As many of you are aware, the 20th anniversary box sets for Achtung Baby were released recently. There was a disc included in the Uber box called the Kindergarten Achtung Baby. This disc is track for track match to the original album but the tracks are preliminary versions that did not end up as the final product. This was the one piece of the most expensive box that caught my attention.
I have been lucky enough to listen to this disc several times. Over the next little while I will try to do a direct comparison of each track. The tenth track is Ultraviolet. Here is the audio for the ‘Baby’ version:
Oh sugar, don’t you cry
Oh child, wipe the tears from your eyes
You know I need you to be strong
And the day is as dark as the night is long
Feel like trash, you make me feel clean
I’m in the black, can’t see or be seen
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
(alright now)
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
You bury your treasure
Where it can’t be found
But your love is like a secret
That’s been passed around
There is a silence that comes to a house
Where no one can sleep
I guess it’s the price of love
I know it’s not cheap
(oh, come on)
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
(oh, come on)
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
Oh…ultraviolet…
Ultraviolet…
Ultraviolet…
Ultraviolet…
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
I remember
When we could sleep on stones
Now we lie together
In whispers and moans
When I was all messed up
And I had opera in my head
Your love was a light bulb
Hanging over my bed
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
(oh, come on)
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
Oh…ultraviolet…
Ultraviolet…
Ultraviolet…
Ultraviolet…
Baby, baby, baby, light my way…
Sometimes I feel like I don’t know
Sometimes I feel like checkin’ out
I want to get it wrong
Can’t always be strong
And love it won’t be long…
Baby, baby, baby…
Baby, baby, baby…
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
[Repeat 3 times]
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
I trust you all caught the difference here. The normal kick-off to this song is now close to the end of the song. I found this bizarrely fascinating. I sat and wondered ‘okay so what prompted that move’? I think maybe the long intro without any vocal may have been the culprit.
I noticed how much it changes the dynamic of the song. Instead of the quiet building in followed by the almost pop sensibility, we get this rather strange opening that launches right into it and suddenly there is a pause close to the end where it quiets down.
It really does give a completely different feel doesn’t it? And you realize the lyrics are done and put to bed at this point and they are just trying to edit this into whatever the final version will be.
In many ways I actually like this one a bit better. I like that twist in the middle of the song rather then the flow through that we got in the final version. I really liked the opening here as well. It was a nice surprise.
Musically, otherwise, pretty close. But I noticed in a couple of spots a little long gap between verses that they obviously wanted to tighten up. You may be like me and catch the flow and when the singing isn’t where you expect, you get caught out. Another little point in the creative process that I really don’t think about a lot but was interesting for me to see.
Sometimes I feel like I don’t know
Sometimes I feel like checkin’ out
I want to get it wrong
Can’t always be strong
And love it won’t be long…
Oh sugar, don’t you cry
Oh child, wipe the tears from your eyes
You know I need you to be strong
And the day is as dark as the night is long
Feel like trash, you make me feel clean
I’m in the black, can’t see or be seen
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
(alright now)
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
You bury your treasure
Where it can’t be found
But your love is like a secret
That’s been passed around
There is a silence that comes to a house
Where no one can sleep
I guess it’s the price of love
I know it’s not cheap
(oh, come on)
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
(oh, come on)
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
Oh…ultraviolet…
Ultraviolet…
Ultraviolet…
Ultraviolet…
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
I remember
When we could sleep on stones
Now we lie together
In whispers and moans
When I was all messed up
And I had opera in my head
Your love was a light bulb
Hanging over my bed
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
(oh, come on)
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
Ultraviolet…
[Repeat 4 times]
Baby, baby, baby…
Baby, baby, baby…
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
[Repeat 3 times]
Baby, baby, baby…light my way
Larry Lootsteen's Blog 
When I heard this version of the song I instantly got a bit of a “the Cure” feeling since it is more surrealistic and a bit more darker the version that ended up on the album. When I listened to it and the song was at the verse where Bono goes:
“I remember
When we could sleep on stones
Now we lie together
In whispers and moans
When I was all messed up
And I had opera in my head
Your love was a light bulb
Hanging over my bed”
The similarities between him and Robert Smith of the Cure are striking. Well, I guess Bono has always been known for his good skills in imitating people. He really is.
I can definitely hear that. I do think they are two similarly toned singers though I think Bono’s style and Robert’s have significant contrasts. On this particular one though, I can see it…
Thanks for sharing that!
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Cool stuff! Best Achtung Baby song for me:)