Vertigo (U2 song)

"Vertigo"
Single by U2
from the album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
B-side "Are You Gonna Wait Forever?"
"Neon Lights"
Released 8 November 2004 (2004-11-08)
Format
Recorded 2003-2004 at HQ in Dublin, Ireland, and South of France
Genre Alternative rock
Length 3:11
Label Island, Interscope
Writer(s) U2 (music), Bono and The Edge (lyrics)
Producer(s) Steve Lillywhite
U2 singles chronology
"Electrical Storm"
(2002)		 "Vertigo"
(2004)		 "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own"
(2005)
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb track listing
"Vertigo"
(1)		 "Miracle Drug"
(2)
Music video
"Vertigo" on YouTube
Music sample
"Vertigo"

"Vertigo" is the opening track and first single from U2's 2004 album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. The single was released for airplay on 24 September 2004; upon release the song received extensive airplay and was an international hit, being featured in a popular iPod television advertisement.

It won "Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal", "Best Rock Song" and "Best Short Form Music Video" at the 2005 Grammy Awards.[1]

The song lent its name to the band's Vertigo Tour. The song ranked number 64 on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Best Songs of the Decade" and scored U2 their sixth UK number-one hit.[2]

Composition

In the case of 'Vertigo,' I was thinking about this awful nightclub we've all been to. You're supposed to be having a great time and everything's extraordinary around you and the drinks are the price of buying a bar in a Third World country. ...you're just looking around and you see big, fat Capitalism at the top of its mountain, just about to topple. It's that woozy, sick feeling of realizing that here we are, drinking, eating, polluting, robbing ourselves to death. And in the middle of the club, there's this girl. She has crimson nails. I don't even know if she's beautiful, it doesn't matter but she has a cross around her neck, and the character in this stares at the cross just to steady himself.[3]
— Bono, U2 by U2

During the Hot to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb recording sessions, "Vertigo" was originally recorded as a song called "Full Metal Jacket". Bono said during a webchat that the song was "the mother of all rock 'n' roll tunes. I don't know where it came from but it's a remarkable guitar thing. You want to hear it - it's a reason to make a record. The song is that good!"[4] The title was later changed to "Native Son". The lyrics in this iteration are about a native man who was against his country due to his lack of freedoms, an idea originally inspired by Leonard Peltier.[5][6] The song went through several different musical and lyrical arrangements, but the band struggled to find a version they liked. Steve Lillywhite was brought in to try to find a mix that worked while Bono took a break from the album sessions; on his return, Lillywhite asked him if he would be able to sing the "Native Son" lyrics in front of an audience, and Bono found the experience too uncomfortable. New lyrics were written and Lillywhite helped the band rearrange the song. It was at this point that the song was rewritten into "Vertigo."[7][8] At 3:08 long, "Native Son" is just a few seconds short of the run time of "Vertigo." The track has since been released on the digital album Unreleased and Rare, which was only available through purchasing the entire digital box set, The Complete U2, as well as the album Medium, Rare & Remastered.

U2 performed "Vertigo" in a television commercial for the Apple iPod as part of a cross-marketing plan to promote both the album and Apple's music products (especially the U2 Special Edition iPod and the iTunes Music Store's exclusive digital box set for U2, The Complete U2).

At the beginning of the song, Bono counts off in Spanish "Unos, dos, tres, catorce!"[9] In English, this translates to "some, two, three, fourteen!"[10] When asked about this oddity in an interview for Rolling Stone, Bono replied "there may have been some alcohol involved".[11] Some sources have suggested that as the first words spoken on the album, the lyrical choice was a deliberate nod to Exodus 3:14 (the first Testament (Old) of the Christian Bible, second book, third chapter, fourteenth verse), whereby after Moses asks God's name, God responds "I Am that I Am". This theory is supported by the fact the final track on the How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb album is titled "Yahweh", another name for the Christian and Hebrew god.[12]

The count off was parodied by novelty singer Richard Cheese on his version of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" on his 2005 album Aperitif for Destruction.

A Spanish reply of "¡Hola!" is also heard behind the "Hello, hello" of the refrain, as well as "¿Dónde está?" ("Where is it?" or "Where is he?" depending upon if this is intended as a question to the location of Vertigo or Bono himself) after the line "I'm at a place called Vertigo". The "Hello, hello" line itself is reminiscent of similar lyrics in the song "Stories for Boys" from U2's debut album Boy; in Vertigo Tour concerts, the band frequently included a section of the latter song in their performances of "Vertigo." These concerts have also sometimes featured "Vertigo" played twice, once early in the show and again as a final encore; this also looks back to U2's early days, when they did not have enough songs to fill out an entire performance and had to repeat some at the end.

Commercial performance

Upon release, "Vertigo" debuted at number 18 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the following weeks, the track jumped to number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, moved from number 27 to number three on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and from number 35 to number nine on the Adult Top 40. It also debuted at number one on the Hot Digital Tracks chart and, after falling to number 4, returned to the top position. The track later moved into the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 31. It spent 20 weeks on the chart.[13][14] At the time of the song's release, Billboard did not count digital downloads as part of a single's overall sales. "Vertigo" recorded strong digital sales, and had these been incorporated into physical sales and airplay, would have seen a much stronger placing on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In the United Kingdom, the song moved from BBC Radio 1's B-list in the first week of its airplay release to the A-list in the second week. The song was released commercially on 15 November, and debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, and remained there for one week. In total, it spent nine weeks in the top 40.

In Australia, the track debuted at number five on the ARIA Charts, and was ranked number 38 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004. In the Netherlands, "Vertigo" reached number two on the Mega Top 100.

