The Sand Inside The Pearl—By PJ & Kelly
Edge With Doves, watercolor by Kelly Eddington, 2025.
The Sand Inside The Pearl: Our Review of Reassemble
PJ DeGenaro
Kelly Eddington
Note: Everything in regular print was written by PJ, and everything in italics and indented was written by Kelly.
I love HTDAAB, but it seems that Reassemble is the album I really needed 20 years ago.
Look, HTDAAB: I like you. LIKE. I like you. But I routinely skip four of your songs, and Reassemble would have helped me as well.
Skipping U2 songs? Blasphemer! I kid. Anyway, HTDAAB deals with matters both personal and political and the songs are fairly straightforward. On the personal side, we learned about the guy who inspired “Miracle Drug,” we sat with Bono as he grieved for his father, and I’m sure many of us have felt like the parent and/or the child who inhabit “Original Of The Species.” Geopolitically, there was “Love And Peace Or Else” (which is also personal, because Bono) and “Crumbs From Your Table.”
Reassemble is more evasive. It’s wriggly and hard to catch. The songs feel open to interpretation and — while I will probably receive some guff for saying this — a lot of them give me the sense of having been written about or around some kind of personal indiscretion. Feel free to disagree, of course!
I don’t care what anyone says. I think this website could benefit from some lip-smacking innuendo* every now and again, Peej.
Get ready to smack them lips, readers! Anyhoo, as Kelly has appointed me the Poet Laureate of the U2 fandom, I’m mostly gonna write about lyrics here.
Since PJ has appointed me the Weird Girl of the U2 fandom (affectionately, as she’s reassured me on numerous occasions), I’m mostly gonna write about my various crackpot ideas here and maybe make some charts and graphs.
Excuse you! I have also appointed you the Mathematical Watercolor Genius of the U2 fandom!
I stand corrected, She Who Has The Best Hair In The U2 Fandom!
This winter is killing my hair. But that’s not important now. [Cries.]
Picture Of You
HTDAAB appeared just as I hit my late 30s. Outwardly my life looked pretty normal; I was married to an amazing man and raising a delightful little boy. I still have both of them! But I was also becoming depressed and focusing on things that weren’t helpful. I laugh now at how perfectly this song would have suited my state of mind at the time. I didn’t indulge in Xanax or wine, because drugs have never been my thing. Yet this song feels like my approaching-40-year-old brain, struggling to get a foothold on ebbing youth. The transition from Cute Girl who gets lots of attention to Supermarket Mommy to Crone is certainly interesting. There is no fiction that will truly fit this situation.
In 2004, I was in my mid-thirties and long-distance dating a man who didn’t know what emotions were. At the time, I could relate to only 15.38% of HTDAAB’s music.
The relationship was doomed, and when it ended in 2005, I became depressed for a few months. I didn’t indulge in Xanax or wine either, so I really could have used some angry breakup songs. What’s that you say, Bono? You could never take a chance of losing love to find romance? How nice for you!
Dammit Bono, help us out here!
Evidence Of Life
Turn up that bass! This song sounds like it’s gonna be stompy as hell but then that little Cure-esque keyboard melody happens, followed by the distinct flavor of Edge’s voice and his slightly odd pronunciation: “Hoo-whahte dove, won’t you find some high-yih ground…” I find it a great pleasure to listen to a new U2 song and realize Edge is singing it. It’s like a little unexpected gift. I still hear The Cure here, somehow, but the lyrical content is pure U2. Humanity has screwed up again, and you’re stuck on the stupid ark in the stupid flood, waiting for the stupid dove to come back. And yay, she’s brought a leaf! Just gotta figure out where it came from! This song tends to get stuck in my head; unfortunately, I am now associating it with the L.A. fires.
Edge said he shelved this one because he thought the bass sounded too much like “Seven Nation Army.” Well, he’s kind of right about the bass, but that’s where it stops. “Evidence Of LIfe” is very catchy. “We swaaAAaAAaAyyyyY” has made a home in my brain repeatedly over the last two months. These Edge solo projects are indeed gifts, and they provide a fascinating glimpse into the band’s bizarre recording process. I want to watch a documentary of Edge crafting demos that are something like 85% finished and presenting them to the rest of his band. Edge is the father of so many of their songs—NO, THE MOTHER—and the other three help raise them (or kick them out of the nest like a trio of mean little hoo-whahte doves). But Edge delivers the songs. A lesser guitarist would demand fifty percent at least.
