A Day Without Me

Single infobox
Name = A Day Without Me


Artist = U2
from Album = Boy
Released = August 1980
Format = 7" vinyl
Recorded =
Genre = Rock, post-punk
Length = 3:12
Label = Columbia / Island
Producer = Steve Lillywhite
Chart position =
Reviews =
*"All Music Guide" (2/5) [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:66620rnai48n link]
Last single = "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" (1980)
This single = "A Day Without Me" (1980)
Next single = "I Will Follow" (1980)
Misc=Extra tracklisting
Album = Boy
Type = studio
prev_track = "The Ocean"
prev_no = 6
this_track = "A Day Without Me"
track_no = 7
next_track = "Another Time, Another Place"
next_no = 8"A Day Without Me" is the lead single from U2's debut album, "Boy" and was released in August 1980. Its lyrics are a clear contemplation of suicide and relate to the lead singer of Joy Division, and one of Bono's inspirations, Ian Curtis, who killed himself in May 1980 [ "Ian Curtis Biography". [http://www.iancurtis.org/biography] Retrieved on 2008-2-15 ] . The B-side was an instrumental song called "Things to Make and Do".

It was the second single the band recorded after signing the contract with Island Records.

History

Steve Lillywhite had worked with Siouxsie & the Banshees and XTC, and "A Day Without Me" was the first time he recorded with U2.

After DJ Carter Alan of WBCN in Boston heard "A Day Without Me" in a record store, he became a U2 fan and included the song in his playlist. Alan's subsequent promotion of the band was instrumental in introducing a U.S. audience for U2.

"A Day Without Me" was played live during the first half of the 1980s. On the "Boy" Tour, it did not have a firmly defined set list position, initially appearing in the main set before moving to the encore. It did not appear on the "October" Tour until start date|1981|11, when it was paired with "I Threw a Brick Through a Window", a song from the newly-released "October" album. The two songs were linked by a drum segue leading from the end of "I Threw A Brick Through A Window" into "A Day Without Me", and this pairing lasted until start date|1985|4. Since then, neither song has been played live.

"Things to Make and Do" is the only instrumental ever played live by U2, and it regularly followed "The Electric Co." on the "Boy" Tour. It has only been played once since the end of that tour, at an early date of the "October" Tour on start date|1981|8|31.

Track listing

#"A Day Without Me" – 3:12
#"Things to Make and Do" – 2:14

Notes

External links

* [http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/song203.html A Day Without Me's performance history at U2-Vertigo-Tour.com] – Lists all concerts at which "A Day Without Me" is known to have been performed.
* [http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/song235.html Things To Make And Do's performance history at U2-Vertigo-Tour.com] – Lists all concerts at which "Things To Make And Do" is known to have been performed.
* [http://www.u2wanderer.org/disco/sing004.html Discography entry at U2 Wanderer] – Comprehensive details on various editions, cover scans, lyrics, and more.
* [http://www.u2.com/music/lyrics.php?song=19&list=a "A Day Without Me" Lyrics] from U2.com