Songs of Innocence is the 13th studio album by Irish rock band U2, released 9 September 2014. The album's title, along with that of the band's next album Songs of Experience, is named after William Blake's poem collection Songs of Innocence and of Experience.
The album was supposed to be released soon after U2's 12th album, 2009's No Line on the Horizon, but instead took another 5 years to produce. The band worked mostly with producer Brian Burton to make the songs, finishing them off with a selection of other producers. The album was designed as a look back on the band members' time as boys, with lyrics centered around topics such as social problems, their early music influences, and personal life events.
However, all of this was Overshadowed by Controversy surrounding the album's release — specifically due to how it was released. With album sales dropping in general, U2 made an agreement with Apple to distribute the album to all iTunes libraries for free. This may sound convenient on the surface, and Apple CEO Tim Cook even marketed it as "the largest album release of all time" (considering the album was made available to over 500 million customers). However, this release format unfortunately resulted in the album being added automatically to users' iTunes accounts, which triggered unprompted downloads, ate up memory on devices, and interfered with various autoplay and randomizer functions. Not helping their press was Apple having to tell people how to remove the album using some tricks, since there wasn't a simple way to remove it.
Backlash ensued on several fronts. Many iTunes customers felt that their consent and privacy had been breached; fellow rock musicians from bands including The Black Keys, Pink Floyd and Buckcherry also questioned the release format, with Buckcherry guitarist Keith Nelson opining that it devalued the music. While U2 frontman Bono initially refused to publicly apologize, calling the release "one of the proudest moments in U2's history", he would eventually do just that in his 2022 memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, writing, "I take full responsibility... I'd thought if we could just put our music within reach of people, they might choose to reach out toward it. Not quite."
No singles were officially released, but "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)" was used in advertising.
Tracklist:
- "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)" (4:16)
- "Every Breaking Wave" (4:13)
- "California (There is No End to Love)" (4:00)
- "Song for Someone" (3:47)
- "Iris (Hold Me Close)" (5:20)
- "Volcano" (3:15)
- "Raised By Wolves" (4:06)
- "Cedarwood Road" (4:26)
- "Sleep Like a Baby tonight" (5:02)
- "This is Where You Can Reach me Now" (5:06)
- "The Troubles" (4:46)
"The most beautiful trope I'd ever heard":
- Alternate Album Cover: The original iTunes release of the album featured cover art depicting a faux test pressing of the album in a plain white sleeve. The subsequent general release of the album features a more elaborate cover depicting a black and white photo of Larry Mullen Jr. hugging his son's waist.
- Celebrity Elegy: According to liner notes, "This is Where You Can Reach me Now" is dedicated to Joe Strummer and The Clash, who were a major influence on their lives and wanting to become musicians. Strummer himself had already passed away in 2002.
- Coming of Age Story: Given the album's title, many songs focus on the turbulence and heartbreak from the band's experiences.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Many songs focus on growing up during The Troubles. "Cedarwood Road" describes singer Bono's crime-ridden and complicated past, while "Raised By Wolves" depicts the aftermath of a bombing in Dublin.
- Grief Song: "Raised By Wolves" describes the aftermath of a bombing in Dublin, the lyrics imply a combination of these reactions. (Slashed troping is not allowed; split this into two points.)
- Hymn to Music: "The miracle (of Joey Ramone)" and "This is Where you Can Reach Me Now" describe early influences of the band. The Miracle's lyrics even describe a song as this miracle.
- Pedophile Priest: "Sleep Like a Baby Tonight" references pedophile scandals in the Catholic Church, telling the tale of one priest who desperately wants to escape their guilt.
- Parental Love Song: "Iris" is about Bono's mother (who died suddenly when he was 14), a topic that goes back to "I Will Follow". Here, the perspective is more reconciling in it's tone.
- Post-Punk: "Volcano" is a small throwback to the band's early post-punk days from Boy to War, albeit with a more slick approach they have adopted throughout the Turn of the Millennium.
- "Ray of Hope" Ending: Despite the heavy themes of broken childhoods and political turmoil, the album ends with "The Troubles", which affirms responsibility for your actions and moving on from your past problems.
- Silly Love Songs: "Song for Someone" references Bono meeting his wife.
- This Is a Song: Exact words are used in "Song for Someone".
