U2 "MLK"@Tempe, Dec. 20th 1987

#U2 #MLK #JoshuaTreeTour1987 #RattleandHum Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 -- April 4, 1968) Live from Tempe, Dec. 20, 1987 According to Bono: "MLK" has been written "as sort of a lullaby for an idea that was dying in our country: the idea of non-violence... All inspired by a black reverend from Atlanta who refused to hate because he thought love would do a better job." (from "In the Name of Love: King's Legacy Lives On" by Michelle Watson, The Daily Journal, January 24, 2004) U2 Lyrics - M.L.K. from "The Unforgettable Fire" Sleep Sleep tonight And may your dreams Be realized If the thunder cloud Passes rain So let it rain Rain down on him So let it be So let it be Sleep Sleep tonight And may your dreams Be realized If the thundercloud Passes rain (This lyric, to me, is about letting the bad times pass on by.) So let it rain Let it rain Rain on him ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ As in "Pride," Martin Luther King is not mentioned by name in the lyrics. Using his initials as the title of this song made it clear that the song was about him and his ideals. This became a live favorite for U2, getting played on most stops of both their Unforgettable Fire and Joshua Tree tours, and getting revived in 2009 for their 360° tour. Lights in the venues were typically dimmed for the song. In the band's 2005 autobiography U2 by U2, Bono wrote: "In the scriptures they talk about the blood crying from the ground. And with 'MLK' you have just that, the blood crying from the ground - but not for revenge, for understanding. I had a conversation with Bob Dylan at that time. He said, 'We associate three kings with Memphis. Elvis, the King, of course. The great B.B. King. But then there's Martin Luther King. Where's his Graceland, where's his monument? The city had plans to tear down the motel outside of which he was murdered. That struck a chord with me." ⭐©U2