Although the band liked the demo , it was difficult for them to record the song . Bassist Adam Clayton said , " At the time it sounded like a foreign language , whereas now we understand how it works " . The arrangement , with two time signature shifts and frequent chord changes , was rehearsed many times , but the group struggled to get a performance they liked . According to co @-@ producer Daniel Lanois , " that was the science project song . I remember having this massive schoolhouse blackboard , as we call them . I was holding a pointer , like a college professor , walking the band through the chord changes like a fucking nerd . It was ridiculous . " Co @-@ producer Brian Eno estimates that half of the album sessions were spent trying to record a suitable version of " Where the Streets Have No Name " . The band worked on a single take for weeks , but as Eno explained , that particular version had a lot of problems with it and the group continued trying to fix it up . Through all of their work , they had gradually replaced each instrument take until nothing remained from the original performance .