The earliest incarnation of the song was developed during sessions for the band 's 1997 album , '' Pop '' . The lyrics were written by the band 's lead vocalist Bono , taking partial inspiration from his recollection of his first trip to London , and from the band 's experience playing in New York City in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks during their Elevation Tour in 2001 . Other lyrics refer to Bono 's relationship with his wife Ali . The song 's underlying theme reflects lost innocence and was inspired by an image Bono saw of himself from the early 1980s . The sound has been compared to the tone of U2 's 1984 album , '' The Unforgettable Fire '' and their 1987 single " Where the Streets Have No Name . " " City of Blinding Lights " was well received by critics and won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song at the 2006 ceremony . The song made its live debut on the group 's 2005-2006 Vertigo Tour , when it was commonly played as the opening song , and it has been performed at nearly every show from a U2 concert tour since . The track has been used in episodes of '' The Simpsons '' and '' Entourage '' , and in the film '' The Devil Wears Prada ''
2006 ceremony
48th Annual Grammy Awards
City of Blinding Lights