Twilight
by U2

Album: Boy (1980)
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Songfacts®:

  • Twilight comes when darkness is about to subsume the daylight. Bono sings about losing his way, but it's pretty ambiguous and he hasn't explained the lyric like he has many of his others. The song could have some religious meaning, as Bono's Christian faith played a big role in what he was trying to convey around this time.
  • An early U2 song, "Twilight" appears on their debut album, Boy. They weren't very refined at this point, but were brimming with talent and energy, which producer Steve Lillywhite was able to capture on this cut. He produced their next two albums as well, setting the musical foundation for the band.
  • The line, "In the shadow boy meets man" was interpreted by some fans to be about homosexuality. While U2 did not intend it that way, songs like "Twilight" and "Stories For Boys" earned them a large gay following.
  • The album shows a shirtless, 7-year-old boy on the cover. The American release had an alternate cover with a black and white photo of the band to avoid controversy.
  • An early version appears on the B-side of "Another Day," U2's second single, which was released only in Ireland.

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