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"40"
by U2, from _War_
(inspired by Psalm 40)
transcription by ryan@odouls.stx.com (patrick m. ryan)
basic chords:
Bmsus E A
-0------0------0--
-3------0------2--
-4------1------2--
-4------2------2--
-2------2------0--
--------0---------
Bmsus Bmsus E A [over and over] (corrected)
i've waited patiently for the lord
he inclined and heard my cry
he lift me up out of the pit
out of the miry clay {"my reglade?"}
i will sing
sing a new song
i will sing
sing a new song
how long
to sing this song?
he set my feet upon a rock
made my footsteps firm
many will see
many will see and fear {hear?, feel?}
i will sing
sing a new song
i will sing
sing a new song
how long
to sing this song? ....
--
"Now about those pictures..."
"I can explain! I was young! I needed the money!.."
patrick m. ryan
nasa / goddard space flight center / hughes stx / eosdis ims v.0 team
patrick.m.ryan@gsfc.nasa.gov / pryan@ccmail.stx.com / ryan@odouls.stx.com
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Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
|
No Picture
Jimmy "Hoffa" Average |
#1 by Jimmy "Hoffa" at Nov 23, 1972 at 10:38 PM EST |
| I think its interesting that nobody gets the irony of this song--sure its based on a prayer, but its all about the irony of people killing people in the name of religion. "How long to sing this song" could apply to so many situations all over the world, not just northern ireland or the middle east. Until people learn to separate religion and politics the drum beats on...as U2 said in Sunday Bloody Sunday...try to translate that into a psalm | |
|
No Picture
Hudson Lead Player |
#2 by Hudson Ryan at May 2, 1973 at 1:12 PM EST |
| i jus think its just song to God | |
|
No Picture
James Wanna Be |
#3 by James Pigott at Mar 3, 1977 at 9:20 AM EST |
| I always liked this song and I always though of it as one of those "little-known-but-still-great" songs | |
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No Picture
Håvard Average |
#4 by Håvard Banne at Mar 9, 1984 at 7:46 PM EST |
| Clearly the song is from Psalms 40. War was all about the violence in Ireland and Bono's knowledge of the scriptures probably led him to reaise it was a perfect song to finish the album. I remember reading back in the lat 80's that U2 faced a dilemna in their early years when the band wanted to follow a more Gospel-oriented route, but Adam Clayton wanted no part of it. I don't know how accurate that is, so please don't lay into me if you think that's wrong. But this song always makes me think of the conflicts and problems we have on this planet and "how long" will we continue to ignore God. Musically, I love how they finish the song, with each band member stopping their part adn finally Larry bangin' those last two or 3 beats. My two favorite renditions are the Red Rocks version and that bootleg copy with Annie Lennox. | |
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No Picture
Jaime Average |
#5 by Jaime at Oct 16, 1994 at 10:52 AM EST |
| "I never knew this side of U2 until I heard this song today" Well, my dear, you have alot to learn about U2! As long as you don't expect them to be squeaky clean Bob Jones-type fundamentalists, then you won't be disappointed. They have a deep, long-lasting faith and have produced some of the most inspiring music I have come across (even counting CCM). And don't assume that just because a song's title (e.g. 'The Playboy Mansion', 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For') or its sound (e.g. 'Mofo') doesn't sound very Christian, that U2 have lost their way. There's some great spiritual content in those songs if you really look. http://u2sermons.blogspot.com/ | |
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No Picture
Scott Average |
#6 by Scott Muir at Aug 5, 2002 at 3:27 PM EST |
| To me this is the christians protest song. U2 used the song after they sing "Sunday Bloody Sunday" live. They also use the chrus during the song. As a question on haw long were going to have to wait for violence to stop. "40" is a protest song for christians to say to other people "haw long" must we keep telling everyone the same truths the same facts. "Haw long to sing this song." Its also a question to god. When are you comming when will we see your face and grace. Until then give us strength and put us on a rock. "He set my feet upon a rock And made my footsteps firm Many will see Many will see and fear" And I'm a little confussed. the beads bono carries with him and places on his mike are prayer beads that the pope gave him. And the song Yaweh that i think "Theresa1" refeenced at one stage "At the last show I attended, Portland, I eye-witnessed this song being performed right after U2 blasphemed God's name Yahweh to the extreme again, by showing yet another mass of people huge lit-up idolatrous and spiritistic symbols while singing "Yahweh." All these things are metaphors for asking god to change atridutes to make us better to shape us to the people we want to be. | |
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