Song 14: The Hands That Built America

U2 first recorded this song in 2002. Personally, I think it does the best job of capturing the entire American story (though it does have the advantage of having been the most recent of the songs). We, as Americans, have endured a long journey, with many twists and turns along the way, but still, we are a strong and proud nation, built on the contribution of many people with many different backgrounds. It evokes a rather dreamy mood, and it contains very evocative language, particularly the phrase "watercolor sky". You can make an unlimited number of colors, and together, they can be used to paint a brilliant picture (or sky, in this case) that reflects America as a whole.

This song was my favorite from the track. Although September 11 is a distant memory for me (I can't believe it was almost 9 years ago!), I can see how it would give an even more powerful message in 2002, when it was released. Particularly for Americans whose heritage is from the Middle East, many immigrants feared being mistreated by fellow Americans, who all of a sudden feared outsiders. However, this song served as a reminder of what America really was meant to be: a country for all, built by all, shared by all. I personally find that message to be beautiful, and I really enjoyed the song.