Hymn - Ultravox

I had the pleasure of seeing Ultravox live at Paradiso during the last tour they ever did - and with the recent passing of Chris Cross I think there won't ever be another one - and this song was one of the most rousing tracks on the set. It wasn't the bands biggest hit, but it could have been. 

Lyrically, the song describes a time of corruption, in which "all that's good will fall from grace" and "Different words [...] have other meaning"; the protagonist expresses his worldly ambitions for "power and glory" in phrases from Bible ("the storybook"), especially The Lord's Prayer. 'Hymn' peaked at number 11 in the singles chart in the UK, where it was certified silver, and reached top 10 in Germany and Switzerland. This picture disc is a beautiful piece.

My collection: 7" single no. 7172
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, 16 April 2024
Tracks: 'Hymn' / 'Monument'