| The Cure – Lovesong Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I don't think this song is depressing at all, though I can see how some people could interpret it that way. If you have ever been in love, and by that I mean LOVE...the kind that makes you do crazy things and the kind that makes you ready and willing to die for or do anything for someone...then you will understand this song and find it absolutely beautiful. The lyrics seem melancholy, but I think that's just because there is so much loneliness being conveyed in the words. I could be completely wrong, but when I hear this, I think of it being written in the point of view of someone whose love is constantly being tested by the strain of being apart, which would fit nicely with the rock and roll lifestyle. If you are married or otherwise in love with someone, but your job is to travel and be away from them for long periods of time, then this song and the desperate, haunted lyrics make sense. He is saying, "However far away, however long I stay...I will always love you." This is his way of reaching out to someone he loves, by telling them that nothing can diminish what he feels; no amount of distance, temptation, etc. He is saying that this person is his heart and soul and he can't live without it/them. When I hear it, I just think of someone who is lonely and maybe a bit homesick and trying to reach out to someone they love who is too far away to reach. Maybe the lyrics are even meant to be reassurance to someone that they will always be loved--no matter how far away the lyricist is. Just a thought. |
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| The Jesus and Mary Chain – Just Like Honey Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Just Like Honey is a beautiful song. It's very rare to have a lyricist that can blend very different emotions and make them work together, and that's exactly what makes this song so powerful. It's incredibly simple. To me, this song has three basic elements: frustration, love, and sex. It sounds like he is saying in the beginning that she is moving up in the world and he is happy for her, but at the same time he's angry and frustrated by it. He's repeating "it's so good," and I do not think that's a direct reference to sex...I think it's more along the lines that he knows he should be happy for her, but that when she moves up, he feels left behind. This is also referenced in the lines, "Walking back to you is the hardest thing that I can do," and "eating up the scum is the hardest thing for me to do," He's saying that he feels like he's inferior. Like he's no longer good enough for her. I think at the same time he's battling the frustration, he's saying "I'll be your plastic toy", which I think is a cleverly veiled sexual reference but also it's another way of saying no matter how inferior he feels or how frustrated he is about what's going on in the relationship, he loves her and he won't leave her. Even though walking back to her is the hardest thing he can do, he'll stay with her even if it means being her "plastic toy." | |
| Liz Phair – Flower Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I disagree with the person who said girls don't think this graphically. We may not be thinking the things described in this song ALL the time and we may not think them very often, but we DO. See, the thing is, when we're excited by someone, we don't THINK about those emotions and feelings, we only FEEL them. We've all felt them. Liz just has the remarkable ability of putting what we're all thinking into words. Great song. Very human and simple. |
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| Danzig – Belly Of The Beast Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I love the way this song flows and how it can really bring your emotions to the surface, but I think all the credit I can give it is to the band and not Glenn Danzig. His voice is gritty, out of tune, and nothing at all like the almost dark-angel smoothness of his voice in the previous albums. During this song, I literally keep clearing my throat as if to signal to Glenn he should also clear his. I can't help it. I wonder how a man with such an amazing voice can be happy croaking out the lyrics to what would otherwise have been an epic song. No lost points on Belly of the Beast though. It's an incredible song, and even the croaking vocals are tolerable because the music is enough to overpower it. |
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| U2 – With or Without You Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I have a somewhat different take on why Bono is lamenting to "You" about "She". I have always felt very strongly that he is not referring to God or even anyone in particular, but to himself. Underneath the beautiful exterior of the song lies an obviously anguished man, and it sounds like he is telling himself "You give yourself away"; referring to how he feels tied up with "She" who makes him feel so exposed and conflicted. Bono has said on many occasions that this is not a love song, and it's easy to see why. Many times in U2 history has Bono used the female form to represent different worldly things. Jut because it says "she" it would be a mistake, knowing U2, to just assume he's talking about a human woman. Often in concerts, Bono will bring up a girl from the audience onto the stage and dance with her through this song. I doubt that's a coincidence. It seems to me that this is yet another song about how U2 relate to their fans. How they give their all (or give themselves away, if you will) to their music and as a result feel exposed. Shortly after the Joshua Tree tour, U2 "broke up" briefly after Bono haunting said during their last show "We just have to go away and dream it all up again". I think this song might have been the root of that brief breakup. Obviously in the lyric, the guys are experiencing some of the unfortunate drawbacks of fame: They give their all and the people want more. It makes a lot of sense if you think about it that way. He's saying he can't live with or without the fans. He loves them dearly but he's overwhelmed by them and their demands for more when he feels he's given his all. |
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| U2 – The Unforgettable Fire Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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This has always been my favorite U2 song, but until I read these entries, it had never even occured to me that this could be a song about a casual sex affair. That's a very interested take on it, but it's still extremely difficult for me to think about it like that. The very astute EatingPie brings up an excellent point. The contrast between the title "Fire" and the first line "Ice", to me at least, defines the whole song. Everything you need to know about these lyrics is in the title and the first line. From there, it is very direct. Usually, I'm reluctant to conclude that U2 songs are about love at all, but this one clearly is. It has always sounded to me like it's written in the point of view of man who knows his love is dying. The two people are still in a relationship but it has gone sour and he knows it. He describes her eyes being black as coal, her rivers running cold, and once again, the beginning line "Ice" describes it all. He's in a very cold, heartless, unromantic relationship with someone whom he once very much loved. That also explains the title "The Unforgettable Fire". Like someone else mentioned, U2 did title this album after an art exhibit the band saw on Hiroshima, but that doesn't necessarily mean the album itself or even its title song is about Hiroshima. If you look at it in that light, it makes perfect sense. He's saying "Walk on by, walk on through" describing how hurtful and cold and careless the person he loved is being. "Don't push me too far", may be referring to the fact that the lyricist doesn't want to end the relationship but he knows its inevitable if they can't find the spark again. |
