"
MLK" is the tenth and final song from
U2U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
's 1984 album,
The Unforgettable FireThe Unforgettable Fire is the fourth studio album by Irish rock band U2, released in 1984. Far more ambient and abstract than the hard-hitting War, it was at the time the band’s most marked change in direction, featuring atmospheric sounds and lyrics Bono has described as "sketches". The album...
. A
lullabyA lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive...
to honor
Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the African-American civil rights movement. His main legacy was to secure progress on civil rights in the United States and he is frequently referenced as a human rights icon today. King is recognized as a martyr...
, it is a short, pensive piece with simple lyrics. It was because of this song, along with "
Pride (In the Name of Love)"Pride " is the second track from U2's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire, and was released as the album's lead single in September 1984. Written about Martin Luther King, Jr., "Pride" is one of the band's most recognized songs, and appeared as the opening track on the compilation The Best of...
", another tribute to King, that earned
BonoPaul David Hewson, KBE , most commonly known by his stage name Bono, is an Irish singer and musician, 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 future wife,...
the highest honor of the
King CenterKing Center may refer to:*Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site - Atlanta, Georgia*Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts - Melbourne, Florida...
, an organization founded by
Coretta Scott KingCoretta Scott King was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.Mrs...
.
Its live debut was on 18 October 1984 as an intro to "
The Unforgettable Fire"The Unforgettable Fire" is the fourth track on U2's 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire. It was released as the album's second single in April 1985. The song was inspired by an art exhibition of the same name by victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki...
", and the two songs were performed together at almost all
Unforgettable Fire TourThe Unforgettable Fire Tour was a concert tour by Irish rock band U2, which took place in 1984 and 1985 in support of group's album The Unforgettable Fire.-Itinerary:...
shows and most
Joshua Tree TourThe Joshua Tree Tour was a concert tour by the Irish rock band U2, which took place during 1987, in support of their album The Joshua Tree.-Itinerary:...
shows.
"
MLK" is the tenth and final song from
U2U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
's 1984 album,
The Unforgettable FireThe Unforgettable Fire is the fourth studio album by Irish rock band U2, released in 1984. Far more ambient and abstract than the hard-hitting War, it was at the time the band’s most marked change in direction, featuring atmospheric sounds and lyrics Bono has described as "sketches". The album...
. A
lullabyA lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive...
to honor
Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the African-American civil rights movement. His main legacy was to secure progress on civil rights in the United States and he is frequently referenced as a human rights icon today. King is recognized as a martyr...
, it is a short, pensive piece with simple lyrics. It was because of this song, along with "
Pride (In the Name of Love)"Pride " is the second track from U2's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire, and was released as the album's lead single in September 1984. Written about Martin Luther King, Jr., "Pride" is one of the band's most recognized songs, and appeared as the opening track on the compilation The Best of...
", another tribute to King, that earned
BonoPaul David Hewson, KBE , most commonly known by his stage name Bono, is an Irish singer and musician, 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 future wife,...
the highest honor of the
King CenterKing Center may refer to:*Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site - Atlanta, Georgia*Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts - Melbourne, Florida...
, an organization founded by
Coretta Scott KingCoretta Scott King was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.Mrs...
.
Live
Its live debut was on 18 October 1984 as an intro to "
The Unforgettable Fire"The Unforgettable Fire" is the fourth track on U2's 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire. It was released as the album's second single in April 1985. The song was inspired by an art exhibition of the same name by victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki...
", and the two songs were performed together at almost all
Unforgettable Fire TourThe Unforgettable Fire Tour was a concert tour by Irish rock band U2, which took place in 1984 and 1985 in support of group's album The Unforgettable Fire.-Itinerary:...
shows and most
Joshua Tree TourThe Joshua Tree Tour was a concert tour by the Irish rock band U2, which took place during 1987, in support of their album The Joshua Tree.-Itinerary:...
shows. However, by the end of the Joshua Tree Tour, the band started to use "MLK" to precede other songs, especially "
One Tree Hill"One Tree Hill" is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the ninth track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree. It was released as the album's fifth single exclusively in New Zealand in March 1988, where it became the band's third #1 in that country. The song was written in memory of lead singer Bono's...
