U2 song One is the perfect lullaby for children to fall asleep to, boffins say – The Irish Sun

Scientists named U2’s song One as the ideal track for parents to use when trying to get their tots to nod off.

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Boffins analysed 4,500 songs that regularly feature on lullaby playlists created on music streaming service Spotify.

They found that One, released by the band in 1992, contains all the properties of a “perfect lullaby”.

Researcher Annaliese Grimaud, of the Music and Science Lab at Durham University said: “The function of a lullaby is to soothe a baby and put them to sleep.

“So common features we would expect to see in lullabies would be a slow(ish) tempo, relatively quiet dynamics and a simple rhythm pattern — potentially one that imitates a rocking movement.

“A simple melody that’s easier to memorise and easier to sing, predictability achieved by repetitive phrases and verses.

“And a high pitch due to the connotations that mothers/females usually sing lullabies.”

But the UK uni’s findings are odd considering Bono once described the song as being far from soothing.

He said: “It is a song about coming together, but it’s not the old hippie idea of ‘Let’s all live together.’ It is, in fact, the opposite. It’s saying, we are one, but we’re not the same.

“It’s not saying we even want to get along, but that we have to get along together in this world if it is to survive. It’s a reminder that we have no choice.”

Stormzy’s Shut Up, Ellie Goulding’s Hate Me and Jax Jones’ Harder are also effective lullabies.