Magnificent by U2

After all the buzz about the latest effort from one of my favorite rock bands, U2, I am quite impressed with it. I wasn't sure whether all the hype would result in a let down or not but I have to say I love this album...not like I love listening to the classic U2 but it's a good album.

I played this song for my kids in class this week and I really think they enjoyed it...although I have to say that almost none of my 100+ kids knew that they were listening to U2 (I didn't tell them before hand and I only played the song off my iPod and had a PPT slide show with the lyrics on it). Nonetheless, I really think they enjoyed the song.

One of my favorite things about the internet is that you can see what others around the country/world are thinking about this song! Here are just a few comments from several web sites that I found about this song Magnificent.

From a YOUTUBE uploader: "When Bono Says "Magnificent" he is refering to Jesus. Most Excellent! Most U2 fans don't even realize that U2 is a Christian Rock Band."

From freechristianresources.org: "Magnificent, by U2 live on the Letterman Show singinging some very Christian lyrics!"

From chrisburke.ca/?tag=magnificent: "For many years U2 fans and anti-fans have asked the same question: “is U2 Christian?” It’s a very common question, one that I know I have wondered many times. 2 years ago, my worship team started performing some of U2’s songs during services. We’ve always gotten questions like “why do you guys do that secular music” or, we just get blank stares when we break into songs like “Sunday Bloody Sunday” or “Vertigo”… typically its the blank stares.. few people are often bold enough to question us…
Well, for those who do ask the why, I always show them the lyrics to the songs, and share the theological message behind a song like vertigo, which usually comes as a shock to people, but once they see it, they totally dig it.
Well, it appears as though I’m not the only one who has seen the christian undertones (who would have thought) in the music of U2.."

From christianpost.com: "No Line On The Horizon, the latest album from Irish rock band U2, has finally hit music stores in North America after its worldwide debut Friday in Ireland. And according to a theologian in Alabama, it’s “the most thoroughly Christian thing they’ve done yet.”
“Like the last two albums, No Line is much more overt in its Christian rendering of the world, what with lyrics like ‘Justified until we die/You and I will magnify/Oh, the Magnificent’ from the album's second track,” commented Steven R. Harmon, an associate professor of divinity at Samford University's Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala.'" read more of this article HERE.

And then there is this page http://u2sermons.blogspot.com/ which is of course just like it is labeled...sermons/spiritual entries from U2 lyrics...

Without further ado...here are the lyrics to Magnificent...you can decide for yourself who Bono is really singing about.

Magnificent
Oh, magnificent



I was born
I was born to be with you 

In this space and time

After that and ever after
I haven't had a clue


Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart
Black and blue



Only love
Only love can leave such a mark

But only love
Only love can heal such a scar


I was born
I was born to sing for you 

I didn’t have a choice
But to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry
It was a joyful noise
Oh, oh

Only love
Only love can leave such a mark

But only love
Only love can heal such a scar


Justified till we die
You and I will magnify

Oh, the magnificent

Magnificent

Only love
Only love can leave such a mark

But only love
Only love unites our hearts



Justified till we die
You and I will magnify
Oh, the magnificent

Magnificent

Magnificent