", and it continued in this capacity on the
Lovetown TourThe Lovetown Tour was a concert tour by the Irish rock band U2, which took place in late 1989 and early 1990.-Itinerary:It was limited in scope, but did try to reach places that their 1987 Joshua Tree Tour had missed, all the while avoiding the United States entirely.The tour's opening night was on...
. It failed to appear on the
Zoo TV TourThe Zoo TV Tour was an elaborately-staged worldwide concert tour by Irish rock band U2. Launched in support of the album Achtung Baby, the tour visited arenas and stadiums from 1992 through 1993...
but returned to the setlist on the
PopMart TourThe PopMart Tour, often referred to as simply PopMart, was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 1997 album, Pop, the tour's concerts were performed in stadiums and parks from 1997 through 1998...
, especially after the deaths of
Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. Their sons, Princes William and Harry, are second and third in line to the thrones of the United Kingdom and fifteen other Commonwealth Realms.A public figure from the announcement of her engagement to Prince Charles, Diana...
and
Michael HutchenceMichael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian singer-songwriter, most famous for his work with rock band INXS.- Early life and career :...
. It went into another hiatus after PopMart, missing the entire
Elevation TourThe Elevation Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind, the tour visited arenas in 2001. After the band's previous two extravagant stadium tours, Zoo TV and PopMart, the Elevation Tour returned the...
, but was notably performed as the intro to "Where the Streets Have No Name" at U2's appearance during the
Super BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League, the premier association of professional American football. In most years, the Super Bowl is the most-watched American television broadcast. Many popular singers and musicians have performed during the event’s pre-game and...
halftime show in 2002. After the death of
Rosa ParksRosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African American civil rights activist whom the U.S. Congress later called the "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement."...
, it made five
Vertigo TourThe Vertigo Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, the visited arenas and stadiums from 2005 through 2006. The Vertigo Tour consisted of five legs that alternated between indoor arena shows in North...
appearances; in all five instances, it was sung after "
One"One" is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the third track from their 1991 album, Achtung Baby. It was released as the album's third single in March 1992. While recording Achtung Baby, conflict arose between band members over the direction of the U2's sound. Tensions almost prompted the band to...
" to conclude the main set. MLK is now part of the main set list for the
U2 360° TourThe U2 360° Tour is an ongoing worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the tour will visit stadiums from 2009 through 2010, whereas the previous two tours, the Elevation Tour and the Vertigo Tour, featured indoor arenas...
.
Cultural references
"MLK" was director
Richard KellyRichard Kelly is an American film director and writer, best known for 2001's Donnie Darko.-Early life:...
's original choice for the soundtrack to the final sequence of
Donnie DarkoDonnie Darko is a 2001 psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly, and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, and Mary McDonnell...
. After difficulties licensing the song, it was decided to use
Gary JulesGary Jules is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his cover of Tears for Fears' third single "Mad World", which he recorded together with friend Michael Andrews for the cult film Donnie Darko. It became the UK Christmas Number One single of 2003...
' rendition of the
Tears for FearsTears for Fears are an English pop rock duo formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesizer bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
song "
Mad World"Mad World" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears. Written by Roland Orzabal and sung by bassist Curt Smith, it was the band's third single release and first chart hit, reaching #3 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1982. Both "Mad World" and its b-side, "Ideas As Opiates", would turn up...
" instead.
In the novel
The Perks of Being a WallflowerThe Perks of Being a Wallflower is an epistolary novel written by American novelist Stephen Chbosky. It was published on February 1, 1999 by MTV...
, "MLK" is mentioned as one of the character's favorite songs, along with "
Blackbird"Blackbird" is a Beatles song from double-disc album The Beatles . Blackbird was written by Paul McCartney, but credited as usual to Lennon/McCartney...
".
External links