Studio album · No. 10
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb Songwriting Credits by U2
Produced by Steve Lillywhite, Chris Thomas, Jacknife Lee, Flood, Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, Nellee Hooper, Carl Glanville · Engineered by Carl Glanville, Chris Heaney, Simon Gogerly, Greg Collins, Kieran Lynch, Simon Osbourne, Ian Rossiter
Island/Interscope
Rock
100%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 11 of 11 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 11 / 11 documented
Who wrote the songs?
Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether U2 carries a lyricist or composer credit.
11 trackswritten by U2
0 tracksoutside writers
U2's roles on this album
Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer0%
Performer100%
By the Numbers
11
Tracks
2
Lyricists
8
Producers
9 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
2004
Released
Data Insight
The booklet keeps U2's standing arrangement: music credited to the band as a unit, lyrics to Bono. Four songs break it and name the Edge as co-lyricist, among them "Vertigo", which fits a track assembled out of two earlier demos the band had been calling "Full Metal Jacket" and "Native Son". Production is where the paperwork gets crowded. Lillywhite has five tracks outright, Chris Thomas has three, Flood and Jacknife Lee take one each, and "Love and Peace or Else" is credited to Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois with three more names underneath for additional production. Eight of the eleven tracks carry somebody doing extra production on top of the lead producer, which is what a record rebuilt from a rejected first version looks like on paper.
U2's eleventh studio album, cut between February 2003 and July 2004 at Hanover Quay in Dublin and in the south of France. The band worked nine months with Chris Thomas and had a finished record they did not like, so Steve Lillywhite took over in January 2004 and spent six months reworking the songs with his assistant Jacknife Lee. Bono called the result the band's first rock album, and its subjects run from death and family to war and faith.
Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks
Written by the artist
Written by outside writers
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Vertigo
#31
|
BonoThe Edge | Paul David HewsonDavid Howell EvansAdam Charles ClaytonLaurence Joseph Mullen Jr. | Steve Lillywhite | U2 (Performer)Jacknife Lee (Synthesizer) |
| 2 |
Miracle Drug
|
BonoThe Edge | Paul David HewsonDavid Howell EvansAdam Charles ClaytonLaurence Joseph Mullen Jr. | Steve LillywhiteCarl GlanvilleJacknife Lee | U2 (Performer)Jacknife Lee (Synthesizer, Programming)Carl Glanville (Percussion, Synthesizer) |
| 3 |
Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own
#97
|
Bono | Paul David HewsonDavid Howell EvansAdam Charles ClaytonLaurence Joseph Mullen Jr. | Chris ThomasSteve LillywhiteNellee Hooper | U2 (Performer)Fabien Waltmann (Programming) |
| 4 |
Love and Peace or Else
|
BonoThe Edge | Paul David HewsonDavid Howell EvansAdam Charles ClaytonLaurence Joseph Mullen Jr. | Brian EnoDaniel LanoisChris ThomasJacknife LeeFlood | U2 (Performer)Jacknife Lee (Synthesizer, Programming)Brian Eno (Synthesizer)Daniel Lanois (Shaker) |
| 5 |
City of Blinding Lights
#2
|
Bono | Paul David HewsonDavid Howell EvansAdam Charles ClaytonLaurence Joseph Mullen Jr. | FloodChris ThomasJacknife Lee | U2 (Performer)Jacknife Lee (Synthesizer)Fabien Waltmann (Programming) |
| 6 |
All Because of You
#4
|
Bono | Paul David HewsonDavid Howell EvansAdam Charles ClaytonLaurence Joseph Mullen Jr. | Steve Lillywhite | U2 (Performer)Jacknife Lee (Keyboards) |
| 7 |
A Man and a Woman
|
Bono | Paul David HewsonDavid Howell EvansAdam Charles ClaytonLaurence Joseph Mullen Jr. | Jacknife LeeSteve LillywhiteCarl Glanville | U2 (Performer)Jacknife Lee (Synthesizer) |
| 8 |
Crumbs from Your Table
|
Bono | Paul David HewsonDavid Howell EvansAdam Charles ClaytonLaurence Joseph Mullen Jr. | Steve LillywhiteJacknife Lee | U2 (Performer)Jacknife Lee (Synthesizer, Guitar) |
| 9 |
One Step Closer
|
Bono | Paul David HewsonDavid Howell EvansAdam Charles ClaytonLaurence Joseph Mullen Jr. | Chris ThomasDaniel LanoisJacknife Lee | U2 (Performer)Daniel Lanois (Guitar, Pedal steel guitar)Jacknife Lee (Synthesizer) |
