| Get Out of Your Own Way | |
| Cover: | U2 Get Out of Your Own Way single cover.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | U2 |
| Album: | Songs of Experience |
| Genre: | Pop rock |
| Label: | Island, Universal |
| Composer: | U2 |
| Lyricist: | Bono |
| Prev Title: | You're the Best Thing About Me |
| Prev Year: | 2017 |
| Next Title: | Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way |
| Next Year: | 2018 |
"Get Out of Your Own Way" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the fourth track on their fourteenth studio album, Songs of Experience, and was released as the album's second single on 8 December 2017.
"Get Out of Your Own Way" is lyrically addressed to the daughters of lead vocalist Bono[1] (actress Eve Hewson, and Jordan, both featured on the cover),[2] with words of encouragement to not be one's own worst enemy.[3] [4] The lyrics also reference the US political crisis, mentioning Liberty receiving a "smack in the mouth".[1] Musically, the song was compared to the band's 2000 single "Beautiful Day". Seguing between the end of "Get Out of Your Own Way" and the beginning of the album's next track, "American Soul", is a spoken word segment by rapper Kendrick Lamar; playing what Bono called a "cracked preacher", Lamar gives an ironic take on the Beatitudes.[1] [5]
On 1 November 2017, the band officially announced details of the album's release; as part of the announcement, "Get Out of Your Own Way" was one of two songs released on music streaming services. Those who pre-ordered the album received "instant grat downloads" of "Get Out of Your Own Way" and other songs.[6] U2 performed "Get Out of Your Own Way" on the 2 December 2017 episode of American comedy television series Saturday Night Live.[7]
"Get Out of Your Own Way" was released as the album's second single on 16 January 2018, with the song's music video following two days later.[8] For the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, U2 pre-recorded the performance of "Get Out of Your Own Way" on a barge in front of the Statue of Liberty.[9]
After the single release of "Get Out of Your Own Way", several remixes of the song were issued by Afrojack and Switch.[10]
| Chart (2018) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[11] | 89 | |
| Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[12] | 79 |
| Country | Date | Format | Version | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy[13] | 8 December 2017 | Contemporary hit radio | Original | Universal |
| Various[14] | 29 December 2017 | Switch Remix | Interscope | |
| United States[15] | 16 January 2018 | Alternative radio | Original | |
| Various | 26 January 2018[16] | Afrojack Remix | ||
| 6 April 2018[17] | Acoustic Version | |||