"One Tree Hill" is a song by rock band U2 and the ninth track on their 1987 album The Joshua Tree. It was written in memory of Greg Carroll, a Māori the band met in 1984 who later befriended lead singer Bono and served as a roadie for the group. Carroll was killed in July 1986 in a motorcycle accident in Dublin. Following the funeral in Carroll's native country of New Zealand, Bono wrote the lyrics to the song, which he dedicated to Carroll; the title comes from an Auckland hill (pictured) that Bono remembered from his 1984 visit to New Zealand. In March 1988, the song was released as the fourth single from The Joshua Tree in New Zealand and Australia, charting at number one on the New Zealand singles chart. The lyrics reflect Bono's thoughts at the funeral and pay homage to Chilean activist Víctor Jara. The vocals were recorded in a single take, as Bono felt incapable of singing them a second time. U2 delayed performing the song on the Joshua Tree Tour in 1987 due to Bono's emotional state. After its live debut on the tour's third leg and an enthusiastic reaction from audiences, the song was played occasionally for the rest of the tour. (Full article...)
Recently featured: Lactarius indigo – Boden Professor of Sanskrit election, 1860 – Dutch 1913 battleship proposal