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| U2 – Mysterious Ways Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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U2 songs NEVER only convey one message or have one meaning. That's the amazing thing about the lyrics. They're meant to be taken many different ways. "Mysterious Ways" is no exception. When Bono writes, he only provides a canvas with a few ideas and images but the genius of his creative mind is that he wants YOU to be the artist. He wants you to decide what his songs mean. I can think of several very different interpretations that could apply to this song, and most of them probably do, because as I said, U2 songs never have one simple message or meaning. That said, I think this is a very spiritual song in general, but I also think most people try to oversimplify U2 to the point that all their songs and lyrics are simply 'Praise Jesus' hymns in disguise. I'm frankly a bit tired of U2 being defined as one-trick-God-pony. While yes, their lyrics are always spiritual and many of them are about God or a higher power, I don't think their lyrics are getting the full credit they deserve because so many people just pass them off as blandly being "about God". There is always so much more to it than that. As for the song itself, I completely agree with Beshaman here. This almost seems to be a song about someone who is on a quest to discover what it means to be alive and also to open himself up spiritually. The woman who in the lyric is clearly represented as the moon (sister the moon; she turns the tide) represents the mysteries of life and Johnny is afraid of stepping out into the real world and being hurt by it. So the narrative is telling Johnny that the world itself moves in mysterious ways, and he has to be bold enough to live his life to the fullest and not be afraid of what could happen. It's a song about opening yourself up to life and not closing yourself off because you're afraid. Just my thoughts though. :) |
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| U2 – Stay (Faraway, So Close!) Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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The meaning of "Stay!" became clear to me a long time ago when someone I loved was going through a very similar situation of the woman depicted in the lyric. Although I understood that the narrative is meant to be her guardian angel, I felt as if I had played that part before. The person I loved was abused and degraded continually by someone she claimed to love. And though I did every thing I could to help her see her way out of destructive habits and abusive relationships, it was as if she couldn't hear me, like she wouldn't accept my help. Almost like I wasn't even there, so all I could do was watch helplessly as she virtually destroyed herself. So anyway, this song has always been very personal to me and very close to my heart. Because I feel like I've lived it, I can relate to the loneliness and sadness and helplessness the woman's angel must be feeling, unable to do anything but watch her destroy herself, knowing she won't listen to reason; knowing she's too far gone. It's a sad, beautiful song. I have only seen clips from the video, but it looks gorgeous. This is an amazing song that just about anyone can empathize with and appreciate on an entirely human level. |
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| U2 – Trip Through Your Wires Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Absolutely one of my favorite songs on the Joshua Tree, I love the gritty desert mirage feel to this song. It's one of the only U2 songs to paint a very clear image in the mind's eye. It's not only a great song to have sex to, it's a wonderful song for any mood. :) I don't think it's religious per se, but I think Bono's definately going somewhere with the whole angel/devil scenario. You get the impression of someone who is desperately in need of food, shelter, clothes, water, etc. and then, finally someone shows him mercy and it doesn't really matter to him if his saviour is an angel or a devil, because, as he says: "I was thirsty and you wet my lips." Perhaps this song is about how easy it is for people to be swayed to the dark side when the "devil" can appear just as attractive and kind as an angel. When I think of "Trip", I think of a man who is lost and dying out in the desert and the first person he sees; the first person who shows him mercy, is really the devil in disguise. This song sort of demonstrates how easily humanity can be tricked and corrupted. How a human being's willingness to see only the good in other people can be their ultimate downfall. The man didn't really care if his saviour was an angel or a devil, and thus is born the title of the song "Trip through your wires,". When I hear this song, I always think of a man making a deal with the devil. Just a thought... |
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| U2 – Stories For Boys Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Haha, it's funny. The masturbation thing seems too plausible to me now. Who'da thunk it?! I read somewhere a long time ago that Bono had said this song was about his love of comic books as a young child/teenager and how he often read comics and novels and used TV to sort of escape reality. It certainly fits if you think about all the references U2 songs have made to books and film in their songs...Dorian Gray, Lord of the Flies, etc. I don't know if that interpretation is true, but it seems pretty fitting. |
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| U2 – Vertigo Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Also, on a completely neutral tone, to try and add something productive to DeanKavanaugh1234 and Richie8092's feud here...I thought it might be enlightening to mention that Bono is one of Eddie Vedder's biggest idols and Pearl Jam often covers U2 songs while on tour because of this. This was pointed out in many interviews with Eddie Vedder and also in Bill Flannigan's biography of U2 titled "At the End of the World." My point for bringing this up isn't to be a bitch, but simply to point out that that just because two people (Vedder and Bono) have different styles and attitudes regarding their fame and their charity work, it doesn't make either of them right or wrong, and it certainly doesn't make one egotystical just because the other tends to be more quiet. At least it's curious that Eddie Vedder doesn't seem to harbor any kind of resentment against Bono for it. Just different strokes for different folks. Bono tends to be more public and he ends up in the news often, so of course we hear about him often, he's involved in politics! Because his actions get a lot of publicity doesn't necessarily mean he's a narcissist and an egotist. Hope this helps... |
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| U2 – Vertigo Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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A lot of people said that HTDAAB was U2's sell-out album. I disagree. When I had the chance to listen to this album straight through, I nearly cried because I felt that U2 had finally gone back to their roots and re-discovered their original spark. This album is incredible, and it sizzles with the same raw electric energy as Boy, The Joshua Tree, and Rattle and Hum. If you'll notice, Atomic Bomb pays many, many homages to U2's roots with the Boy album. While some are subtle, there is an unmistakable feeling when you listen to this one that they have not forgotten where they came from. "Vertigo" may seem to some like a typical cheesy rock song, but I feel it's far from it. It's energetic, catchy and meaningful like most of U2's hits, but it also serves as a pivotal moment in the life of U2. Vertigo is the music of men who are at a very different point in their lives than they were over twenty five years ago when they first began. This song is about their connection with their fans and how their amazing lives have changed them as men. It is far from cheesy and far from a sell-out. Of course U2 will grow and change with the times, they always have! Achtung Baby could have been considered a sell-out to very closed-minded psuedo-U2 fans after the albums they made in the 80's, but it wasn't. They were not sellouts for taking their music to the next level then and they are not sellouts for doing it now. Why on Earth would we want a band who was too timid to shake it up when they felt the need. U2 is and has always been unafraid to experiment, and that is their ultimate appeal. They don't give a rat's ass if YOU think they sold out because they did what they felt and they went where the music took them. "Vertigo" is an excellent song demonstrating U2's deep love for performing live and the jolt they get from their fans when they do it. This song is the epitome of why, after all these years, U2 are still together. Bonded by a love of music and their faithful fans. I say fuck you to anyone who dares to call this album or this song a sell-out. Obviously if you think that, you're not a real fan of U2 and can't appreciate them on the same level as a real fan of U2 could. |
