"Get Out of Your Own Way" is a song by Irishrock bandU2. It is the fourth track on their fourteenth studio album,Songs of Experience, and was released as the album's second single on 8 December 2017.
"Get Out of Your Own Way" is lyrically addressed to the daughters of lead vocalistBono[1] (actressEve Hewson, and Jordan, both featured on the cover),[2] with words of encouragement to not be one's own worst enemy.[3][4] The lyrics also reference the US political crisis, mentioningLiberty receiving a "smack in the mouth".[1] Musically, the song was compared to the band's 2000 single "Beautiful Day".[5] Segueing between the end of "Get Out of Your Own Way" and the beginning of the album's next track, "American Soul", is a spoken word segment by rapperKendrick Lamar; playing what Bono called a "cracked preacher", Lamar gives an ironic take on theBeatitudes.[1][6]
On 1 November 2017, the band officially announced details of the album's release; as part of the announcement, "Get Out of Your Own Way" was one of two songs released on music streaming services. Those who pre-ordered the album received "instant grat downloads" of "Get Out of Your Own Way" and other songs.[7] U2 performed "Get Out of Your Own Way" on the 2 December 2017 episode of American comedy television seriesSaturday Night Live.[8]
"Get Out of Your Own Way" was released as the album's second single on 16 January 2018,[9] with the song's music video following two days later.[10] For the60th Annual Grammy Awards, U2 pre-recorded the performance of "Get Out of Your Own Way" on a barge in front of theStatue of Liberty.[11]
After the single release of "Get Out of Your Own Way", several remixes of the song were issued byAfrojack andSwitch.[12]