Luckiest Man In The World
This is the song a lot of people were waiting for. Well, they were waiting for “Mercy,” a song that always made me feel terribly sad.
Call me a bad U2 fan, but I’ve only listened to the legendary “Mercy” a couple of times. (In my defense, I know the location of two Edge facial moles that aren’t there anymore. Do you, dear reader? We all have our areas of expertise when it comes to this band.) Anyway, I remember liking the line “You want to kill me and I want to die,” and it’s not in this version of the song.
That was such a Trent Reznor-ish line! I was kinda shocked.
You’re so right!
As I said above, I hope I’ll be forgiven for sensing a theme of relationship shenanigans in some of U2’s lyrics of the early 2000s. I believe that if two people stay married for upwards of 40 years it’s because they really want to and have put in the necessary work. That doesn’t mean that there haven’t been fuckups.
I think you’re on to something, PJ. While people claim Bono has a massive ego, his lyrics are often mercilessly self-flagellating. He came up with some stunning images here, such as weed killer vs. sugar and digging the ditches. But these images add up, and when Bono compares himself and (as many might interpret it) Ali to binary code, I find myself wondering, Sheesh, do they even like each other?? I mean, of course they do, but if this song is about their marriage, it’s brutal, and maybe that’s why it wasn’t part of HTDAAB.
I think the shift to “the luckiest man” might be a device to divert focus from the singer. The song shifts to second-person and could be about someone else entirely. It’s possible that Bono et al are older guys now and wanted to salvage the song without having to revisit some painful stuff.
“Happiness is for those who don’t really need it” pops up here, and also becomes a refrain in the song “Happiness.” Bono sometimes latches onto a phrase that teeters just on the edge (heh) of being a platitude, but is too complex to actually fall in. Who doesn’t need happiness? What is happiness anyway? Is it an ongoing state that can be attained, or just something fleeting?
Bono’s voice is low and sexy and Bowie-like when he sings, “I’m ripping the stitches you’ve been bandaging up.” This is an epic song with such a strong chorus, and I can’t stop thinking about “the sand inside the pearl.” Where was this one when I needed it? Would I have been as depressed as I was if I’d had these songs to listen to?
Treason
This was initially my favorite song on Reassemble because it veered so far from the beaten path in its flirtation with reggae and weirdness. The lyrics are ambiguous: They could be sung from the point of view of God. Or they could be sung to a friend who betrayed you, or to society at large, or to your Dad. The line “If you have love but don’t give love, this is treason” certainly hits a lot of nails on the head. And I love whatever those other voices are doing in the background. A banger. (+100 PJ points for the Manischewitz reference.)
It’s an interesting song, and Bono’s clipped and peevish delivery of the fast little verses contrasts wildly with his sublime “Oooooh ooh ooh oooooh”s that are scattered throughout. And just when you think you’ve got a handle on this one, out of nowhere comes a furious Edge—a furious RAPPING Edge. His delivery is startling. When this hits, I stop whatever I’m doing and marvel at it. Again, I want a documentary where Edge unleashes this relentless word salad. Can’t you just see Bono stepping back and watching him in slack-jawed WTFness, along with the rest of us?
WTF indeed; I was sure that was Bono rapping! Okay, when I get home (yeah I’m working on this in my office, so?) I’m going to investigate. Stay tuned.
Update: OMG!
Edge: Straight outta Finglas and Malahide, into your DM’s we’re ‘bout to slide, creepin’ in your headphones with the dopest rhymes, and my infinite guitar that sounds like chimes. Bono!