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| U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| Richie8092, I hope to God you have something better to do than come on here just to throw around rude names just for attention. This place is for people who actually have something insightful to say, so what are you even trying to accomplish besides making yourself look mildly pathetic? If you had a good argument or at least something to back up your remarks, that would be something, but since you don't, I guess you're just dickless and trying to compensate by tossing around your ignorant babble into something that's clearly over your head. | |
| U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Before we go any further here, YES, this IS an original U2 song. It's been covered several times, notably by Radiohead, but it was written by U2. Whether it was written about Northern Ireland or Russia, though I believe in this instance it was written for Northern Ireland, the meaning wouldn't change. It's a song about the destruction caused by war. It doesn't matter exactly which instance the song was written for. You people are missing the entire point. No matter what, this is happening EVERYWHERE and there is no difference between one country and the next when they're being ravaged and torn apart by their enemies. "SBS" is a powerful song about destruction and how we have to sit and wait helplessly for it to all be over, never knowing when an attack will come or how many lives it will take. It's a song about terror and hatred and rage. Like I said, I'm sure if you asked Bono, he wouldn't say that one instance of war is more substantial than another, they're all equally horrific, and this song honors all of them, wherever in the world. |
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| U2 – Trash, Trampoline, and the Party Girl Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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The blatant teenage sexuality in this song is unmistakable. While Bono rarely writes genuine love songs, he's never been a stranger to writing about sex, and this he's admitted numerous times by saying "U2 writes songs people can have sex to." I've heard on numerous occasions that this song is about Adam Clayton and his hard-core party lifestyle. In the beginning, Adam was the only member of the band who associated himself with the partying scene, so that seems feasible. I always think of a teenaged love triangle when I think of "Party Girl". The lyricist, obviously out of his element is at a party, observing a girl and her interaction with a guy Bono describes as a "trampoline" (a clear sexual reference to someone who sleeps around). The lyricist (presumably Bono) is mystified as he likes this girl and she won't really talk to him because she's interested in the "trampoline" guy. This song is narrated by a guy who wants a chance to be with the party girl, but he knows she wants the guy who's only after her for sex. Ha, well, I've been the narrator in this song and dance many times throughout my teenage years, and the story is unmistakable to me. It's classic. Being the brainy poetic soul in an environment where everyone else is just after sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Liking someone who likes someone else who is obviously just using them...we've all been there. Tell me that's not exactly what this song reminds you of! ;) And yes, it does sound very much like a Police song, though I never noticed that until now. |
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| U2 – I Will Follow Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I wholeheartedly agree with love2zworld here. Especially in U2's beginning, and even now, their religious views and standpoints were evident in many of their songs, but it is unfair to assume that just because U2 has a strong lyrical connection with religion, that each song is directly connected to God. Sheesh, even if Bono WANTED to write an erotic love song purely about man and woman sex, most people would just naturally assume it was somehow about God! It's a little unnerving. No, I think "I Will Follow", like many early U2 songs, is about Bono's personal life and the loss of his mother. He speaks of a boy trying to be a man and a mother sort of showing him the way. In this song, he is saying he will follow his mother. I think in the beginning, Bono is writing about how he may have been a little selfish, sort of turning a blind eye to his mom when she needed him, and he's saying he could not see, at that time, why it was so important that he pay attention and learn from her when he had the chance. Now, the words talk about following her. The line "I see you when I go in there" sounds as if he's referring to seeing her again when he gets to heaven or the afterlife. Sort of like she will be the one to lead him when its his time to go and he will follow her. |
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| U2 – Is That All? Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Traditionally, I feel that many people give U2 songs too much religious merit. While a good many U2 songs are clearly religious in nature, I feel a good deal of them aren't. October is probably U2's most spiritual album, and I think this is one of their most religious songs, ranking right up there with "40" and "Gloria". Like many songs U2 produced in the early '80's, I think this song deals with the band's (especially Larry's) struggle to decide between God and the rock and roll lifestyle they were rapidly becoming involved in. In a way, they felt their Rock lifestyle went against their religious views and so they were torn between their two greatest loves: Music and God. I think this song is Bono saying he's happy with his religious standing and he's happy with God, but he's wondering if being happy with God and accepting God is all his life gets to have a dedication to. He's asking God in the repetitive line "Is that all", if accepting God is the only path he can choose. He's asking God in this song if it is ok for him to want more, to want to be a musician and a man of God simultaneously. |
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| U2 – October Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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"October" is perfection. Simple but most certainly not without a powerful punch. I think of it as a 'moving on' kind of song. Seasons change, people die, kingdoms rise and fall, but eventually we all have to move on. Sometimes we don't do it intentionally but time just moves on and we're just passengers. Also, I don't know how many people have made this connection but I felt it worth a mention. October is the month of Samhain, or Halloween, which in Ireland and Scotland is celebrated as "Summer's End". Traditionally Samhain was celebrated by the Celts as a way of honoring the dead and opening a "new beginning" in life's cycle. "October" certainly has the celtic feel to it as it speaks of moving on and whispers of new beginnings after the loss of dear things. |
