This marks the first time that I’ll be talking about a cover for my weekly article. I suppose that the first thing that I should advise you to do is to check out Lou Reed’s sublime original (I’ll even supply a link, right here) Lou Reed is one of the great unsung influences on U2. As important as the Ramones in his own way, his impact was especially visible during the 1990’s, when U2 first recorded their version of “Satellite of Love” as a B-side to their remarkable single, “One”. The song then appeared at nearly every show of the ZooTV Tour as a duet between a pre-recorded Lou Reed on the big screens and Bono singing from the B-stage. Years later, Bono and actress Milla Jovovich performed the song as a duet for the soundtrack to Bono’s film, the Million Dollar Hotel (MDH), with drums by Larry. The soundtrack also includes a remix of the duet and an instrumental version with guitar from Daniel Lanois. There’s even a version in the film itself (not on the soundtrack, unfortunately) of Bono singing the song without Milla. Most recently, U2 shook the dust from this classic with a performance in New York at the penultimate show of the Innocence + Experience Tour‘s first leg.

On the surface, I think that U2 were initially drawn to the song because of its references to satellites and TV. These made it a perfect fit for their ZooTV tour which relied on the same technology as those mentioned in the song. On a deeper level, though, “Satellite of Love” is about some of the same themes as those explored by U2 on their then-recent album, Achtung Baby, namely broken relationships and unrequited love. “Satellite of Love” is all about the singer feeling like an outsider, watching the object of his affection from a distance while the admired one gives their attention and time to others. The singer longs for his or her love, all the while she or he spends all his or her time with “Harry, Mark and John.” The “satellite” is perpetually out of reach to those left down on Earth, and all the singer can do is watch. I think that of all of U2’s versions of the song, the original un-remixed version from the MDH soundtrack most perfectly captures the feelings of isolation and loneliness that are inherent in the song’s lyrics.

It was a great treat, as well as a lovely surprise, to get to hear U2 covering the song again a couple of weeks ago in New York, hometown of Lou Reed. I think that “Satellite of Love”, like “One Tree Hill” or “Mothers of the Disappeared” is one of those songs that will receive future airings only in certain locales. While I don’t expect to hear the song again until and unless the band return to New York for another extended run of shows, I think that the song, one of U2’s most beloved covers, and a song that’s obviously near and dear to the band  members themselves, might very make a return engagement if the correct conditions are met.