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“Running to Stand Still” is the fifth track from U2’s 1987 album, The Joshua Tree. It is a soft, slow, piano-based song about a heroin-addicted woman from the Ballymun Seven Towers area of Dublin, shown in the lyric “I see seven towers/But I only see one way out.” The woman’s addiction is reflected in lines such as “She runs through the streets/With her eyes painted red” and “She will suffer the needle chill.” Bono’s lyrics evoke helplessness and frustration: “You’ve got to cry without weeping, talk without speaking, scream without raising your voice.”
Throughout its live history, “Running to Stand Still” has nearly always followed “Bullet the Blue Sky”, matching the order they appear on the album, as well. It was first played live on the Joshua Tree Tour, with The Edge playing keyboards and Bono playing guitar, usually acoustic. It was played this way until the Zoo TV Tour, when it was significantly altered. In these shows, The Edge played guitar on his Fender Stratocaster while Bono sang the song on the B-stage with a headset microphone, acting like a heroin addict. It was not played on the PopMart Tour or Elevation Tour, but it returned to U2 concerts in the 2005 Vertigo Tour, with the original combination of Edge on keyboards and Bono on guitar. During most of its performance on the Vertigo Tour, it was followed by a reading of some of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; after July 2005, it was replaced in that role by “Miss Sarajevo.
Throughout its live history, “Running to Stand Still” has nearly always followed “Bullet the Blue Sky”, matching the order they appear on the album, as well. It was first played live on the Joshua Tree Tour, with The Edge playing keyboards and Bono playing guitar, usually acoustic. It was played this way until the Zoo TV Tour, when it was significantly altered. In these shows, The Edge played guitar on his Fender Stratocaster while Bono sang the song on the B-stage with a headset microphone, acting like a heroin addict. It was not played on the PopMart Tour or Elevation Tour, but it returned to U2 concerts in the 2005 Vertigo Tour, with the original combination of Edge on keyboards and Bono on guitar. During most of its performance on the Vertigo Tour, it was followed by a reading of some of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; after July 2005, it was replaced in that role by “Miss Sarajevo.
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Correre per stare fermi. Bellissimo titolo di una altrettanto bella canzone dei grandissimi U2. Tratta da The Joshua Tree, non è una canzone molto conosciuta dai non appassionati dato che non è mai…
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Albums featuring this track
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The Joshua Tree
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Shouts
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kite1975 wrote:
one of their best songs ....
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ElectricGod wrote:
this is probably the best U2 song ever, although thats hard to decide...
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aloismockbarbar wrote:
tremendum et fascinosum.... don´t stop....
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Sizzyneck wrote:
das war liebe auf den ersten ton! was für ein song, was für lyrics - das ist wirklich ein meisterwerk an musik, kunst und leidenschaft!
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PronkJesper wrote:
The Elbow cover is wonderful, just as the original version!
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Hambonedk wrote:
Hands down the most eerily beautiful U2 song ever!
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Lapa77 wrote:
I don't think I'll ever get tired of listening to this song!
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TiagoManuel wrote:
Perfeita.
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ashaangel wrote:
You got to cry without weeping Talk without speaking Scream without raising your voice
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gungh0 wrote:
great lyrics
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Pato1972 wrote:
OMG how can they do everithing perfect?
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JF88 wrote:
This song is perfect! beautiful piano and lyrics.
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morle13 wrote:
Einfach Hammer!!!
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Terrasidius wrote:
Yes yes yes yes! Excellent, always loved this one.
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pao_de_LOL wrote:
you just can't compare this piece of art with that new album :(
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dp_glono wrote:
I still love this song. I can't help it.
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mrdustin wrote:
My absolute most favorite song of all. By anyone. Ever.
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AliBono74 wrote:
oh what a great great song!!!
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Richowe wrote:
"...I see seven towers, but I only see one way out....."
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FranziAtVertigo wrote:
I love it, especially on the vertigo tour dvd, it's amazing there!!!! <3
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Recent Activity
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NCFlyman added Running To Stand Still to his Loved Tracks. 4 hours ago
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NCFlyman added Running To Stand Still to NCFlyman’s library. 4 hours ago
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minoe54 tagged U2 – Running To Stand Still with beautiful, rock, 80s and one other tag. yesterday evening
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minoe54 added Running To Stand Still to his Loved Tracks. yesterday evening
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kite1975 tagged U2 – Running To Stand Still with masterpieces and u2. yesterday evening
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kite1975, va_G, gaia_sca and 3 other people loved U2 – Running To Stand Still. yesterday evening
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kathereibe tagged Running To Stand Still with ‘80s’. Thursday morning
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eowyn797, philipwb, Afromob and 1 other person loved U2 – Running To Stand Still. Wednesday morning
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wsopAntipop added Running To Stand Still to the playlist Loved tracks!. Sunday evening
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