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| U2 – Tomorrow Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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This is a song about the loss of Bono's mother and her funeral; obviously a very difficult time in his life. To achtungbaby02, I think that the part where the song speeds up fits beautifully. Try to imagine it. You're 14 years old and you just lost your mother. You're hurt, you're tender, but even more than that, you're angry. I think the speeding up and the heavier vocal tone only adds more emphasis to the song's meaning. He is angry. Most of us feel that songs about sadness and loss should be slow and full of soul, but most of the time when we lose someone we love, we feel angry. We want to scream and shout and it's not always tender and beautiful. That part of "Tomorrow" only symbolizes another part of the grief process. He's mad and he doesn't understand why a God he believes so wholeheartedly in has taken his mother. That anger and that fast-paced part of the song is the the song's soul. It is the saddest, loneliest, and most heartbreaking part of "Tomorrow". You definately should not skip it because to listen to only the first half is to turn a blind eye to the kind of raw emotional power he exhibits. When a young man is in great pain and grief, how can anyone say that any part of what he feels (and in Bono's case; writes and sings) is a missed opportunity? The (loud) part of the song is Bono voicing anger and frustration. Don't overlook it as him wanting to add a rock and roll twist to a power ballad. That is not what it is. A truly heartbreaking song. It's one of my favorites, but it is very hard to listen to it for all the raw emotion in it. It's a lot to take in all at once, but the honest soul-searching backbone of U2 lies in songs like "Tomorrow" where you feel that they are speaking to you through their music. beautiful and sad, this song is the essence of U2. |
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| U2 – I Threw A Brick Through A Window Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I agree with both Bayoustorm and Prisz25. I too can't believe hardly anyone has posted about this song! Anyway, I think Bayou hit the nail on the head with this one. It's about realizing you've backed yourself up against a wall in your life, having not listened to all the advice you were given and not knowing exactly how to get out of the rut. He talks of being blind, clearly indicating that he refused to see or listen to those who warned him and he went and did something anyway that he doesn't know how to get himself out of. It's almost like he's asking his brother for help out of the mess with the line "Be my brother". This song is about needing guidance when you feel you're going nowhere and how people tend to turn a blind eye when they don't want to believe what they know to be true. If this song were referring to relationships, I would say the quote "Love is Blind" would apply. When people want something so badly, they will not see the truth even when its right in front of them. I think that's what "I threw a brick" is about. :earning from your mistakes and knowing when and how to ask for guidance. |
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| U2 – I Fall Down Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I agree that this is definately a song that hides from casual fans. You might hear it once and dismiss it as a simple, catchy party song, but I think there might be something deeper. Like a lot of U2 songs, this one is upbeat but there is an oddly ominous tone to it. Although fast-paced and edgy, Bono's voice has a certain pained quality as he sings, and the words themselves are pretty ominous if you read them while listening to the song. "I Fall Down" makes me think of a woman (or girl) who is either very ill, or just very depressed in general. He sings of her "going to get better", and from her point of view, she feels she's getting nowhere and wants to be somewhere soon. To me, it sounds like a woman who knows she's dying and can't find it in her to "wake up" anymore. She hopes that soon it will all be over and she'll finally get somewhere. (Heaven?) John, clearly someone who loves her deeply, feels her pain and when she's "down", he finds it hard to pick himself up as well. Overall, this seems like a pained song written from the point of view of John, who is going through a tragic time with Julie, who can't seem to pick herself up. Whether sick or depressed, it's clear that this is John pleading with her to get up and move on and not leave him. Just one theory. I would love to hear Bono clarify what this song is about. It's very mysterious and sad and it may even be very personal to Bono, considering he used obviously false names and the lyrics sort of read like the pages of a diary. |
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| U2 – Gloria Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Wow, when I was much younger and bought the October album, I don't think I had the mental capacity to understand what an incredibly powerful song "Gloria" was. Until very recently, I had almost completely dismissed this song. As I listen to it now, I two things come to mind: 1) Power of Faith, and 2) At that time, Bono must have been much older than his years. At the time of October's release, U2 was in turmoil over religion, and this is a very, very powerful album. There isn't a single U2 song that portrays their faith and loyalty to the higher power than this one. Even I, not a particularly religious person, am moved by "Gloria". It demonstrates not even so much that God is the ALL, but that faith in and of itself, whatever you believe, is a power all its own. I believe that to be the message of this whole album. As if U2 are coming to the realization that the power of faith is limitless and we all have a different way of showing our faith and belief. The latin is a wonderful, moving touch. Bono's (and Edge's) voice mouth the latin beautifully and the meaning behind each word in this song is punctuated brilliantly with the faithful exuberance of their religious belief. The raw emotion in "Gloria" is more captivating and soulful even than the most devout church choir because it comes from the heart and you get the impression that Bono has poured his soul into the words he's singing. Quite possibly U2's most perfectly told story. It's a shame that "Gloria" is never quite given the credit it deserves, as it so often is pushed aside for other, trendier U2 hits. |
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| U2 – Babyface Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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There's a strange paradox revolving around Zooropa. Most people I know who do not typically like U2 loved this album. Most people I know who are big fans of U2 did not. Also, most people cite this album as a reason for beginning to like U2. Strange, tisn't it? Secondly, I don't think this is about child pornography. Come on now! And you all call yourselves U2 fans! lol. Bono uses the term "child" very loosely in many, many U2 songs when referring to a love object. He uses it almost as slang for "woman", notice he also uses the term lovingly, and when he says it, you don't outright get the impression that he's literally talking to a little girl. No, the woman he's referring to is obviously some kind of celebrity model. That's clear in the "cover girl" reference. He could either be referring to pornography or simply a celebrity woman who he has a thing for. Like most songs on Zooropa, this song really pays homage to technology, nameably, the television. Notice he seems more occupied with telling us what he can do with his television (freeze frame, turn you on, slow motion) rather than just his sexual fantasy. He's telling us that now it's possible to feel close (I must be your best friend) to celebrities from your own home just by what you can do with your TV. |
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| U2 – Exit Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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At an LA concert on November 18, 1987, Bono said, "This is a song about a religious man who became a very dangerous man when he couldn't work out the mystery, on the hands of love." Also, because the man who murdered Rebecca Shaeffer named this song as the culprit that drove him to murder, AND Bono slipped and dislocated his shoulder while playing "Exit" in 1987, he is extremely reluctant to perform it live. |
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| U2 – City of Blinding Lights Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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When I heard "City" for the first time, I nearly wept. Not because the song is particularly sad, but because, for the first time in a long time, U2 sounded as if they'd come full-circle and re-discovered their roots. It's a beautiful thing. This song is reminiscent of old U2, ala Rattle and Hum. The sound of this piece is like they're paying homage to their original sound, only now they are older, wiser, and better than ever. This song just screams of the original theme that made U2 great: just four guys from Dublin who have wonderful chemistry. "City" is a beautiful song that symbolizes New York city after 9/11. I've heard Bono speak about this song's significance in portraying how the city rebuilt itself beautifully after the terrorist attacks. And the title line is speaking to New York directly...You look so beautiful tonight. |
