Hawkmoon 269

“The 269 comes from the number of mixes. We spent three weeks on that track.”
- The Edge

Incidentally, this song does seem well mixed; all the instruments seem nicely cohesive to the whole. But there is something seemingly more conceptual about that song in taking three weeks on it; the song’s obsessional, utilising relentless similies and analogies (Like sweet soul music sounding particularly sly given the song) to emphasise that refrain I need your love. Even once the backing vocalists come in, they’re not there to counterpoint the feeling, but instead there to raise it higher. And whilst the whole thing has a gospel vibe to it, there’s a yearning to the guitar which doesn’t prevent it from being about something more sexual.

Essentially, the song is pure rise, and the number of “like”s only increase towards the end. Always the song is swirling and focusing in on the reason and the need, extra elements adding to the initial lone organ and pound of the drums. The lines Like oxygen and Like nicotine suggest that the love needed may not necessarily be healthy, and may be an excessive dependence. This particularly makes the line Like faith needs a doubt especially interesting. In any event, such tension and build leads to something with a sizable degree of heft and impact, and this certainly wasn’t three weeks wasted.

~ by 4trak on July 5, 2008.