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New Year's Day
Album: War
Year: 1983
According to Time.com , Lech Walesa was a leader of the Solidarity movement, which helped end the Cold War. He was appalled at the silencing of the workers' protests. It motivated him to join "small oppostion groups." He would go on to lead the union. He was able to get the Polish communists to bargain and concede to the labor union's wants. However, for 16 months, the Solidarity union was still under the Polish communists' control. Time.com writes "in the end, martial law was declared," Walesa was interned 11 months, and Solidarity went underground.
The poignant "New Year's Day" starts as the martial law is suspended and military control ends in Poland.
A wary guitar opens the single, creating a tentative and uncertain tone. It's January 1, 1983 and Bono walks alone in the snowy streets, now free from the military. Life is normal again. The daily newspapers are peppered with headlines about the martial law suspension. University students are driving to class and news anchors were wearing their business suits. Bono resolves to remain with his girlfriend. "All is quiet on New Year's Day/A world in white gets underway/I want to be with you, be with you night and day/Nothing changes on New Year's Day/On New Year's Day."
However, in the pre-chorus, he reveals that while they are together they are ultimately seperate. The lyrics imply she may have been arrested while in a street protest. "I... will be with you again/I... will be with you again."
Bono reads the lead of in the main article, describing the photo of the dramatic events the night before: people holding onto the next person, showing solidarity and unity in an effort to gain their rights. He says they will get through this and be reunited. "Under a blood-red sky/
A crowd has gathered in black and white/Arms entwined, the chosen few/The newspaper says, says/Say it's true, it's true/And we can break through/Though torn in two/We can be one."
But he knows she it's likely she was killed and will try to build a life without her. "I... I will begin again/I... I will begin again."
In the bridge, he says perhaps he will see her by chance. They will meet just at the right time in their favorite spot. It could happen and he continues to believe it. "Oh, oh. Oh, oh. Oh, oh/Oh, maybe the time is right/Oh, maybe tonight/I will be with you again/I will be with you again."
In the final verse, Bono recalls part of the speech he heard from a political leader. He's been told Poland is in its finest moment and will prosper. But he notes the contradiction. Money was the cause of the war. He wonders where his girlfriend could be and tries to adjust to living without fear again. "And so we are told this is the golden age/And gold is the reason for the wars we wage/Though I want to be with you/Be with you night and day/Nothing changes/
On New Year's Day/On New Year's Day/On New Year's Day."
The excellent "New Year's Day" is a song to be researched. Without context, the song still works as a love-gone-wrong single with a brain. However, knowing the significance of the particular "New Year's Day" cited adds a chill which didn't exist otherwise. Included in the article is a link about martial law in Poland during the 80s.
Album: War
Year: 1983
According to Time.com , Lech Walesa was a leader of the Solidarity movement, which helped end the Cold War. He was appalled at the silencing of the workers' protests. It motivated him to join "small oppostion groups." He would go on to lead the union. He was able to get the Polish communists to bargain and concede to the labor union's wants. However, for 16 months, the Solidarity union was still under the Polish communists' control. Time.com writes "in the end, martial law was declared," Walesa was interned 11 months, and Solidarity went underground.
The poignant "New Year's Day" starts as the martial law is suspended and military control ends in Poland.
A wary guitar opens the single, creating a tentative and uncertain tone. It's January 1, 1983 and Bono walks alone in the snowy streets, now free from the military. Life is normal again. The daily newspapers are peppered with headlines about the martial law suspension. University students are driving to class and news anchors were wearing their business suits. Bono resolves to remain with his girlfriend. "All is quiet on New Year's Day/A world in white gets underway/I want to be with you, be with you night and day/Nothing changes on New Year's Day/On New Year's Day."
However, in the pre-chorus, he reveals that while they are together they are ultimately seperate. The lyrics imply she may have been arrested while in a street protest. "I... will be with you again/I... will be with you again."
Bono reads the lead of in the main article, describing the photo of the dramatic events the night before: people holding onto the next person, showing solidarity and unity in an effort to gain their rights. He says they will get through this and be reunited. "Under a blood-red sky/
A crowd has gathered in black and white/Arms entwined, the chosen few/The newspaper says, says/Say it's true, it's true/And we can break through/Though torn in two/We can be one."
But he knows she it's likely she was killed and will try to build a life without her. "I... I will begin again/I... I will begin again."
In the bridge, he says perhaps he will see her by chance. They will meet just at the right time in their favorite spot. It could happen and he continues to believe it. "Oh, oh. Oh, oh. Oh, oh/Oh, maybe the time is right/Oh, maybe tonight/I will be with you again/I will be with you again."
In the final verse, Bono recalls part of the speech he heard from a political leader. He's been told Poland is in its finest moment and will prosper. But he notes the contradiction. Money was the cause of the war. He wonders where his girlfriend could be and tries to adjust to living without fear again. "And so we are told this is the golden age/And gold is the reason for the wars we wage/Though I want to be with you/Be with you night and day/Nothing changes/
On New Year's Day/On New Year's Day/On New Year's Day."
The excellent "New Year's Day" is a song to be researched. Without context, the song still works as a love-gone-wrong single with a brain. However, knowing the significance of the particular "New Year's Day" cited adds a chill which didn't exist otherwise. Included in the article is a link about martial law in Poland during the 80s.