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| U2 – Helter Skelter (Beatles cover) Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I don't know if these lyrics are incorrect or if I just can't hear worth a damn, but I could have sworn the line Bono actually sang was "You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer". Maybe someone can clear me up on that... Anyhoo, I definately think this cover packs a hell of a lot more punch than The Beatles' version. That also could be largely fueled by Helter Skelter having become synonymous with Charles Manson throughout the years. Aside from that though, U2's version is a lot more solid and edgy. Bono's vocal tone is perfect in setting the mood for the amped-up music. It's like the entire band is exploding with energy. This is the kind of piece that makes people sing at the top of their lungs in the car/office/shower/etc. :P |
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| Savage Garden – The Lover After Me Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Darren Hayes wrote these lyrics at a particularly fragile time in his life. Well, I guess that's pretty obvious from the tone of the whole Affirmation album. His marriage had ended with him still clearly in love with her, and at the time of this album, he knew his band would soon be breaking up also. I think it's a culmination of his divorce, Daniel's wanting to leave the band, and the fact that he didn't really remember how to function as a solo person since he'd been in a relationship since high school. Either way, anyone who has been through a painful breakup can relate to this song. Especially if that breakup came after many years of living with your lives intertwined with each others'. In this song, Darren speaks of trying desperately to move on while everything reminds him of her. The bed they shared, the movies they watched, you get the idea. It's about trying to walk on when you can't even move your thoughts. These lyrics talk about how the world itself has not changed because they broke up, the lights go out the same, but this is the pivotal moment where he realizes his is not the name she's calling anymore when she turns out her lights. Painful stuff. |
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| U2 – Some Days Are Better Than Others Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I think this song has a deeper meaning than just "Some days suck. Some days don't," though that message is pretty clear in the title. I think it's not so much about the days themselves as it is about the human perception of the days passing. As humans, WE change with the times. Sometimes our heads are foggy and we can't see anything straight, sometimes we just don't want to do anything, sometimes we wake up feeling like everything makes sense. It's all about our individual minds and our perception. I think the message Bono's trying to convey with the lyrics is that in life, we have very little control over how we feel on a given day and we just have to live with that. Our entire lives are going to be made up of good days and bad days, but there's not a whole lot we can do to change it. Call it the will of the Gods. This song is reassuring that, even when we have bad days, there will always be a good one lurking ahead. |
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| U2 – Shadows And Tall Trees Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Yep, I also heard that this song got its name from Lord of the Flies. It certainly wouldn't be the first time, especially on the Boy and Joshua Tree albums, that Bono took inspiration from his favorite books and works of literature: Hence the mention of Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray in "The Ocean." I have always and probably will always think that the Boy album packs more punch than any other album by any other band I've ever heard. It was written when U2 were only teenagers, seventeen and eighteen years old and the whole album seems to have a recurring theme: growing up and trying to find a place in the world. Shadows is beautiful song. When I think of it, I think of a young man (Bono) walking home late at night, wondering what life and love are going to be like. Will life always be predictable? (Mrs. Brown's washing is always the same), Will there be a specific purpose for his life? All questions we ask when we're young and trying to adjust, uncomfortably, into adulthood. Also, I agree with everyone else's theory. That he's wondering if what he sees is the real thing, or if everything's just a facade. He wonders if everything will change or if it will all stay the same. Once again, a beautiful song. Like most of the Boy album, it's about change, confusion, and an almost paranoid curiosity about the world and a young boy's place in it. |
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| U2 – Wild Honey Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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"Wild Honey" is most definately NOT a throw-away song! In fact, it's almost enraging that any real U2 fan could call it that. The one thing about this song that makes it so captivating is the recurring theme: Innocence. Youthful curiosity and exuberance. This song is clearly a reflection on one's youth, before the person grew up and learned the hardships of adult life. Regardless of whether it's about God and evolution or just a simple man reflecting back to his own innocence, the meaning is still the same: that there was a time when we were all innocent and free of the burdens of life. That is the one thing that will always remain constant. "Just blowing in the breeze" is my favorite line from Wild Honey. It sums up the whole song: Before everything gets complicated, we were all free and innocent creatures. If you haven't already, I strongly suggest you see the clever usage of this song in the film 'Vanilla Sky'. Its use in that movie could not have been more fitting. |
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| U2 – Kite Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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This song is one of those that's meant to have a different meaning to everyone. Bono is particularly fond of writing songs that the fans can make their own. This song was written before the death of Bono's father Bob Hewson, but perhaps Bono wrote this when he began to "feel it coming"...an intuition that often occurs when it comes to the well-being of loved one. Either way, regardless of who it was written for or why, it's clearly a song about knowing when and how to let go of someone. Not only that, it's about preparing yourself and the people you love for death. It's a beautiful song that makes death seem less ominous and more of a beautiful transition. He's saying that the hardest thing about death is having to depart from the people who need you, so it's about teaching those you love that it's ok to move on after you've passed away, that it's good and healthy to keep going, that nothing is ever a final goodbye. Truly U2 at their finest here... |
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| U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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lol. Unfortunately to one of the people who posted about this song, it's not about Batman. I can guarantee you that. This song was one of the cut tracks from Zooropa, so it was written at LEAST two years before Batman Forever would have been in production. If you don't believe me about it having been cut from Zooropa, look closely at the CD cover. In fuzzy purple writing in the background, are a few of the names of some of the tracks that would be on the album (most of them are cut off though), and this one is written on there. Anyway, I think this song is about stardom and being an icon. How if you're famous, you can pretty much get away with murder, and the song is about a star who is totally mixed up about right and wrong. The lyricist is acting as a narrator, or the devilish voice in the main character's head constantly repeating "You're a star. You can do whatever you want, you're a star". The main character is obviously lost and confused having been a star so long they have mixed ideas of what's good and bad. I get the feeling that this person has lost the ability to think freely, which is why this voice in their head tells them what to do. It's pretty clear to me that the song is about a person who's pretty much lost their soul to celebrity. |
