Zooropa (song)

"Zooropa"
A white outline of a baby's head inside of an oval space helmet, set against a black background. The baby looks directly at the viewer. Twelve yellow five-pronged stars encircle the baby's head. Above the stars is a golden coloured rectangular box with the words U2 and Zooropa written in black capital letters inside of it.
Mexico promotional release
Promotional single by U2
from the album Zooropa
Released5 July 1993 (1993-07-05)
RecordedMarch–May 1993
Studio
GenreAlternative rock
Length
  • 6:30
  • 4:42 (edit)
LabelIsland
Composer(s)U2
Lyricist(s)Bono
Producer(s)
Audio sample

"Zooropa" is a song by Irish rock band U2, and is the opening track from their 1993 album of the same name. The song was the result of combining two pieces of music, the first of which was conceived in the studio, and the second of which was a soundcheck recording from one of the group's concert tours that was discovered by guitarist the Edge. The lyrics were written by lead vocalist Bono and describe two characters in a brightly lit city in a futuristic version of European society. Some lyrics in the song were taken directly from advertising slogans, and they also featured the phrase "dream out loud", which has appeared in other U2 media. The song touched on several themes, including moral confusion and the future of European society.

Promotional recordings of the song were released in the United States and Mexico, and the song appeared on two record charts shortly after its release in 1993. The song was briefly performed at three shows on U2's Zoo TV Tour in 1993. The band had difficulties performing it in 1993, and it was not played again until the U2 360° Tour in 2011.

The recording of the song received mostly positive reception from critics, who praised it as the album's opening track.