43: It's Everything I Wish I Didn't Know

43. "Vertigo" by U2 {#31; 10/04} [Video: Vertigo.]

Once again, I'm probably really angering the fans of a famous rock band. Just as Beatles fans would find it blasphemous that my highest ranked song by them is "Free As a Bird," so to will U2 fans be upset that the only two songs by them in the HondoJoe Top 200 are "Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out of" (back at #155) and "Vertigo."

That's right, higher than "Pride," "With Or Without You," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and "One." Once again: It's my list, so I don't care what you think!

I first came to hear this song when it was used in commercials by Apple to sell iPods. It's a real catchy song, and the repeated exposure from the commercials nudged me toward actually purchasing the song.

It's got a lot of great components as a song:

*It starts off with a great count-up: "Uno…dos…tres…catorce!" which, of course, means "One…two…three…fourteen!" (It's the best use of miscounting since the "One…two…three…five!" in Supertramp's "The Logical Song.")

*There's a great repeated refrain of, "Hello! Hello! Hola!" This is what helped make the song a much re-sung hit around our house. When I shout to the kids, "Hello! Hello!" they will often echo back to me with "Hola!"

*It's got some rocking guitar riffs.

*There's a fun little spot where Bono says, "All this, all this can be yours! All this, all this can be yours! All this, all this can be yours! Just give me what I want and no one gets hurt!"

*And, the song has a great multiple "Yeah!" ending. In fact, the song ends with Bono screaming "Yeah!" sixteen straight times. (Yes, I counted.)

All in all, this is a very well-crafted pop/rock song. It's got a great beginning, great middle, and great ending. Do I care if the lyrics have no political significance? No. (I haven't much cared about politics since Ross Perot lost the election a few years back.)

COMING UP NEXT: The Return of the Belly-Buttons!