"Window in the Skies" is a song by Irish

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band U2 and is one of two new songs featured on their 2006

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

U218 Singles ''U218 Singles'' is a greatest hits album by Irish rock band U2, released in November 2006. In most markets, the album contains 18 songs: 16 of their most successful and popular single (music), singles, and two new songs. The 17th track is a c ...

''. It was released on 1 January 2007 as the album's second single. It was recorded in September 2006 at

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a music recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, London, Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of ...

in London and produced by

Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (, ; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popularize hip hop by produci ...

. The song was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. As of 2024, it is the last U2 song to appear in the UK top 10 singles chart.

Music videos

There are two different music videos for this song. U2 released the first music video for "Window in the Skies" on 20 November 2006, after the completion of their Australian leg of the Vertigo tour. A second version of the video was released a few weeks later. The first video, directed by Gary Koepke, is a montage that includes nearly 100 clips taken from footage from the previous 50 years of other famous musicians performing in concert. The clips were selected and edited together so that either the lip movements or the finger movements of the musicians, who actually were performing other songs, match up with either the lyrics or the music of the U2 song. The musicians in order of appearance are:

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, John Stirratt,

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, U2,

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, Chrissie Hynde,

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, Unidentified,

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, U2,

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, Larry Mullen Jr.,

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, Apollo Sunshine,

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, U2 and

. The only confirmed location of the video is the Corner Hotel in

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. The band is featured only very briefly in the crowds as fans. The second video, directed by Jonas Odell, is another montage. The camera flies through a surreal landscape with floating buildings and still images, mostly of the band from their ''U2 By U2'' autobiography, morphing into each other.

Live performances

The song has only been performed on the fifth leg of U2's

Vertigo Tour The Vertigo Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 2004 album '' How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb'', the tour visited arenas and stadiums between March 2005 and December 2006. The Vertigo To ...

.U2-Vertigo-Tour.com
All times "Window in the Skies" played live by U2
/ref> The Edge played the song on a

Rickenbacker Rickenbacker International Corporation is a string instrument manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California. Rickenbacker is the first known maker of electric guitars, with a steel guitar in 1932, and produces a range of electric guitars and bass ...

330-12.

Track listings

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References