U2 » Tracks » Unknown Caller

U2 – Unknown Caller (6:03)

On No Line On The Horizon

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About This Track

“Unknown Caller” is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the fourth track on their 2009 album No Line on the Horizon. It was written from the perspective of a drug addict, who begins to receive bizarre text messages on his cellphone. The song was developed very early during the No Line on the Horizon sessions, and was recorded in a single take.
The No Line on the Horizon sessions began with two weeks of recording in Fez, Morocco. Recording took place in rented the courtyard of a hotel Riad, which the band turned into a makeshift recording studio. “Unknown Caller” was recorded in a single take in this time, along with the songs “No Line on the Horizon”, “Moment of Surrender”, and “White as Snow”. A few iterations of the track had previously been developed, but the “definitive version was only ever played once.” Guitarist The Edge noted that they “were songs that pretty much came together in the space of a couple of hours, and therefore probably were played in the final incarnation maybe once or twice.” Co-writer and producer Daniel Lanois noted that the song “pretty much had its personality intact from day one.” The open-air Riad allowed the band to hear the overhead birdsong during their sessions; this was taped and included in the introduction of the song.

In an interview with The Guardian, lead singer Bono stated that he became tired of writing in the first-person, noting that “I’d just worn myself out as a subject matter”; as a result he created several characters, including a traffic cop, a drug addict, and a soldier serving in Afghanistan.
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  • No Line On The Horizon
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  • Alejo_Valdez

    Spoko nuta :)

    March 2012

  • Septacle

    answer silly bee

    December 2011

  • Bralencar

    wow

    December 2011

  • Aero3k

    The Edge did an incredible job in this song.

    October 2011

  • hillers

    I don't understand the point of the French horns in this.

    August 2011

  • flashnukka

    This is so classic U2, melodically at least.

    April 2011

  • bistec54

    el recital en Marzo 2011 fue espectacular en Chile

    April 2011

  • portishphonic

    the edge, man, the edge.[2]

    March 2011

  • RadioVoice

    MITICI !!

    November 2010

  • jammyofstafford

    My favourite track off the album when they played this at The Wembley Stadium gig it blew me away i just adore Edge,s guitar solo on this

    November 2010

  • bistec54

    Una canciòn perfecta, como todo lo que hace U2

    October 2010

  • Tiago_Freitas

    Oh oh oh oh oh oh! Oh oh oh oh oh oh!

    October 2010

  • darth_pigeon

    one of my favorite u2 songs...Who cares if the lyrics are a little silly? What a super melody!!!

    September 2010

  • NavaF1

    This is awesome live!

    July 2010

  • Celestial_Sky

    Beau99 - completely agree with you. I kept skipping it on the CD. Heard it live and now it gets me choked up.

    June 2010

  • Jen420

    ♥

    May 2010

  • dalmascan

    it's amazing how the vocals and all the other instrumentals sound so heavy and dark, but once the chorus hits and those guitars come in, it's like light breaking the surface. the edge, man, the edge.

    May 2010

  • Jane-Margaret

    Love the birds sound at the beginning.....^^

    April 2010

  • gsm007g

    Saw them Unforgetable Fire Tour...NO Words...

    March 2010

  • miamigirlie

    ... free to go ...... but I can't move -- helpppppppppppppp

    February 2010
See all 132 shouts

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