A Day Without Me

"A Day Without Me" is the lead single from U2's debut album, Boy and was released in August 1980. Its lyrics are a clear contemplation of suicide and relate to the lead singer of Joy Division, and one of Bono's inspirations, Ian Curtis, who killed himself in May 1980 . The B-side was an instrumental song called "Things to Make and Do".

It was the second single the band recorded after signing the contract with Island Records.

History

Steve Lillywhite had worked with Siouxsie & the Banshees and XTC, and "A Day Without Me" was the first time he recorded with U2.

After DJ Carter Alan of WBCN in Boston heard "A Day Without Me" in a record store, he became a U2 fan and included the song in his playlist. Alan's subsequent promotion of the band was instrumental in introducing a U.S. audience for U2.

"A Day Without Me" was played live during the first half of the 1980s. On the Boy Tour, it did not have a firmly defined set list position, initially appearing in the main set before moving to the encore. It did not appear on the October Tour until , when it was paired with "I Threw a Brick Through a Window", a song from the newly-released October album. The two songs were linked by a drum segue leading from the end of "I Threw A Brick Through A Window" into "A Day Without Me", and this pairing lasted until . Since then, neither song has been played live.

"Things to Make and Do" is the only instrumental ever played live by U2, and it regularly followed "The Electric Co." on the Boy Tour. It has only been played once since the end of that tour, at an early date of the October Tour on .

Track listing

1. "A Day Without Me" – 3:12
2. "Things to Make and Do" – 2:14

Notes

External links

• A Day Without Me's performance history at U2-Vertigo-Tour.com – Lists all concerts at which "A Day Without Me" is known to have been performed.
• Things To Make And Do's performance history at U2-Vertigo-Tour.com – Lists all concerts at which "Things To Make And Do" is known to have been performed.
• Discography entry at U2 Wanderer – Comprehensive details on various editions, cover scans, lyrics, and more.
• "A Day Without Me" Lyrics from U2.com