"Dirt Beneath the Feet of the World" (1987)
Demo Song
Background Information
“Dirt Beneath the Feet of the World” is a demo developed by U2 as they were working on Rattle and Hum.
A series of videos labeled as “Outtakes” from Rattle and Hum started to circulate in the early 1990s. One of those videos includes footage of Bono and The Edge visiting Jimmy Iovine’s house in Long Island on October 19, 1987. They speak with Iovine, while playing some new songs.
One of these songs is “She’s Gonna Blow Your House Down”, which Iovine says has promise. The Edge and Bono both have guitars and play along with the track. The track was an early version of the track which would continue to be refined during the Achtung Baby sessions in Berlin. The video features almost 20 minutes of The Edge and Bono working on the track.
The second song worked on was “We Almost Made It This Time” which Bono introduces by name.
A third and final song is worked on sometimes called “Heartland Storm” which may be a title from the fan community. In discussion Bono asks Iovine if they could use the “Prisoner of Love” chorus, and the Edge says the original chorus was when he was writing a country song, so maybe it should have a different chorus. Bono also mentions “Dirt Beneath the Feet of the World” as a strong title.