September 11, 2001

After the tragic attack of September 11, five years ago Monday, U2 considered cancelling the last US leg of their Elevation tour. Many other performers and entertainers at the time sought appropriate responses in the wake of the attack. U2 decided to continue and they finished the tour at the end of the year.

After finishing off the tour, U2 capped it with a memorable tribute to the victims of 9/11 at the XXXVI Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans.

Super Bowl halftime show (Part 1)

The show begins in true Bono style as the personable front man strides up to the stage. He's right where he's most comfortable- in the midst of thousands of screaming fans.

Super Bowl halftime show (Part 2)

In second half of the show, the Irish rockers show their solidarity with the people of the United States with a medley of "MLK" and "Where The Streets Have No Name". A gigantic projection of the names of those who died scroll above them as they play. The songs are meaningful and touching without being cheesy or overdone. In fact, they rock pretty hard.

This show is a testament to why Bono and U2 are such huge rock stars. Even more than that, it shows that they realize there are things even bigger than they are.

MLK - Where The Streets Have No Name

Sleep
Sleep tonight
And may your dreams
Be realized
If the thundercloud
Passes rain
So let it rain
Let it rain
Rain on me

O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall forth Thy praise. (Psalm 51:15)

I wanna run
I want to hide
I wanna tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I wanna reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name
I want to feel
Sunlight on my face
I see the dust cloud disappear
Without a trace
I want to take shelter from the poison rain (I want to dance in the Louisiana rain)
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do

The city's aflood
And our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled in dust
I'll show you a place
High on a desert plain (Where there's no sorrow or pain)
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do

Love, love, love
Love, love, love