| 10 |
Original of the Species
|
Bono | Paul David HewsonDavid Howell EvansAdam Charles ClaytonLaurence Joseph Mullen Jr. | Steve LillywhiteJacknife Lee | U2 (Performer)Jacknife Lee (Synthesizer) |
| 11 |
Yahweh
|
BonoThe Edge | Paul David HewsonDavid Howell EvansAdam Charles ClaytonLaurence Joseph Mullen Jr. | Chris Thomas | U2 (Performer)Daniel Lanois (Mandolin) |
Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 16 contributors
AC
Adam Charles Clayton
Writer
B
Bono
Writer
DH
David Howell Evans
Writer
LJ
Laurence Joseph Mullen Jr.
Writer
PD
Paul David Hewson
Writer
TE
The Edge
Writer
JL
Jacknife Lee
Producer · Synthesizer
SL
Steve Lillywhite
Producer
CT
Chris Thomas
Producer
CG
Carl Glanville
Producer · Percussion
DL
Daniel Lanois
Producer · Shaker
F
Flood
Producer
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Frequently Asked Questions How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Who wrote the songs on How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb?
Music is credited to U2 as a band, so all four members hold the composition credit on every track. Lyrics are Bono's, except on "Vertigo", "Miracle Drug", "Love and Peace or Else" and "Yahweh", where the Edge is credited alongside him.
Who produced How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb?
Steve Lillywhite is the album's lead producer. Individual tracks are produced by Chris Thomas, Flood, Jacknife Lee, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, with additional production from Nellee Hooper and Carl Glanville.
When was How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb released?
22 November 2004 in the United Kingdom on Island Records, and a day later in the United States on Interscope.
How many copies did How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb sell?
About 9 million worldwide. It opened at 840,000 copies in its first US week, nearly double the band's previous best, and had sold 3.3 million in the US by March 2014 according to Nielsen SoundScan.
What singles were released from the album?
Four. "Vertigo" came first in November 2004, followed by "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own", "City of Blinding Lights" and "All Because of You" through 2005.
Did How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb win any Grammys?
Eight, spread across the 2005 and 2006 ceremonies, and it won every category it was nominated in. The album itself took Album of the Year and Best Rock Album in 2006.
Where does the title How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb come from?
A line in "Fast Cars", which is not on the standard track listing. That song appears on the UK, Ireland and Japan CD editions, the Special Limited Edition and the digital version.
How long is How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb?
49 minutes and 3 seconds across eleven tracks. Editions that carry "Fast Cars" as a bonus track run 53:09.
Why did U2 re-record the album?
The band had a full album's worth of material after nine months with Chris Thomas but were not satisfied with it. Lillywhite came in as producer in Dublin in January 2004 and spent six months pushing for better performances and reworking songs.
What is How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb?
A companion album of ten unreleased tracks from these sessions, issued in 2024 with the 20th anniversary remastered edition.
Sources
Wikipedia: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Wikipedia: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - Track listing
Wikipedia: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - Personnel (from the CD booklet)
Wikipedia: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - Composition
Wikipedia: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - Commercial performance
Wikipedia: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - Accolades
Wikipedia: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - Weekly singles charts
Wikidata: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (Q370769)
MusicBrainz release group: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Cover Art Archive: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb by U2