Bono: yeeahhh
Edge: Tell ‘em ‘bout my delay pedal
I Don’t Wanna See You Smile
This song popped into a “U2 Favorites” playlist I was making for myself a couple of years ago. I think I clicked on it by mistake. It’s probably my least favorite Reassemble song, but my least favorite U2 songs are still U2 and are therefore very much above average. It’s grown on me! If it’s not about a screwed up love affair, then it might just be about Atomic Bob Hewson. Stop with the smoke machine and do not smile at me without love in your eyes, Bob.
Some have called this song a throwaway, saying things like, “I can see why this didn’t make the album,” etc. But I love its lullaby-like groove and the classic, yearning tone of Bono’s vocals. It’s a comforting breakup song that I would have cried along with. When I’m in that state of mind, I don’t necessarily need a piece of groundbreaking art. Sometimes I just want some classic but new U2 sounds, don’t you?
Yes, most of the time!
Country Mile (Lyrics by B&E)
At first I thought this song might have been written from Ali’s point of view. “The key was under the mat” is a callback to songs like “In A Little While” and “Landlady,” not to mention Bono’s Sphere performance of “Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World,” in which he pretends to lose his keys. I think Edge’s guitar often sounds like another voice in the conversation, and the instrumental break here is no exception. It builds up to his singing that complex, impassioned final verse, which transforms the song into a duet. It’s very moving. I don’t suppose most people can look to their favorite band for reassurance about their own relationships, but U2 fans are lucky. Or maybe we’re just reaping the benefits of all the love we’ve put into this band.
Their use of “beseech” is kind of hilarious. Does any other pop song include the word “beseech?” Whatever. It’s a lovely chorus. The cascading “I-I-I-I”s are quintessential U2, and I feel like I’ve known that part my entire life. “And if it’s raining you should have thought of that” is a clever line, too. I would have replaced “Crumbs From Your Table” with “Country Mile” in a heartbeat.
I view this as a Bono and Edge story and can imagine them walking down a gravel road similar to the one I live on. Bono is doing most of the talking, but then Edge chimes in for the final verse. His fragile falsetto evolves into something stronger while he asks—beseeches!—for help. Sorry to lay on the EdgePraise so thick today, but my god, he’s the undisputed MVP on this shadow album, and there’s a reason why he’s separated from the rest of the group and standing like that on the cover.
Claim your space, Edge! You really can’t over-praise him. He is incredible. He’s one of those guys who could make records all by himself and use a faux band name like Stockhausen Syndrome or Bono Iver.
Happiness (Lyrics by B&E)
This song falls into the same category as “Love and Peace or Else,” in which the conflict might be happening in a war zone or in a bedroom, depending on who’s listening. The world feels so apocalyptic right now that it’s almost hard to remember that it also felt apocalyptic 20 years ago, in the aftermath of 9/11 and with the subsequent useless invasion of Iraq. I love the martial rhythm here and the shouted lyrics. The following bit I believe is truly about praying, but Bono (bless him) just can’t help making it sexy:
Tonight we can be friends
Let’s get down on our knees
The world won’t have to end
Not tonight
Sugar please
Please baby please baby please
Please baby please.
Hot stuff, praying king. I feel like if they played this one live, all four of them, even Adam!, would be shouting the “stop talking!” parts, and how much fun would that be? Edge’s guitar sounds kind of like a sitar as it backs up the aaaaaaahs in the pre-chorus. Bono has included “making friends of our enemies” for the second time here (the first time was “Treason”), and I enjoy the way he spits out “BOMB.”
“If they played this one live…” Please dear universe, I know you’re mad at us, but maybe make this one little thing happen?
Are You Gonna Wait Forever
I’ve always been lazy about acquiring singles, so years or even decades can go by before I hear a b-side. Some of the b-sides from The Joshua Tree are still blowing my mind because I didn’t actually hear them in 1987. All of which is to say, I think “Are You Gonna Wait Forever” is in the same phylum as “Summer Of Love” – if you remove the tragedy of Syrian refugees and stick with the road-weary man who’s pining for the sunshine and his love. Bono’s voice is gorgeously ragged here, and someone smarter than me needs to address the perfect Edginess of Edge’s guitar. This is another song that might be about protecting your marriage or your band:
There’s no one there behind their eyes
They’re in the business, beautiful lies
We’ll keep the promise
‘Cause we don’t know how to break it
The furniture you can rearrange
Don’t trade your dreams for some small change
Guard the flame, or better leave it naked.
