Overview
In U2’s Songs of Trauma and Hope: “Between the Midnight and the Dawning"", Ingunn Røysland and Charles Ivan Armstrong show that trauma is an important theme for U2. While this leads the band to confront extreme instances of grief and suffering, this does not prevent them to cross (in the words of their song “A Sort of Homecoming”) “the fields of mourning to a light that's in the distance.” Theories from trauma and memory studies are deployed in the examination of song lyrics and performances by U2, spanning from the early days of the band to more recent times. In their exploration of light and dark, of hope and trauma within the U2 catalogue, Røysland and Armstrong acknowledge the complexity of the songs, addressing different layers, including romantic as well as divine allegory. The authors also address the band’s troublesome lyrics, with an entire chapter devoted to “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” as well as the role of multidirectional memory and significant places, so-called lieux de mémoire, in U2’s dealings with a ranger of historical conflicts and crises. They further examine how music plays an important part in the path of healing from traumatic wounds, analysing the reception of the songs. Ultimately, it is suggested, U2 shows us how to get “through the night.”
Full Product Details
Author: Ingunn Røysland ,
Charles I. Armstrong
Publisher: Lexington Books
Imprint: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic
Dimensions:
Width: 15.80cm
, Height: 2.00cm
, Length: 23.70cm
Weight: 0.458kg
ISBN: 9781666930986
ISBN 10: 1666930989
Pages: 172
Publication Date: 29 March 2024
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
"""Teasing out ever new meanings and expressive richness in the songs of U2, the close readings of this book serve as liner notes to its own expertly curated playlist. Surely it will become a resource for fans to return to, very much like the celebrated catalogue it throws new light on."" -- Øyvind Vågnes, University of Bergen"
"""Teasing out ever new meanings and expressive richness in the songs of U2, the close readings of this book serve as liner notes to its own expertly curated playlist. Surely it will become a resource for fans to return to, very much like the celebrated catalogue it throws new light on."" --Øyvind Vågnes, University of Bergen"
Author Information
Charles I. Armstrong is professor of English literature at the University of Agder. Ingunn Røysland is teacher of English and German and currently teaches German at Skigymnaset, Hovden.
