Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of
Encyclopedia
"Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" is the second single from U2
's 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind
. The song, characterised by gospel
-tinged melodies and saccharine lead guitar part, won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
in 2002. Bono
has said the song was inspired by a fictional conversation with his late friend Michael Hutchence
about suicide
.
wrote the song about the suicide
of his close friend Michael Hutchence
, the late lead singer of the band INXS
. The song is written in the form of an argument about suicide in which Bono tries to convince Hutchence of the act's foolishness.
The song structure is reminiscent of "Sexual Healing
" by Marvin Gaye
. Bono characterized the song as a fight between friends, which he felt guilty for never having with Hutchence. As Bono said in 2005, "It's a row between mates. You're kinda trying to wake them up out of an idea. In my case it's a row I didn't have while he was alive. I feel the biggest respect I could pay to him was not to write some stupid soppy fucking song, so I wrote a really tough, nasty little number, slapping him around the head. And I'm sorry, but that's how it came out of me."
Mick Jagger
and his daughter Elizabeth recorded backing vocals for the song, although these did not make the final mix.
s were filmed for the song.
One is directed by Joseph Kahn
, features an American football
game between the "Flys
" [sic] and the "Lemons" filmed at the Houston Astrodome, and contains various inside jokes and references to the band's past, such as the team names themselves - which were the titles of two U2 singles released in the '90s. The video features a brief cameo in the beginning from John Madden
, whose lines also feature several U2 references. The main part of the video shows a place kicker named Paul Hewson—Bono's real name—forced to re-live a field goal he missed that cost his team the game.
The other video, directed by Kevin Godley
, shows Bono being thrown out of a van several times, as if "stuck in a moment". At the end of the video, the rest of the band helps him up.
performed the song live in July 2010 for iheartradio
.
Version 1
The Australia
n edition included "Beautiful Day" (The Perfecto
Mix).
Version 2
The Australia
n edition included "Beautiful Day" (David Holmes
Remix).
Version 3
Only available in France
.
Version 4
Released only in Japan
, featuring most B-sides
from both regular CD releases.
Version 5
A Canada
-only release on late October 2001, also available on CD.
:
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind
All That You Can't Leave Behind
All That You Can't Leave Behind is the tenth studio album by rock band U2. It was released on 30 October 2000 by Island Records in the United Kingdom and Interscope Records in the United States...
. The song, characterised by gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
-tinged melodies and saccharine lead guitar part, won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals was awarded between 1966 and 2011...
in 2002. Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
has said the song was inspired by a fictional conversation with his late friend Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian musician and actor. He was the founding lead singer-songwriter of rock band :INXS from 1977 to his death in 1997, a period of twenty years. Hutchence was a member of short-lived pop rock group Max Q and recorded solo material which was released...
about suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
Composition
U2's lead singer BonoBono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
wrote the song about the suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
of his close friend Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian musician and actor. He was the founding lead singer-songwriter of rock band :INXS from 1977 to his death in 1997, a period of twenty years. Hutchence was a member of short-lived pop rock group Max Q and recorded solo material which was released...
, the late lead singer of the band INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
. The song is written in the form of an argument about suicide in which Bono tries to convince Hutchence of the act's foolishness.
The song structure is reminiscent of "Sexual Healing
Sexual Healing
"Sexual Healing" is a 1982 song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye on the Columbia Records label. It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown earlier in the year, following the release of the In Our Lifetime album the previous year...
" by Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
. Bono characterized the song as a fight between friends, which he felt guilty for never having with Hutchence. As Bono said in 2005, "It's a row between mates. You're kinda trying to wake them up out of an idea. In my case it's a row I didn't have while he was alive. I feel the biggest respect I could pay to him was not to write some stupid soppy fucking song, so I wrote a really tough, nasty little number, slapping him around the head. And I'm sorry, but that's how it came out of me."
Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
and his daughter Elizabeth recorded backing vocals for the song, although these did not make the final mix.
Videos
Two music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s were filmed for the song.
One is directed by Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn is an American music video, advertising, and feature film director.-Early life:Kahn was born in Jersey Village, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He is of Korean ancestry. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Livorno, Italy until his family moved to Texas...
, features an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game between the "Flys
The Fly (song)
"The Fly" is a song by rock band U2. It is the seventh track from their 1991 album Achtung Baby and it was released as the album's first single on 12 October 1991. "The Fly" introduced a more abrasive sounding U2, as the song featured hip-hop and industrial beats, distorted vocals, and an elaborate...