I see this song and “I Don’t Wanna See You Smile” as bookends. Again we have a vocal filled with longing and a chorus you can cling to. “Howwwww long, or is it NOWWWW NOWWWW NOWWWW?” could have been my mantra during the mid-00s. And I’m not sure why it’s in there, but “All the obstacles in my way” is probably a reference to Johnny Nash/Jimmy Cliff’s “I Can See Clearly Now.”
Theme From ‘The Batman’
<Squeaky bat noises> What’s better than Goth Edge? Nothing! I never watched The Batman (surprise) but I’m not culturally illiterate, so I could picture exactly the kind of animation Edge was scoring here: cool vehicles, a caped figure leaping through a nighttime cityscape, some rain or maybe the moon, bad guys. And I was right. I’m not a musician. I don’t know how Edge built Gotham City here. But he did. Sorry, haters. </Squeaky bat noises>
I don’t have a whole lot to add, so I’d like to use this space to revisit The Sand Inside The Pearl! I’ve never considered pearls from the sand’s point of view. But imagine that you are an ordinary teenage grain of sand out there on your own, doing your sandy thing, when you become trapped inside an oyster’s shell. You irritate the oyster, and it defends itself by covering you with layer upon layer of a beautiful substance. You, a stupid grain of sand, are going to spend the rest of your days trapped inside something precious and rare. One in 10,000 oysters make pearls. How lucky are you? BUT MAYBE YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE THERE. Maybe you want to get to know the earth’s other estimated 7.5 sextillion grains of sand.
Is even the greatest love story still just a trap?
I don’t know, but I am the luckiest woman in the world to have a friend whose mind works in such wonderful ways.
I miss you, PJ! [wipes tear from eye and raises glass in the direction of New York]
[Sniff] Ya know? That’s a perfect transition to the next song. I think I’m the intellectual tortoise, and you are the bullet train. Etc.
All Because Of You 2
I love the version that ended up on HTDAAB. It’s fabulous, it’s one of my favorite U2 songs, and I have a lot of thoughts about it. However, damn! Sometimes I wish they would just stick with their early versions.There is nothing wrong with being noisy, raw and aggrieved – especially if you’re U2. Make the people who think you’re a happy-clappy anthemic band work to prove their lazy, uninformed-ass opinions.
You say I should go for help
But I can’t go, go to nobody else
You’re like the river flowing underground
I can feel you when you’re not around.
About fifteen years ago, I was fortunate to travel to Madrid, where I saw Picasso’s Guernica after admiring that gargantuan painting for most of my life. To my great delight, a number of the artist’s preparatory sketches were displayed with it, and I was able to see the evolution of the painting’s horse, bull, and other characters. Sometimes the sketches were more powerful than the finished product.
Guernica, oil on canvas by Pablo Picasso, 1937. Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid.
Picasso’s sketches are fascinating to a painter in the same way that “All Because Of You 2” is for U2 fans. As a creative person, I’m ravenous to learn about the decision making processes that gave birth to things I love. I’ve come to grips with the fact that PJ and I will never be invited into U2’s studio to watch them record, so we must content ourselves with song prototypes and shadow albums (please let there be more!), figure out what was edited, and speculate as to why.
But I still really want to watch that imaginary documentary where Edge presents his songs to the band, and Bono goes nuts over them but maybe Larry and Adam give them a big thumbs down, and then Edge is like, Back to the fucking drawing board I go. So he puts his CD into his duffel bag where it will languish for twenty years. Eventually he digs it up, finds an unreleased photo where he's looking like a badass, and finally, finally he shares it with us.
* “Lip-smacking innuendo” is one of those lines from A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole that has stayed with me for my entire adult life.
Want to support…whatever this is? Please share this with the U2 people you know. I would love it if you’d join me on Patreon for $1 a month, where you’ll get to see all of my U2 art weeks and sometimes months before anyone else, or just buy me a Ko-fi. I’ll split it with PJ! THANK YOUUUU!—Kelly