DESCRIPTION:
#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