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| U2 – Freedom For My People Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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To Anne Marie, I read somewhere a long time ago that while in Harlem, New York for the gospel remake of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", Bono broke or fractured a part of his arm, so during this part of the Rattle and Hum video, his arm is in a sling. |
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| U2 – Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I hadn't heard the theory that this song might've been about drugs until I was reading over some of these interpretations of it, but after all the years of listening to it, I think I've had it all wrong. Of course, we have take under consideration that ALL U2 lyrics have an underlying message or a double meaning, so it's unlikely this is simply a song about a spoiled girl and her dad. Also, I don't look at these lyrics and see that it's about God or the Devil. Just because it's a U2 song doesn't mean it's necessarily about God, people! lol. That said, let's have a look. "Daddy" is the recurring theme of the song. "Daddy is with you wherever you are", "Daddy's a comfort", "When you see daddy coming, you're licking your lips, nails bitten down to the quick"...the last line there always had me fooled into thinking the girl crashed her car and was nervous about facing her dad. But think about it...what if "daddy" IS the drug? When she sees it coming, she's licking her lips (she's totally addicted) nails bitten down to the quick (something most addicts do when "coming down". I think this song is about a young girl who is completely dependent on drugs. She needs them to feel good about herself (Daddy's your best friend), she uses drugs to numb herself (Daddy won't let you ache), and finally, "Daddy gives you as much as you can take" meaning she's become so reliant on the drug that an overdose is inevitable. Honestly, I think this song is about her overdose. Her "crashed car" is really a reference to her life and how she's ruined it with drug use. It's an ominous song. There's no hope for the main character even in the end. Even as the drugs ruin her life, all she can think about is having more. (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday...) referring to how she'll just continue to rely on drugs until they end up taking her life. This of course, is just one interpretation, but it's the one that seems the most obvious to me. It could also be about East Germany, but I'm reluctant to think so. Mostly because the U2 songs with a political standpoint are more direct with their meaning. One thing U2 is not shy about is being very direct when it comes to that. |
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| The Black Eyed Peas – My Humps Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I don't really know what to think of this song. The first time I heard it, I was on a plane going to vacation in Las Vegas, and I had absolutely no idea it was The BEP. Even being a pretty big fan of the band, the style of the music and Fergie's voice was unrecognizable. When I found out it was them, I didn't believe. It's still hard to believe. This song sounds like it might've been done by some brand new girlie pop/hip-hop act. Not that it's a bad song. It's funny and catchy and I often work out to it. Anyway, to some of the people who did call this song "materialistic trash", I think quite the contrary. To me, it's obvious in the lyrics that the band isn't selling out by being taken in by all the greed the lyric represents. I think this song is merely poking fun at the way a lot of women use their bodies to trap men in relationships and the men who get caught up in the drama. I don't think the band is selling out by being blatantly materialistic, but instead are doing what artists do: writing what they observe. I think "My Humps" is just sort of making fun at how greedy and materialistic most Hollywood relationships are; I doubt any of the lines in the song have a direct note of truth to the band or the individual members like most people on here seem to think. |
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| The Black Eyed Peas – Anxiety Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I couldn't agree more with what neongreen44 wrote. As a person with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, I can listen to this song and take its meaning quite literally. I love this song because, as one person said, you can feel the urgency in it. You can't miss the singer's plea to just be normal, and you can understand what it's like to just not have any control over when the anxiety becomes too much and you just snaps. If you've ever been in a situation where someone or something is making you freak out inside your head; whether it's panic, anxiety, intimidation, paranoia, etc., then you know what it feels like to have this need to "turn around and bitch slap somebody", while outwardly you have to be calm and collected. I think this song is about the contrast between your inner and outer self, hence "Sane and Insane rivalry". How you could be completely shattered on the inside but you have to look completely normal outwardly. And as neongreen put it, when you have anxiety this bad, nothing scares you as much as the thought that you can't control it and the fact that it totally consumes you. That's what I feel this song is about...a person not being able to control the way they feel on the inside and being terrified it'll just take them over. |
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| Toadies – Possum Kingdom Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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On a side note. For what it's worth, I've read all the theories on here about Possum Kingdom, and all the conflict and debate going on over it, and you all shouldn't forget that all great artists (especially lyricists) aim to have their works generate many, many different meanings. The artist paints a vague image and each person who looks at it will and should come up with a different interpretation of what it means. None of us will ever know exactly what was on the lyricist's mind when he wrote it, and he probably doesn't even know anymore. That's clear from the interview with the band. As a writer, I know that from experience. But one thing that's always true is that whatever it means to you, that's the right way. Anyway, another thing I wanted to add is, to the person who asked how someone could be "stay beautiful" if they were dead...it's simple. If the man in the song really is psychotic, she will be immortalized and beautiful in his mind. It's not necessarily literal. |
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| Toadies – Possum Kingdom Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I was actually just recently introduced to this song by my fiance who's a pretty big Toadies fan. I've gotta say, I fell in love with this song right away. Even having a pretty big interest in vampires, it never once occured to me that this song might be about blood suckers. There's something all too primal and all-too human about the lyrics to be about literal immortals. I think it's definately about a psychopathic man with a fixation on a woman and he wants to immortalize her, but not literally. Like I said, the song's eerie because it's written in the perspective of a psychotic human. It wouldn't be nearly as creepy if it was about vampires, I don't think. Anyway, I don't even think about rape so much when I hear Possum Kingdom. I think this guy really feels like he would be doing a good and Godly thing by killing the woman he loves. He feels that if he kills her, she will be his. She'll always be beautiful, always his, and she'll never leave him. In his psychotic state, he thinks that by killing her, she will be his angel and he will be her God. This man is so out of it, he feels that he would be giving her a great honor by "immortalizing" her. I don't think the sexuality of the song is literal. I think his sexual fixation with her is purely mental. He wants to look at her, he wants her to worship him, he wants her to be his forever. Just my thoughts anyway. |
