The Hands That Built America
U2
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Oh my love It's a long way we've come From the freckled hills To the steel and glass canyons From the stony fields To hanging steel from skies From digging in our pockets For a reason not to say goodbye These are the hands that built America Ah, ah, ah, America Last saw your face In a water colored sky As sea birds argue a long goodbye I took your kiss On the spray of a new lined star You gotta live in your dreams Don't make them so hard And these are the hands that built America Ah, ah, ah, America Of all of the promises Is this one we can keep Of all of the dreams Is this one still out of reach? It's early fall There's a cloud in the New York skyline Innocence dragged across a yellow line These are the hands that built America These are the hands that built America Ah, ah, ah, America Ah, ah, ah, America
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Written by: DAVE EVANS, LARRY MULLEN, ADAM CLAYTON, PAUL HEWSON
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Song Recognition"The Hands That Built America," also known as "The Hands That Built America (Theme from 'Gangs of New York')" is a U2 song, recognized primarily as the end-credits song for the 2002 movie 'Gangs of New York'.
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InspirationIt was written for and used in the Martin Scorsese film, 'Gangs of New York'. The theme served to illustrate the multiple immigrant groups and their roles in the formation of modern America.
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NominationsThe song won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song and was nominated for Best Song at the Academy Awards in 2003, and for a Grammy Award, in 2004.
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Song YearIt was written and recorded in 2002 and eventually released on the soundtrack of the movie 'Gangs of New York' in December 2002.
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Project CollaborationThe song is a rare instance of U2 working with renowned Bollywood music director A.R.Rahman. They also performed this song together during U2's first-ever concert in India in 2019.
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Song StyleThe song is reminiscent of U2's earlier sound from the 80s with heavy use of The Edge's echoing guitars but also incorporates orchestral elements that mirror the film’s 1860s New York setting.
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PerformancesDespite the song's recognition and awards, U2 rarely performs "The Hands That Built America" in full during concerts. Its snippets have often been used as an interlude during performances of "Bullet the Blue Sky".
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U2's Musical EvolutionBono, U2's lead vocalist, acknowledged in interviews that writing the song was challenging due to its specific historical context, which was a departure from their typical global and existential themes.
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Single ReleaseAlthough scheduled to be released as a single, plans were eventually shelved. The song was later included as a bonus track on the 2003 release of U2's 'The Best of 1990-2000' compilation album.
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Critical ReceptionThough the song won awards and was generally appreciated by critics for its music and lyrical depth, it earned a mixed reception from the U2 fans due to its linkage with the movie than the band’s own discography.
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Citation
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"The Hands That Built America Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/5976421/U2/The+Hands+That+Built+America>.
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