mine in a national magazine. I wanted to run around the book store I was in to show everyone and tell them that this was me. The invitation to have this level of joy in my life is there every day, but accepting it can be difficult when things are going poorly. If the thunder cloud Passes rain So let it rain Rain down on him I see obstacles all the time as I try to realize my dreams. Some seem large and some seem small, but the reality is that they are only as big as I allow them to become. My attitude must remain positive no matter what. I know that obstacles are temporary and that dreams can only be reached after much struggle. This, too, shall pass. That can be hard for me to see. Mmmmmmm So let it be Mmmmmmm So let it be The humming that accompanies the lyrics is critical to the song and the tone being set. Whether seen as a parent comforting a child or an adult bonding with their significant other, this warm sound describes without words the depth of the relationship between speaker and listener. The organ changes to a deeper chord. It implores me to trust the words being sung at an even deeper level. It reaches beyond intelligence to my very core. I am told to let it be. Don't attack those who would do what they can to prevent me from reaching my dreams. I'm guilty of temporarily setting aside my dreams and instead detouring to consider enforcing some type of retribution on someone I feel has hurt me. Though I've never carried it out, the time taken to contemplate this is a negative use of energy that serves no useful purpose and hurts only me. I hope that one day I'll get past this. The song continues with a repeat of the first verse. It is repeated like a mantra or a prayer is repeated because the words are sacred or spiritual. It is repeated so the lesson can be learned. It is repeated to give me the power to accept the words as truth when I am searching to grab on to something stationary while everything seems to float away in my life. It is repeated to be a shield from all that might hurt me while I sleep after a long and arduous day. It is repeated as a lullaby is repeated to the child inside me so that I can find comfort in the symmetry of the pattern and relax enough to enter into peaceful sleep. The lyrics come to an end, but the greater force symbolized by the organ remains behind as a point of reference. It was there before I was there and it will be there after I am gone. It is time. It is the universe. It is the human spirit. It is the sum of all dreams. I know that I am a small piece in the infinite jigsaw puzzle of life, but I have an important part to play. And if I'm lucky, I may just realize another dream along the way. © @U2/Hebert, 2008.
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