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."