# The 1981 song that not a single member of U2 actually liked: “Not high on content”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-1981-song-that-not-a-single-member-of-u2-actually-liked-not-high-on-content/
- Published: 2026-10-25T10:49:16+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-25T11:38:26+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1981-song-that-not-a-single-member-of-u2-actually-liked/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- U2 saw ‘Fire’ as an unfinished song.
- The Edge said it had potential but little content.
- Live performances gave it a longer life.

## Summary

U2’s 1981 song ‘Fire’, recorded during work on their second album, was a track the band later regarded as underdeveloped. The Edge described it as high in potential but low in content, despite its big chorus and appeal as a live performance.

The song was recorded in the Bahamas before the main Dublin sessions for October, when U2 were short of material after Bono lost a briefcase of lyrics and ideas. Live versions, including a 1982 performance at Werchter, continued to circulate on releases, and the song later appeared on a 2021 anniversary edition. It was eventually dropped from the band’s setlist.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.