["Don't believe what you see","And act like that and you can dream so dream out loud","No, nothing makes sense","","And I'd join the movement","What happened your face","'Cause I need it now","Now it's all been said","When I first met you girl","Nothing seems to fit","Yeah I'd break bread and wine","If you just close your eyes","","Now it looks like this","What are we going to do?","","So don't let the bastards grind you down","You can stash and you can seize","And you can swallow or you can spit","And you can dream so dream out loud","","And I must be an acrobat","To drink it slow I can't let you go","Of melting in snow?","And you can find your own way out","To talk like this and act like that","And I can love, and I can love","And you can build, and I can will","","Oh, it hurts baby","If there was a church I could receive in","","And don't let the bastards grind you down","No new ideas in the house","I know you'd hit out","To take the cup, to fill it up","You can feel the enemy","Don't believe what you hear","You had fire in your soul","You know that your time is coming 'round","And every book has been read","And dreams begin responsibilities","I must be an acrobat to talk like this","And you can call I can't wait until","","And I know that the tide is turning 'round","If you only knew who to hit","So don't let the bastards grind you down","You can throw it up or choke on it","And you can dream so dream out loud","If there was one I could believe in",""]
Performed by: U2 Written by: Adam Clayton; Dave Evans; Paul Hewson; Larry (Jr) Mullen
Credits: Clayton, Adam (Songwriter); Evans, Dave (Songwriter); Hewson, Paul (Songwriter); Mullen, Larry (Jr) (Songwriter); POLYGRAM INT. MUSIC PUBL. B.V. (Publisher)
U2's approach to recording Achtung Baby had been to "throw out" all that they knew, to work with music they didn't know, in a place (Berlin) that they didn't know, and to re-arrange roles and responsibilities within the band. This was an alienating experience for long-time collaborator and producer Daniel Lanois, particularly on recording "Acrobat". Bono described him as trying get the band to play to their strengths while Bono was trying to experiment and play to their weaknesses.[1]
Lyrically, it is one of the most personal on Achtung Baby with Bono acknowledging personal weakness, contradictions, and inadequacy.[1] Bono's long standing friend, artist Gavin Friday, suggests its chorus "Don't let the bastards grind you down" is aimed at the press.[1]
It is the only song from the album that was never played live,[2] but was rehearsed in acoustic form for the opening shows of Zoo TV: Outside Broadcast Tour rehearsals in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
