Music

Lyrics From U2 & Green Day “The Saints are Coming” Live Version

I was wondering if the original lyrics had been altered for the live performance of “The Saints are Coming” by Green Day and U2 at the Superdome last September, and finally they have published those lyrics on the U2.com site. The changes are subtle, but meaningful (in that they speak directly to the Hurricane Katrina aftermath tradgedy). The new lyric is “When the night watchman lets in the thief, what’s wrong now?” And, of course the house of the Rising Sun lead in was “new” - In fact, my recollection is that when they sang the live version, they replaced “Rising Sun” with “Superdome”, which was also meaningful to the situation.

There is also a ‘rap’ Bono inserts before A drowning sorrow floods the deepest grief… that goes like this:
New birth, rebirth, (Trombone Shorty),
Livin like birds in the magnolia trees, child on a rooftop,
Mother on her knees, her sign reads - Please, I am an American!

The Saints Are Coming - Live
There is a house in New Orleans
They call the (Rising Sun) Superdome
It’s been the ruin of many a poor boy
God, I know I’m one

I cried to my daddy on the telephone, how long now
Until the clouds unroll and you come home, the line went
But the shadows still remain since your descent, your descent

I cried to my daddy on the telephone, how long now
Until the clouds unroll and you come home, the line went
But the shadows still remain since your descent, your descent

The saints are coming, the saints are coming
I say no matter how I try, I realise there’s no reply
The saints are coming, the saints are coming
I say no matter how I try, I realise there’s no reply

A drowning sorrow floods the deepest grief, how long now
Until a weather change condemns belief, how long now
When the night watchman lets in the thief, what’s wrong now?

The saints are coming, the saints are coming
I say no matter how I try, I realise there’s no reply
The saints are coming, the saints are coming

I say no matter how I try, I realise there’s no reply
I say no matter how I try, I realise there’s no reply
I say no matter how I try, I realise there’s no reply

You can still watch the video of the entire live performance (it was really good), and buy the song (proceeds go to Music Rising) at the Rhapsody.com site.

© 2006 Life is an Ongoing Process.