Dirty Day
Encyclopedia
"Dirty Day" is the ninth track on U2
's 1993 album, Zooropa
.
. The song was written about a character who leaves his family and returns years later to meet the son he abandoned. Many of the lyrics are taken from phrases that Bono
's father would use, including "I don't know you and you don't know the half of it", "No blood is thicker than ink", "Nothing's as simple as you think", and "It won't last kissing time." The title was inspired by another phrase Bono's father would use, "it's a dirty day".
The lyrics "these days, days, days run away like horses over the hill", repeated over the outro to the song, are quoted by Bono in tribute to Charles Bukowski
.
. With the Zoo TV effects, blue and yellow appeared in the background, and during the upbeat parts of the song, the stage was lit primarily by strobe lights. It includes a solo by The Edge not originally on the album. Larry Mullen's drum beat for the first verse is also slightly altered from the album version. The Edge played the song both with his Fender Stratocaster
and Gibson Les Paul
in the live setting. This performance can be seen on the video release Zoo TV: Live from Sydney
.
" single. Those were made by Musician and Producer Butch Vig
. The "Junk Day Mix" was featured as well on U2's compilation, The Best of 1990-2000
.
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's 1993 album, Zooropa
Zooropa
Zooropa Based on the pronunciations of "zoo" and "Europa". is the eighth studio album by rock band U2. Produced by Flood, Brian Eno, and The Edge, it was released on 5 July 1993 on Island Records. Inspired by the band's experiences on the Zoo TV Tour, Zooropa expanded on many of the tour's themes...
.
Recording and composition
"Dirty Day" originates from the band recording "live" jam performances in the studio during the Zooropa sessions on the band's break in the Zoo TV TourZoo TV Tour
The Zoo TV Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Staged in support of their 1991 album Achtung Baby, the tour visited arenas and stadiums from 1992 through 1993...
. The song was written about a character who leaves his family and returns years later to meet the son he abandoned. Many of the lyrics are taken from phrases that Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
's father would use, including "I don't know you and you don't know the half of it", "No blood is thicker than ink", "Nothing's as simple as you think", and "It won't last kissing time." The title was inspired by another phrase Bono's father would use, "it's a dirty day".
The lyrics "these days, days, days run away like horses over the hill", repeated over the outro to the song, are quoted by Bono in tribute to Charles Bukowski
Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural and economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles...
.
Live performances
The song was played live during every show of the band's Zoomerang leg during the Zoo TV TourZoo TV Tour
The Zoo TV Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Staged in support of their 1991 album Achtung Baby, the tour visited arenas and stadiums from 1992 through 1993...
. With the Zoo TV effects, blue and yellow appeared in the background, and during the upbeat parts of the song, the stage was lit primarily by strobe lights. It includes a solo by The Edge not originally on the album. Larry Mullen's drum beat for the first verse is also slightly altered from the album version. The Edge played the song both with his Fender Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
and Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
in the live setting. This performance can be seen on the video release Zoo TV: Live from Sydney
Zoo TV: Live From Sydney
Zoo TV: Live from Sydney is a concert video release by rock band U2 from the "Zoomerang" leg of their Zoo TV Tour. Recorded on Saturday, November 27, 1993 at Sydney Football Stadium on the band's featured stop in Sydney, Australia, it was released in May 1994 on VHS and Laserdisc, and re-released...
.
Remixes
Two remixes of the song, the "Bitter Kiss Mix" and the "Junk Day Mix", are on the band's 1997 "PleasePlease (U2 song)
"Please" is the eleventh song from U2's 1997 album, Pop. It was released as the album's fourth single on 20 October 1997.As with "Sunday Bloody Sunday", the song is about The Troubles in Northern Ireland. The single cover for this song features the pictures of four Northern Irish politicians —...
" single. Those were made by Musician and Producer Butch Vig
Butch Vig
Butch Vig is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the drummer of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of multi-platinum selling album Nevermind by Nirvana....
. The "Junk Day Mix" was featured as well on U2's compilation, The Best of 1990-2000
The Best of 1990-2000
The Best of 1990–2000 is the second greatest hits compilation album by Irish rock band U2. The album was released on 5 November 2002 by Island Records, except in the United States where the album was released on the Interscope label as a single-disc CD compilation...
.
General
- McCormick, Neil (ed), (2006). U2 by U2. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-00-719668-7