" [sic] and the "Lemons" filmed at the Houston Astrodome, and contains various inside jokes and references to the band's past, such as the team names themselves - which were the titles of two U2 singles released in the '90s. The video features a brief cameo in the beginning from John Madden
John Madden
John Madden may refer to:*Jack Madden, basketball referee*John Madden , American former football coach and television announcer*John Madden , ice hockey player...
, whose lines also feature several U2 references. The main part of the video shows a place kicker named Paul Hewson—Bono's real name—forced to re-live a field goal he missed that cost his team the game.
The other video, directed by Kevin Godley
Kevin Godley
Kevin Godley is a British musician and music video director.He was born in a family of Jewish descent, and went to North Cestrian Grammar School in Altrincham....
, shows Bono being thrown out of a van several times, as if "stuck in a moment". At the end of the video, the rest of the band helps him up.
Covers
Somalian-Canadian rapper K'naanK'naan
K'naan , born Keinan Abdi Warsame in 1978, is a Somali Canadian poet, rapper, singer, songwriter and instrumentalist.-Biography:Born in Somalia, K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu and lived there during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most...
performed the song live in July 2010 for iheartradio
Iheartradio
iHeartRadio is a Clear Channel Radio network to aggregate local radio brands, personalities and on-demand content. It is best known as a mobile application...
.
Track listings
"Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" was released on 29 January 2001 in the UK, on 12 February 2001 in Australia, on 27 March in France, and on 30 October 2001 in Canada.Version 1
- "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" (Album Version) (4:33)
- "Big Girls Are Best" (3:37)
- "Beautiful DayBeautiful Day"Beautiful Day" is a song by the rock band U2. It is the first track from their 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, and it was released as the album's lead single. It was a commercial success, helping launch the album to multi-platinum status, and is one of U2's biggest hits to date...
" (Quincey and SonanceAgnelli & NelsonAgnelli & Nelson is the collective name of Northern Irish music producers Christoper James Agnew and Robert Frederick Nelson, writers and producers of dance music who have worked in the genre of trance music since 1997...
Mix) (7:55)
The Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n edition included "Beautiful Day" (The Perfecto
Paul Oakenfold
Paul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...
Mix).
Version 2
- "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" (Album Version) (4:33)
- "Beautiful DayBeautiful Day"Beautiful Day" is a song by the rock band U2. It is the first track from their 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, and it was released as the album's lead single. It was a commercial success, helping launch the album to multi-platinum status, and is one of U2's biggest hits to date...
" (Live from Farmclub.com) (4:48) - "New York" (Live from Farmclub.com) (6:01)
The Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n edition included "Beautiful Day" (David Holmes
David Holmes (musician)
David Holmes is a Northern Irish DJ, musician and composer.-Career:Holmes began djing in Belfast from the age of 15. His first hit was the song "DeNiro", with Ashley Beedle, in 1992. In the early to mid 1990s he ran two club nights in the Belfast Art College known as Sugar Sweet and Shake Yer Brain...
Remix).
Version 3
- "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" (Album Version) (4:33)
- "Big Girls Are Best" (3:37)
- "All I Want Is You" (Live from ManrayManray nightclubManray was a club in Central Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States. It was named for Dada artist/photographer, Man Ray.Originally Simeone's Restaurant, in 1983 the location was turned into a gay club called Campus. In 1985, a second part of the location was opened as Manray....
) (5:26) - "Even Better Than the Real ThingEven Better Than the Real Thing"Even Better Than the Real Thing" is the second song on U2's 1991 album Achtung Baby. It was released as the album's fourth single on 7 June 1992.-Writing and recording:...
" (Live from Manray) (3:55)
Only available in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Version 4
- "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" (Album Version) (4:33)
- "Beautiful DayBeautiful Day"Beautiful Day" is a song by the rock band U2. It is the first track from their 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, and it was released as the album's lead single. It was a commercial success, helping launch the album to multi-platinum status, and is one of U2's biggest hits to date...
" (Live from Farmclub.com) (4:48) - "New York" (Live from Farmclub.com) (6:01)
- "Big Girls Are Best" (3:37)
- "Beautiful DayBeautiful Day"Beautiful Day" is a song by the rock band U2. It is the first track from their 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, and it was released as the album's lead single. It was a commercial success, helping launch the album to multi-platinum status, and is one of U2's biggest hits to date...