In Brazil, the single went gold with more than 50,000 downloads.[15]

The digital single holds a Gold status in the United States.

Music video

The video for the song features U2 performing in a featureless desert as black jet streams emit from behind each band member; on the ground is a huge white bulls-eye symbol used as a motif for the album graphics. The circular platform that the band performs on constantly elevates up and down in a spiral pattern, as the wind blows the band's face. It was directed by the team of Alex & Martin. It was recorded in Punta Del Fangar (Ebro Delta), in Spain.

Track listings

7" and 12" vinyl singles

CD and DVD singles

Personnel

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2004–05) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[19] 5
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[20] 4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[21] 16
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[22] 9
Canadian Singles Chart 2
Denmark (Tracklisten)[23] 1
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[24] 2
France (SNEP)[25] 12
Germany (Official German Charts)[26] 9
Irish Singles Chart[27] 1
Italy (FIMI)[28] 1
Japanese Singles Chart 10
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[29] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[30] 2
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[31] 5
Norway (VG-lista)[32] 2
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[33] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[34] 2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[35] 6
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[36] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[37] 31
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[38] 9
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[39] 1
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[40] 8
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[41] 3
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[42] 35
US Pop 100 (Billboard)[43] 10
US Top 40 Tracks (Billboard)[43] 37

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Brazil (ABPD)[44] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] Silver 200,000^
United States (RIAA)[46] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Covers

Nathaniel Willemse released a cover version of Vertigo as his debut single in 2008, after having performed it on Australian Idol series four in 2006.[47]

Bon Jovi performed a snippet of the song during Bad Medicine on their 2011 Live 2011.

References

  1. ↑ Grammy.com
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ McCormick, Neil (2006). U2 by U2 : Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr. (1. US ed., 1. UK ed.). London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-077675-6.
  4. ↑ http://www.hotpress.com/U2/news/Exclusive-U2-talk-about-the-new-album/2621431.html
  5. ↑ Carl Uebelhart. ":: Native Son - HTDAAB Outtake Lyrics by U2 Wanderer.Org ::". U2wanderer.org. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
  6. ↑ "Cross: The Ongoing History of New Music - "Demo Versions: How Song Are Born"". Edge102.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2008. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
  7. ↑ Cross, Alan (18 September 2009). "U2's "Vertigo"". The Ongoing History of New Music. ExploreMusic. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
  8. ↑ McCormick, Neil (ed), (2006). U2 by U2. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-00-719668-7
  9. ↑ "Lyrics: Vertigo". U2.com. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  10. ↑ "English Translation of "un" | Collins Spanish English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  11. ↑ U2 Dissect "Bomb", David Fricke, Rolling Stone, December 2004 Archived 4 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ Walk on: The Spiritual Journey of U2, Second Edition, Relevant Books, 2005.
  13. ↑ "U2 Vertigo @ Top40-Charts.com - Songs & Videos from 49 Top 20 & Top 40 Music Charts from 30 Countries". Top40-charts.com. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  14. ↑ Vertigo at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
  15. ↑ "Associaусo Brasileira de Produtores de Disco". ABPD. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  16. ↑ Vertigo (7" single). U2. United States: Interscope Records. 2004. B0003580-21.
  17. ↑ Vertigo (12" single). U2. United Kingdom: Island Records. 2004. 12IS878 / 986 856-7.
  18. ↑ Vertigo (12" single). U2. United Kingdom: Island Records. 2004. 12IS886 / 987 025-2.
  19. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – U2 – Vertigo". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  20. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – U2 – Vertigo" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  21. ↑ "Ultratop.be – U2 – Vertigo" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  22. ↑ "Ultratop.be – U2 – Vertigo" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  23. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – U2 – Vertigo". Tracklisten. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  24. ↑ "U2: Vertigo" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  25. ↑ "Lescharts.com – U2 – Vertigo" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  26. ↑ "Musicline.de – U2 Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  27. ↑ "Irish Singles Chart". The Irish Charts. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-23. Note: U2 must be searched manually.
  28. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – U2 – Vertigo". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  29. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – U2 search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  30. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – U2 – Vertigo" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  31. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – U2 – Vertigo". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  32. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – U2 – Vertigo". VG-lista. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  33. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – U2 – Vertigo" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  34. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – U2 – Vertigo". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  35. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – U2 – Vertigo". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  36. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2004-11-20" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  37. ↑ "U2 – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for U2. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  38. ↑ "U2 – Chart history" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for U2. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  39. ↑ "U2 – Chart history" Billboard Alternative Songs for U2. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  40. ↑ "U2 – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for U2. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  41. ↑ "U2 – Chart history" Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs for U2. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  42. ↑ "U2 – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for U2. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  43. 1 2 "U2: Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
  44. ↑ "Certificações de U2". ABPD. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  45. ↑ "British single certifications – U2 – Vertigo". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 June 2014. Enter Vertigo in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  46. ↑ "American single certifications – U2 – Vertigo". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 7 June 2014. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  47. ↑ "Nathaniel Willemse Interview". Girl.com.au. Retrieved 31 December 2013. Rising star Nathaniel Willemse is set to launch his debut single "Vertigo" in January 2008 ... Nathaniel made "Vertigo" his own when he performed his laid-back soul version of the U2 hit on Australian Idol 2006,
Preceded by
"Just Lose It" by Eminem		 UK number one single
14 November 2004 		Succeeded by
"I'll Stand by You" by Girls Aloud
Preceded by
"American Idiot" by Green Day		 Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single
6 November 2004 		Succeeded by
"Pain" by Jimmy Eat World
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