Lemon (U2 song)
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| "Lemon" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by U2 | ||
| from the album Zooropa | ||
| Released | September 1993 (Australia / Japan only) | |
| Format | CD, cassette, 12" vinyl | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 4:39 (single) 6:58 (album) |
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| Label | Island | |
| Producer(s) | Flood, Brian Eno and The Edge | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| U2 singles chronology | ||
| Numb (1993) |
Lemon (1993) |
Stay (Faraway, So Close!) (1993) |
| Promo Cover | ||
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| 5" CD Single | ||
| Zooropa track listing | ||
| "Numb" (Track 3) |
"Lemon" (Track 4) |
"Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" (Track 5) |
"Lemon" is the fourth song and second single from U2's 1993 album, Zooropa. This song, more than any previous U2 song, showcases Bono's falsetto skills, aided by atmospheric vocals from The Edge. The song has been described as a futuristic German disco.
Contents |
[edit] History
The single and promo releases were complete with different dance remixes, as well as a shortened edit of the title track (the version in the album was almost 7 minutes long).
The song was played live at 10 different Zoo TV shows in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, during the show's encore. During each performance, Bono would perform the song dressed as Zoo TV character "MacPhisto," a former cabaret performer with devilish horns. Each performance was immediately followed by the band's "With or Without You".[1]
Paul Oakenfold's "Perfecto Mix" of the song was used on the Popmart Tour, being played as the band walked out of their Spinal Tap-like rock prop, a 40-foot mirrorball lemon, onto the B-stage for an encore.
The music video for "Lemon," directed by Mark Neale, was filmed in black and white with a grid-like background as a tribute to Eadweard Muybridge.[2] Muybridge was a photographer who was the first person to successfully capture fast motion on film, using his device, coincidentally named the Zoopraxiscope. The video also featured Bono dressed as both "The Fly" and "MacPhisto."
The allusion to film in the "Lemon" video was also partially based from the fact that the song was conceived after Bono watched an old filmstrip of his late mother.[3] The song's lyrics are about using film to recreate and preserve memory.
[edit] Track listings
[edit] Single Version 1
- "Lemon" (Bad Yard Club Mix) — 10:13
- "Lemon" (Morales Bad Yard Club Version Dub) — 6:35
- "Lemon" (Perfecto Mix) — 8:56
- "Lemon" (Oakenfold Jeep Mix) — 5:30
[edit] Single Version 2
CD/cassette release (Australia and Japan)
- "Lemon" (Edit) — 4:39
- "Lemon" (Oakenfold Jeep Mix) — 5:30
- "Lemon" (Album Version) — 6:56
- "Lemon" (Morales Bad Yard Club Version Dub) — 6:35
[edit] Promo Version 1
10" vinyl release (USA)
- "Lemon" (Bad Yard Club Mix) — 10:13
- "Lemon" (Serious Def Dub) — 6:24
[edit] Promo Version 2
12" vinyl release (UK)
- "Lemon" (Bad Yard Club Mix) — 10:13
- "Lemon" (Momo's Beats) — 4:25
- "Lemon" (Bad Yard Club Version Dub) — 6:35
- "Lemon" (Serious Def Dub) — 6:24
[edit] Promo Version 3
12" vinyl release (UK)
- "Lemon" (Perfecto Mix) — 8:57
- "Lemon" (Trance Mix) — 9:14
[edit] Promo Version 4
Single-track CD release (UK)
- "Lemon" (Edit) — 4:39
[edit] Promo Version 5
CD release (USA)
- "Lemon" (Edit) — 4:39
- "Lemon" (Lemonade Mix Edit) — 4:16
- "Lemon" (Album Version) — 6:56
- "Lemon" (Lemonade Mix) — 6:40
[edit] Chart positions
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | "Lemon" | US Modern Rock Tracks | #3 |
| 1993 | "Lemon" | US Hot Dance Music/Club Play | #1 |
| 1993 | "Lemon" | US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | #16 |
| 1993 | "Lemon" | Australian ARIA Charts | #6 |
[edit] References
- ^ U2 Melbourne, 1993-11-12, Cricket Ground, ZOO TV Tour - U2 on tour. Retrieved on December 20, 2006.
- ^ U2faqs.com - Videography FAQ. Retrieved on December 20, 2006.
- ^ U2 MoL - Zooropa - Lemon. Retrieved on December 20, 2006.
