The studio version of the song was compiled from several different takes . It was one of several songs mixed by Steve Lillywhite in the final months of recording The Joshua Tree . Drummer Larry Mullen , Jr. later said of the song , " It took so long to get that song right , it was difficult for us to make any sense of it . It only became a truly great song through playing live . On the record , musically , it 's not half the song it is live . "