If you twist and turn away.
It you tear yourself in two again.
If I could, yes I would
If I could, I would let it go.
Surrender, dislocate.
If I could throw this lifeless life-line to the wind.
Leave this heart of clay, see you walk, walk away
Into the night, and through the rain
Into the half light and through the flame.
If I could, through myself, set your spirit free
I'd lead your heart away, see you break, break away
Into the light and to the day.
To let it go and so to find away.
To let it go and so find away.
I'm wide awake.
I'm wide awake, wide awake.
I'm not sleeping.
If you should ask, then maybe
They'd tell you what I would say
True colours fly in blue and black
Blue silken sky and burning flag.
Colours crash, collide in blood-shot eyes.
If I could, you know I would
If I could, I would let it go.
This desperation, dislocation
Separation, condemnation
Revelation, in temptation
Isolation, desolation
Let it go and so to find away
To let it go and so to find away
To let it go and so to find away
I'm wide awake, I'm wide awake, wide awake
I'm not sleeping
Oh no, no, no.
Composed by U2 / Bono
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About "Bad"
From the original U2 Album "The Unforgettable Fire" (01 October 1984)
A song about heroin addiction, it would become a staple of their live set, particularly after a remarkable extended performance at Live Aid in which Bono danced with a girl in the audience. Often considered a fan favorite, it is one of U2's most frequently performed songs in concert. The version included as the opening track of the Wide Awake in America EP is frequently chosen for airplay by radio DJs ahead of the studio version.
History
"Bad", like many of U2's songs, was born of an improvised guitar riff during a loose jam session at Slane Castle, Ireland. A testament to the influence of producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, The Edge's characteristic minimalist guitar sound is accompanied by atmospheric, ambient echo effects.
Bono's vague lyrics have led to many fan interpretations of the song's meaning, but Bono frequently told the story behind the song in concert: the song is about heroin—specifically, about a friend of Bono's "who was given on his 21st birthday enough heroin into his bloodstream to kill him."
Live
A staple of U2's concert tours of the 1980s, "Bad" was also frequently performed during the first four legs of the 1992–1993 Zoo TV Tour. Although not played until the 4th leg of the PopMart Tour of 1997 and 1998, it returned to the normal setlist for 2001's Elevation Tour and saw occasional performances during the Vertigo Tour of 2005 and 2006, sometimes even appearing as the closing song for shows. Bono is known for singing a wide variety of snippets during performances of "Bad". Lyrics from over 50 different songs have been included in "Bad", ranging from brief quotes of a single line through to multiple verses. These snippets are typically sung after the "I'm not sleeping" line and Bono has included up to six different excerpts in a single performance of "Bad". Performances without at least one snippet are very rare.
Live Aid
For a band still relatively unknown when compared with their fellow performers at Live Aid in 1985, U2 is often cited for their fiery performance at the concert in London. Along with "Sunday Bloody Sunday", U2 played an epic twelve-minute (over twice the length of the studio recording) version of "Bad". The song was extended further by snippets of Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love" and "Walk on the Wild Side", and The Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday" and "Sympathy for the Devil", Bono also utilized a two-minute instrumental interlude to dance with a fan offstage.
The performance was so long that the band was only able to play two of the three songs in their set, leaving out "Pride (In the Name of Love)" which was supposed to end the band's performance. The rest of the band were furious about this stunt, something that bothered Bono so much that he spent the following week out of the public eye. Only a week later he realized that the dance with the fan became a key image of Live Aid. In July 2005, around the time of the similar Live 8 concerts, the fan with whom Bono danced at Live Aid alleged that he actually saved her life, as she was being pushed against the barrier by the crowd and would've been crushed to death had Bono not noticed. [From Wikipedia]
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