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| Savage Garden – This Side Of Me Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I've heard several interesting theories on the meaning of this song. One line in particular, "I want to stitch my clothes in sin and in the dark", has raised a lot of suspicion as to whether or not the song's about a secret extra-marital affair. (Stitch my clothes being a reference to a scarlet letter). Certainly other lines such as "Just one time, one time, let my body do what it feels", "I want to find that door and go within", and "Let this fantasy become real" back up that theory quite nicely. Also, if I may be frank, one of the first things that came to mind when I heard this song is that it's likely about a very specific sexual act that the lyricist wants to fulfill that his lover refuses him. He's saying he's not afraid to let her see this side of him, a side which may be primal and kinky. He's sort of pleading with his lover in this song to let him fulfill this sexual fantasy of his, but his unspoken lover seems apprehensive and maybe too conservative to indulge him. To me, the latter seems like the more likely. In the beginning, Darren is being sweet and loving, and then gradually he gets more and more frustrated and pleading, which makes me believe there's something deeply naughty he wants that he ain't getting! |
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| Savage Garden – Magical Kisses Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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HazirahM, From what I've read, "Magic Kisses" was a song Darren had written a long time before SG was even making their first album, and it was the original "Truly, Madly, Deeply". Darren pulled it out as a demo for their debut album and fine-tuned it one night in a cafe after listening to Prince's "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." "Magical Kisses" transformed into "TMD", which was written about Darren's then-wife Colby Taylor. At least, that's what I've read in interviews with the band. |
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| Savage Garden – Mine Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Gabigs, heh heh, I know how you feel. It seems that people really don't know of SG anymore, aside from the occasional tune they hear at the grocery store or in an elevator or something, at least. It's sad because while they weren't around long, they were a breath of fresh air that paved the way for a whole new scene of truly talented musicians, that also seem to have faded off since SG broke up. And it's even better when you've been able to grow up with them because the lyrics only take on more meanings and the music only brings more and more to appreciate. While it's sad that they broke up, I'm almost glad though. If they were to get back together, they would not be the same band as both members have moved on...that was painfully obvious in their second and last album, that they were drifting apart. Darren is fabulous solo, but he alone doesn't have the spirit that Savage Garden thrived on. In a way, I feel that those two were meant to be musical soulmates, but since they were growing apart, I think they did the right thing by breaking up when the music began to take on the notes of two people who had nothing in common. Anyhoo, on a side note, "Mine" is a song I celebrate grandly because I feel it's the essence and backbone of Savage garden. This song says to me "This is what Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones can do when their hearts are in the same place", and the outcome is amazing. |
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| Savage Garden – Love Can Move You Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I love this song. I will never forget being at a state fair in Auguest of 1998 and peeking through a fence at a closed rehearsal as Savage Garden tuned up for the first and only SG concert I ever saw. It was amazing. This was back when Darren and Daniel were still very close and their music hummed with that spark. This was the first song they rehearsed, and it was amazing. I can't listen to this song on my SG Japanese TMD album anymore because no matter how great it is, it just doesn't do justice to how it sounded live that day. It was amazing. In this song, you can feel their nervousness and excitement for being in a strange and overdone city. It's like looking through the eyes of two small-town Aussies who just had their dreams come true. This whole song reflects their total wonderment and awe of new success and fame. It's brilliant and captivating. No other SG song will put you in a better mood than this one. I only wish Darren would sing it to me every time I'm pissed off. I'd always be happy. :P |
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| Savage Garden – Memories Are Designed To Fade Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Ahh. How it all makes sense! Darren Hayes does indeed watch way too much television...lol...stop me if you've seen the Alan Rickman drama 'Truly Madly Deeply'! Gabigs, that does make perfect sense. It's neat how I can see different meanings through other peoples' eyes. Upon first hearing this song, I thought it might have been about a love that was completely one-sided. One person doing everything for the other while getting nothing in return. I suppose that still makes sense, but I can't argue with what you wrote. I'll definately have to see that movie now. :) |
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| Savage Garden – I Want You Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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On a side note...I first fell in love with this song at the age of 13, when I could only sing along and pretend like holy hell I knew what all those sexual innuendos were about. However, once you get a little older and you go into a serious relationship (or after you actually have sex for the first time, lol) it can take on a different meaning. At that point, it becomes less about fantasizing and dreaming, and more about having this insane, inexplicable passion for someone that all you can do is think of them and want them. Regardless of whether or not that's person is good for you or if you "need them", you still feel like you'll go crazy if you don't have them. This song, after sooo many years, still makes me feel like a giddy school girl...only now it's much more naughty than it was back in the day. ;) |
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| Savage Garden – I'll Bet He Was Cool Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I will NEVER forget the first time I heard this song. I bought the Truly, Madly, Deeply single on cassette tape back in 1997 when I was about thirteen, and this song kind of shocked me. It's deep in a very camoflauged sort of way. While it's obviously talking about God, I think this might be Darren's big head talking. Notice the way he throws around designer names and labels...all things that are shoved in your face when you're hot and famous. This song is probably largely about how Darren feels about being an icon. At the point when this song was written, fame would have been an alien concept to a sweet-faced twenty-five year old from Brisbane...so I feel that this song defines how he felt being all of a sudden adored by fans and having designer names shoved in his face. I don't think he's comparing his fame to that of Jesus Christ by any means, but I think he's sort of wondering idly with these lyrics how it must feel to be Jesus and being idolized and worshipped. And, if he's famous and doesn't have the kind of time and the means to have a personal relationship with every fan of his, he wonders how God can have a relationship with everyone and what Jesus might be like if you could talk to him. |
