U2 > Discography > Albums

Walk On

19 November, 20011

DISC NO:1

Walk OnLyrics
Beautiful Day (live from Farmclub.com)Lyrics
New York (live from Farmclub.com)Lyrics

DISC NO:2

Big Girls Are BestLyrics
Beautiful Day (Quincey and Sonance Remix)Lyrics

'You're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been/ A place that has to be believed to be seen...'

It was the lyric of 'Walk On' that gave the title to the album on which the song appears: 'The only baggage you can bring is all that you can't leave behind.' The track, inspired by Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Burma's National League for Democracy and under house arrest by the military junta running the country, was the fourth single from All That You Can't Leave Behind and went on to be named 'Record of Of the Year' at the Grammy Awards in 2002.

Because of 'Walk On', the album was banned in Burma, but with its rapid arrival as a live favourite from the Elevation Tour on, the song proved was powerful in introducing thousands to the campaign for freedom and democracy in the country. On the U2 360° Tour fans wore masks of Aung San Suu Kyi when 'Walk On' was performed.

More than ten years after the release of the song, Aung San Suu Kyi, now released from house arrest, visited Dublin where Bono presented her with Amnesty International's 'Ambassador of Conscience' Award.

Find out more about the campaign for democracy in Burma.

Released Date:

19 November, 2001

Produced By:

Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Additional Production : Steve Lillywhite

Engineer:

Richard Rainey

Label:

Island Records

Recorded At:

SOUNDBITES

'It was inspired by a Burmese leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and her struggle for free elections in Burma. She left the comfort of her home in Oxford, as an academic, and her family and her son and her husband, and went to do the right thing for her people. And it was just one of the great acts of courage in the 20th century. And it's continuing into the 21st century - she's been under house arrest for some time now, and people get, you know, we all get very worried about how she's doing. At first, I was writing it from the point of view of her family, or her son, you know, her husband, and then in the end I kept it a little abstract and just let it be a love song about somebody having to leave a relationship for the right reasons.'

Bono, talking about the song Walk On, in an interview with Sonicnet.com.

Comments

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barbie61311

13 August, 2012

Barbie061311

We have all grown up since the release of this album. The world has change so much. The most important thing is the she has been released and returned to us. Thank you U2 and Amnesty International, you prevailed!!! :-)

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