The Ground Beneath Her Feet (song)
Encyclopedia
"The Ground Beneath Her Feet" is a song by U2
from the film, The Million Dollar Hotel
, and featured on the film's soundtrack, The Million Dollar Hotel: Music from the Motion Picture
. The song was recorded with Daniel Lanois
on the pedal steel guitar
for the film. However, a different mix than the one heard in the film appears on the soundtrack. The song credits author Salman Rushdie as its writer because the lyrics are taken from his book of the same name
.
, came up with the idea for the song after reading a manuscript of Rushdie's novel. In the novel, the fictional character Ormus Cama writes the lyrics as a lamentation for his lover, Vina Apsara. U2 uses these lyrics almost word for word, however omitting the following line:
Rushdie, himself, was very pleased with the song, claiming it had "some of the most beautiful melodies [Bono] had ever come up with." In reference to the song, Rushdie said, "So I always knew, you know, that it wasn't going to be an uptempo foot-tapper, because it's a sad song. I think it sounds like, I hope, one of those big U2 ballads for which Bono's voice, actually, is beautifully well suited."
was created for the song's release. However, Interscope Records
declined to give the song a single release because U2 were on the verge of completing their new album, All That You Can't Leave Behind
, and record executives did not want to confuse fans by releasing a non-album single. Instead, a promotional single was released to media sources, but it received very little airplay on both radio and television. After the song's release on the film's soundtrack, U2 hoped to feature the song on their newest album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, but instead the song was only released as a bonus track
on UK
, Australia
n and Japan
ese releases of the album.
Richard Das and Jonathan Skipp had heard Bono
and The Edge
perform a verse of this song as they were writing it for the upcoming film The Million Dollar Hotel
on a television program in September 1999 and then interpolated verses and chorus from the Salman Rushdie book The Ground Beneath Her Feet
to complete their own version of the song. Band members contributed their parts and a final version was mixed and completed in December 1999.
The band released it free on the internet downloadable from www.mnemonicgroove.com in January 2000 before the official U2 version (released 8, February 2000). Hits on the Mnemonic band website at one point peaked at 97,000+ for one day for the download.
The news of their version of the song spread to global news agencies and this was widely reported on various media and a feature on the band was done by The Straits Times.
The release of their version of the song as free downloadable media prompted a "surprisingly favourable" response from The Edge.
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...
from the film, The Million Dollar Hotel
The Million Dollar Hotel
The Million Dollar Hotel is a 2000 American drama film based on a concept story by Bono and Nicholas Klein; directed by Wim Wenders; and starring Jeremy Davies, Milla Jovovich, and Mel Gibson...
, and featured on the film's soundtrack, The Million Dollar Hotel: Music from the Motion Picture
The Million Dollar Hotel: Music from the Motion Picture
-Personnel:U2*Bono – lead vocals, guitar, production on 4*Adam Clayton – bass guitar*The Edge – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, production on 7*Larry Mullen, Jr. – drums, percussionThe Million Dollar Hotel Band...
. The song was recorded with Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has released a number of albums of his own work and has produced albums for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Willie...
on the pedal steel guitar
Pedal steel guitar
The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
for the film. However, a different mix than the one heard in the film appears on the soundtrack. The song credits author Salman Rushdie as its writer because the lyrics are taken from his book of the same name
The Ground Beneath Her Feet
The Ground Beneath Her Feet is the sixth novel written by Salman Rushdie. Published in 2000, it is a variation on the Orpheus/Eurydice myth with rock music replacing Orpheus' lyre...
.
Composition
U2 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...
, came up with the idea for the song after reading a manuscript of Rushdie's novel. In the novel, the fictional character Ormus Cama writes the lyrics as a lamentation for his lover, Vina Apsara. U2 uses these lyrics almost word for word, however omitting the following line:
- She was my ground, my favorite sound, my country road, my city street, my sky above, my only love, and the ground beneath my feet.
Rushdie, himself, was very pleased with the song, claiming it had "some of the most beautiful melodies [Bono] had ever come up with." In reference to the song, Rushdie said, "So I always knew, you know, that it wasn't going to be an uptempo foot-tapper, because it's a sad song. I think it sounds like, I hope, one of those big U2 ballads for which Bono's voice, actually, is beautifully well suited."
Promotion and releases
"The Ground Beneath Her Feet" was originally intended to be a single, therefore a 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...
was created for the song's release. However, Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
declined to give the song a single release because U2 were on the verge of completing their new 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...
, and record executives did not want to confuse fans by releasing a non-album single. Instead, a promotional single was released to media sources, but it received very little airplay on both radio and television. After the song's release on the film's soundtrack, U2 hoped to feature the song on their newest album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, but instead the song was only released as a bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
on UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, 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 and 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...
ese releases of the album.
Track listing
Mnemonic Version
Members of the London band MnemonicMnemonic (band)
Mnemonic is an alternative rock band, formed as Mnemonic Groove in "Singapore" in 1997 and now based in London, England.The band formed as a result of impromptu jam sessions and quickly released their debut album on the Angel J...
Richard Das and Jonathan Skipp had heard 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...
and The Edge
The Edge
David Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
perform a verse of this song as they were writing it for the upcoming film The Million Dollar Hotel
The Million Dollar Hotel
The Million Dollar Hotel is a 2000 American drama film based on a concept story by Bono and Nicholas Klein; directed by Wim Wenders; and starring Jeremy Davies, Milla Jovovich, and Mel Gibson...
on a television program in September 1999 and then interpolated verses and chorus from the Salman Rushdie book The Ground Beneath Her Feet
The Ground Beneath Her Feet
The Ground Beneath Her Feet is the sixth novel written by Salman Rushdie. Published in 2000, it is a variation on the Orpheus/Eurydice myth with rock music replacing Orpheus' lyre...
to complete their own version of the song. Band members contributed their parts and a final version was mixed and completed in December 1999.
The band released it free on the internet downloadable from www.mnemonicgroove.com in January 2000 before the official U2 version (released 8, February 2000). Hits on the Mnemonic band website at one point peaked at 97,000+ for one day for the download.
The news of their version of the song spread to global news agencies and this was widely reported on various media and a feature on the band was done by The Straits Times.
The release of their version of the song as free downloadable media prompted a "surprisingly favourable" response from The Edge.