Invisible
by U2

Album: single release only (2014)
Charted: 65
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Songfacts®:

  • This anthemic number about leaving one's hometown was debuted during a commercial from RED and Bank of America that aired during the 2014 Super Bowl on February 2nd. RED is an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS, which was co-founded by Bono in 2006.
  • The song was made available as a limited-edition free download on iTunes for the first 24 hours after the Super Bowl commercial aired. For every download during that time, Bank of America promised to donate $1 (up to $2 million) to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in many of the world's poorest countries.

    According to the band's website, by the time the free downloads ended the total sum raised was $3,138,470.
  • Bono told DJ Zane Lowe on his BBC Radio 1 show that the band thought back to their late '70s roots for this song and the rest of the album. "We listened to all this extraordinary music in the late '70s and started to think about those times and the things that made us who we were," the U2 frontman said. "We went back to why we wanted to be in a band in the first place. It opened up a whole valve for me writing and it was a dam burst of sorts. Punk rock and electronic [music] was when it started for us. We were listening to the Ramones and Kraftwerk and you can hear both of those things on 'Invisible.'"
  • The Mark Romanek directed music video was shot in a Santa Monica airport hangar over three days in January 2014. One Hour Photo director Mark Romanek's resume includes such classic music clips as Jay Z's "99 Problems," Johnny Cash's "Hurt" and Michael and Janet Jackson's "Scream."

Comments: 2

  • Murray River from Los AngelesBono is very deep. Death has played a huge part in his lyrics. I think he senses things most of us miss. This song does seem to identify with those that have moved on, but that come back to check on us.
  • Greg from Harrington Park, NjI don't think this is a song about leaving one's hometown -- Bono is a much deeper writer than that. I think if you look at and analyze the lyrics this is a song about his deceased mother and reuniting with her in the after life... Bono's mother died when he was 13 or 14 I think - she suffered an aneurysm at her own father's funeral. Bono lost his mother and grandfather in the same week. I finally found my real name --I won’t be me when you see me again -- No, I won’t be my father’s son - I won't be me when you see me again - (meaning that he will be the adult version of the child she last remembered before departing from this world) I won't be my father's son - after her death he was his father's son but when he gets to heaven and reunites with his mother he will be her son or will have her to identify with instead of just being his father's son as he was until his dad's death... I’m more than you know -I’m more than you see here - More than you let me be - I’m more than you know- A body in a soul - You don’t see me but you will - I am not invisible..... I'm more than you know - the last time he saw her he was a child and he is now a gigantic rock star and world philanthropist, A body in a soul - he's a human being she is a spirit in the afterlife -- you don't see me but you will - once he gets to heaven she will see him as he is and he won't be invisible .... or it can even be interpreted that the chorus is actually sung by his mother -- right now Bono doesn't see her but he will once he dies and they reunite.... I think it is beautifully written and powerful. I could be wrong about my interpretation but that is what is so great about music - I have my own interpretation and it doesn't matter if any of us are right or wrong. We can all agree on that.
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