Friday 10 February 2017

In God's Country - U2

Lyrics:- 'Desert sky, dream beneath the desert sky' - Hewson

Song Choice:- I've actually got this as a 12" single still in it's cellophane wrapper and have never played it so it must be worth a few quid perhaps. Anyway, it's another great track from the 1987 U2 Classic Album, 'The Joshua Tree'. No-one except Bono would be able to say whether the song is about Ireland or America, even thought there is a 'Statue of Liberty' reference in it but the lyrics and sound reference the desert as well in accordance with the band's wish for 'The Joshua Tree' to have a 'cinematic' sense of location. Deep stuff eh?

Back in the real world and in 1999, I took a panoramic camera to0 the desert and took some very wide-angled photos to try and capture the vastness and pure drama of the desert that I'd immediately fallen in love with. I'm not sure when I now look at these photos if the equipment of the day was capable of grabbing the detail and the atmosphere I'd wanted. Therefore, I'm taking my 'fish-eyed' Nikon camera to this year's Marathon des Sables to get a definitive desert shot so I can then hang it on my office wall to marvel at everyday.

Hopefully I will be able to capture 'God's Country' because the landscape in the desert is free from any human influences and if I find the solitude and serenity that the race brings it will be a great souvenir of my time in the desert.

It will make an interesting aside to this year's race...

I'm also interested to know where you believe your 'God's Country' is. Most will say it's where they live especially if you are from Yaaarrrrkkkkkshire or Cymru like me. No, I'm more interested in the places that you go to find yourself and where you get the spiritual high that I've written about above.

Where's it to?

Rory Coleman - 981 Marathons - 241 Ultras - 13 Marathon des Sables 
9 Guinness World Records - 8,437 Days' Alcohol Free.
Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.
Location: Caerdydd, Cymru - God's Country

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