This track is one of the most propulsive moments on one of the best-selling rock albums ever made. It rewards careful listening before any attempt to play it, because the energy comes from how the parts lock together rather than from any single flashy move.

U2 recorded it for The Joshua Tree, released in 1987 and produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. The production has a wide, open quality that became a defining sound of the era: every instrument sits in its own space, yet the whole thing drives forward with real urgency. The Edge's guitar work, Adam Clayton's bass, Larry Mullen Jr.'s drumming, and Bono's vocal all serve the same relentless forward motion.

The feel is a driving eighth-note groove with a strong sense of two against the bar. The harmony is relatively straightforward, built on open, ringing chord shapes that sustain and overlap. The form moves quickly from verse to chorus with very little transitional material, which means every player has to be locked in to the pocket from the first bar. Signature moments include the way tension builds through each section and releases cleanly at the top of the chorus.

When approaching this song, focus first on maintaining consistent dynamics through the whole form. The groove depends on every player holding their intensity steady rather than rushing into the louder sections. Practice listening across all the parts simultaneously, and pay attention to where the natural breath points are in the phrase structure. The song rewards a restrained touch early so that the peaks feel earned.

• Artist: U2
• Album: The Joshua Tree (1987)
• Producers: Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois
• Feel: driving eighth-note rock groove in 4/4
• Part of a landmark album that won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1988
• Arrangement built on interlocking, sustained open chord textures with an insistent forward pulse