Listening again to Heaven Up Here, I'm struck by the difference between the Bunnymen and U2, which always unsettled McCulloch himself: it's to do with their grasp of eternal mysteries, or in the Bunnymen's case, their failure to get hold of them, their failure to climb, as they put it, Over the Wall:
The man at the back has a question
His tongue's involved with solutions
But the monkey on my back
Won't stop laughing
Over the wall
Hand in hand
Over the wall
Watch us fall
There's something to be said for you
And your hopes of higher ruling
But the slug on my neck
Won't stop chewing
Over the wall
Hand in hand
Over the wall
Watch us fall
I'm walking in the rain
To end this misery
I'm walking in the rain
To celebrate this misery
What's that you say?
Speak up, I can't hear you
What do you say?
I couldn't hear you
Over the wall
Hand in hand
Over the wall
Watch us fall
Mind, as time went on U2 learned to express similar honesty about their struggle to hold onto hopes of higher ruling - they're still interesting because they continue to ask such questions. We're the richer because both bands have publicised their spiritual struggles, and made such great art of them.
john davies
 yellow on blue CAT.png)