" (Quincey and Sonance Mix) (7:55)
Released only in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, featuring most B-sides
B-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
from both regular CD releases.
Version 5
- "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" (Radio Edit) (3:42)
- "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" (Acoustic) (3:42)
- "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)Stay (Faraway, So Close!)"Stay " is a song by the rock band U2. It is the fifth track on their 1993 album, Zooropa and was released as the album's third single on 22 November 1993. The song was a top ten hit in the Ireland, Australia, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. The music video was shot in Berlin,...
" (Live from Toronto) (5:39) - "ElevationElevation (song)"Elevation" is the third track and third single release from U2's 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind. Featuring a thunderous beat, a variety of sound effects on the central guitar riff, and an easy rhyming lyric for the audience to shout along with, it was highly effective in its...
" (VanditPaul van DykMatthias Paul, better known by his stage name Paul van Dyk is a German Grammy Award-winning Electronic Dance Music DJ, musician and record producer...
Club Remix) (8:54)
A Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-only release on late October 2001, also available on CD.
B-sides
The "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" singles were backed with the following B-sidesB-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
:
- "Big Girls Are Best" - produced by Flood and Howie B, this song was recorded after the PopMart TourPopmart TourThe PopMart Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 1997 album, Pop, the tour's concerts were performed in stadiums and parks from 1997 through 1998...
. Its lyrics include a reference to the Copacabana PalaceCopacabana PalaceThe Copacabana Palace Hotel is the most famous and luxurious hotel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It's considered South America's premier hotel, having received the rich and famous for the past 80 years. It faces the Copacabana Beach. It consists of an 8-storey main building and a 14-story annex. The...
hotel in Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
("Avenue Atantico, 1702"), where U2 stayed when they played in Rio in 1998.
- "Beautiful Day" (Quincey and Sonance Mix) - this remix was released, in a shorter version, in a promotional CD along with an issue of Q magazine.
- "Beautiful Day" and "New York" (Live from Farmclub.com) - this was a performance in 27 October 2000 for the American TV show, during U2's promotional tour of the All That You Can't Leave Behind album.
- "All I Want Is You" and "Even Better Than the Real Thing" (Live from Manray) - the first public listening of All That You Can't Leave Behind in the famous ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
nightclub was capped with an impromptu performance by U2, the first since the end of the PopMart Tour. These two songs were lifted from that performance.
- "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" (Live from Toronto) - this performance from the Elevation TourElevation TourThe Elevation Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind, the tour visited arenas in 2001. After the band's previous two extravagant stadium tours, Zoo TV and PopMart, the Elevation Tour returned the...
was transmitted live for the We Know Where You Live, Live! TV special, which was later released in DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
- "Elevation" (Vandit Club Remix) this remix was done by Paul Van DykPaul van DykMatthias Paul, better known by his stage name Paul van Dyk is a German Grammy Award-winning Electronic Dance Music DJ, musician and record producer...
.
Alternative versions
There are three versions of this song:- The album version, which appears on All That You Can't Leave Behind. This is the original version of the song.
- The acoustic version, which appears on the single, as well as in the "Walk On" single and the 77 (EP)"Always" is an early version of "Beautiful Day". "Big Girls Are Best" was a leftover from the Pop sessions. This Influx mix of "Elevation" was used to open shows on the Elevation Tour. The single version of "Walk On", which was released on the single with the blue cover, was also featured in...
EP. The same vocal track is used with a different, stripped-down arrangement. - The radio edit, which was used in the promotional radio singles in the US. Part of the first verse and the outro are edited out, leaving the song with about three and a half minutes.
Dedication
During the U2 360° Tour show at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN on 23 July 2011 Bono and The Edge performed an acoustic version of the song. Bono introduced the song as being written for his late friend Michael Hutchence, but dedicated the performance to the late Amy Winehouse who had passed away only hours earlier that day.Charts
| Chart (2001) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
1 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
52 |
| US Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
35 |
| US Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
35 |
| US Adult Top 40 | 9 |
| US Top 40 Mainstream | 27 |
| US Top 40 Tracks Top 40 Tracks Top 40 Tracks is a defunct airplay chart from Billboard Magazine. It was created in 1998, when Billboard Magazine changed the airplay profile of The Hot 100 Airplay to include more R&B, Country, and Rock stations to its profile . To preserve the notion of the former chart, Top 40 Tracks was... |
27 |
See also
- List of covers of U2 songs - Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of