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| U2 – Running To Stand Still Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Until about two minutes ago, this song had an entirely different meaning to me. It wasn't until someone on this board pointed out one line in particular that I realized I may have had it wrong all these years. Originally, I thought this song was about a woman's addiction to drugs, but now I'm thinking this isn't about recreational drugs at all. This might be a bit far-fetched, but hear me out. All throughout "RTSS" there is a theme that keeps popping up: area. The lyrics seem to portray not the darkness of someone's life, but instead the darkness of the city itself. The lyrics tell of a desperate need to flee from this place. "Out of the darkness in the night". I think the woman in the story is a victim. How, as long as she's in this place, she will be terrorized and victimized unless she finds some way out...but it seems to this woman that there is no way out of this horrible place. There is definately a drug-related significance though. One thing is hazy. I don't know if she takes the drugs to numb herself (or kill herself) from the horrors she lives, or if the drug is symbolic, symbolizing the way the place she lives will end up destroying her if she doesn't find a way out. Either way, the aura darkness in this song is definately revolving around the area in which she lives. An area in which this woman has to suffer in silence. "Then I floated out of here" must directly refer to either drugs or some sort of madness encountered from living in such a horrible place. |
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| U2 – The Ocean Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I also disagree with Wildflower on this one, though that's a very interesting theory. It's easy to get that impression though, since the entire basis of Oscar Wilde's "Dorian Gray" is Dorian's utter selfishness and narcissism. Rather than focusing on the beginning and middle of Dorian Gray though, let's focus on the actual point of the book: That Dorian's friends and loved ones grow on and grow old while he continues to stay the same. Carrying on with that note, I should also mention that lyrics of "The Ocean" this site provides are incorrect. It isn't "SOLE of my shoes", it's "SOUL" of my shoes", which, if it had been presented correctly, may have clarified some things. To me, this song is about a boy standing on the beach and looking out into the ocean. He's alone and he feels small looking out at the vastness of the world. He is saying that while he may be only one person, he is not insignificant in the grand scheme of things. This song says: "I may only be one little person in this ginormous world, but that doesn't mean I can't make a difference in it." This is about a boy looking into his own soul and then looking out at the world and seeing exactly what he wants to accomplish with his part in it. Going back to Dorian Gray, I think that part of the song simply refers to how alone Dorian felt at the end of the book, and how he had lived a long, unsatisfying life because he had chosen only to focus on his beauty rather than actually making a contribution to the world. I think what Bono is saying in this song is that, looking into his soul, he WANTS to make a difference. He doesn't want to live an insignificant life and die having accomplished nothing. I agree with love2zworld...this is about his belief that one person can change the world and make it better. |
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| U2 – Do You Feel Loved Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Proudestermonkey: All good points! It's very, very likely that my theory isn't even close to the real meaning of the song; this is kinda just how I imagine it when I hear it play. It seems to me like he's not speaking of a love affair really, but a relationship wholly different from love: that of an idolized rock star and a star-struck fan. In the "Man and a woman" line, to go along with my original theory, he could simply be referring to his relationship with his wife...how they "stick together" even through the utter madness of his career. So not that he's talking about the fan-relationship there, but only how he gets through his life with so many people out there also wanting a piece of him. As for the "see us through the rain" line, that's one of the main lines in the song that leads me to believe it's about a rock-star/fan relationship. He could be talking about the fact that no matter what U2 do as a band, no matter what happens in their personal lives, their fans are loyal; the fans are always happy to see him, they always "see him through the rain"...or when he's on stage, the connection he gets with his fans helps him overcome the difficulties of leading the kind of life he does. Once again, just a theory. That's just how I take it personally. :) |
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| U2 – Twilight Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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The entire Boy album is immortal to me. I began listening to U2 as a young teenager. Only a few years younger than they were when they wrote the Boy album. Because I first heard this song and that album in that particular period of my life, I related to some of the lyrics pretty strongly. Like Bono when he wrote these lyrics, I was also at a point in my life when I was both a child and an adult. A strange and mystifying time where nothing is concrete and everything is changing. Try to think back to when you were that age and how you felt and how you saw the world around you and then read the "Twilight" lyrics or listen to the song again. Now try to imagine that you're a teenager who's mind and body is changing in a way you don't understand and you're also dealing with the loss of your mother, possibly the most important relationship you had at that age. This song then makes perfect sense. He's growing. He's trying to understand the things that are happening to him and he compares the changes coming about within himself to the changes between night and day. Somehow he feels caught in between one and the other. As for the old man in this song, it's anyone's guess. It could be Bono's grandfather who passed on when he was 14, or it could be just about anyone. One thing that really stands out to me though is that Bono seeks knowledge from this person. It's almost as if Bono is hiding some kind of adolescent secret in this song and he desperately wants to confide in this "old man" and seek wisdom. If it is his grandfather he's referring to, this would make perfect sense, as his grandfather is dead and that was a person Bono felt he could really talk to. Perhaps, "His eyes are closed but I see something" refers to his grandpa being dead but Bono still longing for his advice or even praying to him for guidance. Just a thought... |
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| U2 – Last Night On Earth Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I haven't heard any statements made by U2 as to what this song could be a reference to or what it's about, but this is kind of the picture that plays in my mind when I hear it. When I was about 14 or 15 and bought the "Pop" album, my first impression was "this is a song about a girl giving up her virginity", but now, at 22, I think it has a bit of a deeper meaning than just that. I don't think it's literally about a girl doing drugs either. To me, this song is about a girl who sees the world in a way that other people don't. She sees behind the bullshit. She knows better than to wait for a fairytale and she knows that life isn't everlasting. Because she understands, on a deep level, that she won't live forever, she spends every second making life count...so much that it becomes just a blur. She won't wait around for anyone, she wants life so much that she's afraid to miss a second of it. She knows what life is worth. Instead of the common interpretation that this girl is destroying her life, I think the girl in the song is trying to live so hard-core that she's missing a lot of the things that make life special. She wants to make so much out of her life (living like it's the last night on Earth) that she's neglecting to take care of herself properly. I get the impression that this person is just so caught up with the act of living that they lost track of how to keep themselves together. |
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