Lyrics for Moment Of Surrender as interpreted by suede67

Moment Of Surrender Lyrics
I tied myself with wire
To let the horses run free
Playing with the fire until the fire played with me
The stone was semi-precious
We were barely conscious
Two souls too smart to be in the realm of certainty
Even on our wedding day

We set ourselves on fire
Oh God, do not deny her
It's not if I believe in love
But if love believes in me
Oh, believe in me

At the moment of surrender
I folded to my knees
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me

I've been in every black hole
At the altar of the dark star
My body's now a begging bowl
That's begging to get back, begging to get back
To my heart
To the rhythm of my soul
To the rhythm of my unconsciousness
To the rhythm that yearns
To be released form control

I was punching in the numbers at the ATM machine
I could see in the reflection
A face staring back at me
At the moment of surrender
Of vision over visibility
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me

I was speeding on the subway
Through the stations of the cross
Every eye looking every other way
Counting down 'til the pain would stop

At the moment of surrender
Of vision over visibility
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me

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suede67
02-18-2009

Rated +1 
1st to comment on this U2 epic! I'm not really sure what it means but it might be about being terribly alone. Adam's bass line is quite similar to that is "If god will send his angels".

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idolatry
02-18-2009

Rated 0 
Sounds like another heroin song, to me. Pretty obvious, in the context of the U2 canon.

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4 Replies
knux20
02-18-2009

Rated 0 
Wow, it's amazing that U2 can still write a song this incredible 30 years down the road. This might be their best single song since Achtung, for my money. I think it's the Bad of the 21st century. It has that same unsettling but incredibly moving atmosphere, and Bono seriously sings the flaming hell out of this thing. It seems like the meaning is meant to be pretty ambiguous, different things to different people, like One was. The new U2 is surpassing my expectations.



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Sil
02-20-2009

Rated 0 
To me, this song is about accepting an addiction. "Surrender" is commonly referred to by people in 12-step programs as the "1st step". The ATM machine line is awesome, like he's taking money out for drugs and realizes what his life has become.

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Sil
02-20-2009

Rated 0 
oh btw it's not

At the moment of surrender
I flooded to my knees
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me

It is:

At the moment of surrender
I FOLDED to my knees
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me


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1 Reply
theu2edge
02-21-2009

Rated +2 
It's actually about God. Tie myself to let the horses run free: When Jesus was put on the cross to forgive the sins of the world (horses run free). Also ref to stations of the cross: that's a Catholic ritual during Lent. I think its about how busy we are and we forget God at times but then we have moments where we really see him/her, the moment of surrender.

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darkmage2002
02-21-2009

Rated +3 
theu2edge definitely nailed this one. Although I do not think the song is about "moments" but rather THE MOMENT... the defining realization that we're all living our lives in a catatonic stupour of ridiculousness while the true meaning of our existence is right there in front of us waiting to be grasped. Let me expand upon this interpretation with some thoughts to consider on this absolutely awe-inspiring ballad.

"The stone was semi-precious
We were barely conscious
Two souls too smart to be in the realm of certainty
Even on our wedding day"

An introduction, demonstrating how our carefree attitude can even be found in our so-called love relationships. The semi-precious stone may refer to the importance we put on the damn diamond ring, and the nonsense surrounding wedding... two souls too "smart" to stop and realize the true meaning of what is happening. To worried about the "busy"-ness of invitations, decorations, thank-you cards... the STRESS!

"I was speeding on the subway
Through the stations of the cross"

The stations of the cross are all around us. For Christians, we've been educated our entire lives to understand that Christ is all around us, manifesting in so many forms. We just fail to see this, rushing around in our daily lives without taking the time for reminiscing about faith, eternity, and the power of our consciousness. We barrel forward through our lives, streaking by the signs all around us.

"Every eye looking every other way
Counting down 'til the pain would stop"

Our common way of fighting the pain in our lives is simply to complain about all the shit piled upon us and wish it would all end... count down the days until things will be better. Maybe buy a lottery ticket and wish, instead of turning back to God and giving in to the true plan and mission of our lives.

"At the moment of surrender
Of vision over visibility"

Probably THE MOST powerful line in the whole song. Visibility is simply the ability of our eyes to look around. But to truly have VISION... to truly see what is meant to be seen around us, to realize what life is truly TRULY about; that is the ultimate answer and the only way we will achieve it is to surrender to eternity and quit confounding our existence with the trivialities, addictions, and "horrors" of everyday life.

"I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me"

A clear indication of the personal nature of this realization; the fact that everyone must experience it in their own way. When the protagonist does, there is a clear separation between him/herself and everyone else around, who are still continuing on through the deadness of life.



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1 Reply
theu2edge
02-22-2009

Rated 0 
Darkmage....Thank you for going a lot further on this. I was out the door to work when I posted so couldn't say much. You hit some very good points. What a great song with a great meaning. I hope they make a video for it, the themes are amazing.

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Marquez
02-23-2009

Rated 0 
Wow darkmage... what a great job you did there, my friend. I was pretty convinced this song was about being a junkie, and realizing that your life has fallen into a pit of darkness and despair. I thought the "I tie myself with wire" line referred to tying your arm so you can find the vein you'll inject heroin into ("to let the horses run free", I thought, was a poetic way of describing the effect heroin has on you: horses might be thoughts, anxious feelings, all kinds of personal demons you're trying to defeat through your drug usage, also "horse" is a street term for heroin) But I think your take on it is at least very close to the truth. Keep up the great work, man. It was really enlightening to read you.

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Dawud
02-26-2009

Rated 0 
I think it's about marriage

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astepcloser24
02-28-2009

Rated 0 
I've heard it's about being addicted, which I can see. For me, it's just someone who is going through a dark time and no one is around and he's surrendering to that feeling of hopelessness.

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Infinity88
02-28-2009

Rated 0 
I was so intrigued by this song because I felt that there was a deeper meaning...it is such a beautiful song that I didn't feel that it was JUST about addiction.

We all have our addictions to this world, in some form or fashion. And like the comments before me (which were all great and really made me drive this into the ground in my head to figure out, so thanks), I believe that this is a person working out the kinks in their life...realizing that the damage from their own personal, conscious decisions has been done and that there is no turning back...but all the while having difficulty dealing with it, they do still have faith, leading to this day of the Moment of Surrender.

As a Christian, one of the coolest things that I learned was that I would be a part of a marriage with Christ as my bridegroom. For those who do not understand this message, please see this link : http://www.gotquestions.org/bride-of-Christ.html . Short version of the message : As believers in Jesus Christ, we who are the bride of Christ wait with great anticipation for the day when we will be united with our Bridegroom. Until then, we remain faithful to Him and say with all the redeemed of the Lord, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

Oh God, do not deny her
It's not if I believe in love
But if love believes in me
Oh, believe in me

God is at the altar and this person is asking for acceptance as the bride of Christ...yearning to get back to the heart and to the rhythm of the unconciousness and soul...everything that is not from the mundane tasks of this life, like going to the ATM machine, that we have all become accustomed. The moment happened, the one that we as Christains wait for...we can't focus on anything else anymore, only the most important moment, when you fold to your knees in awe. The love reflection...the vision over visibility.










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2 Replies
DrVanNostren
03-01-2009

Rated 0 
I think the song is about a man who has been thrust out of naivity and innocence and into the whirlwind of a unanswerable questions about our existance in the universe amoung others. In searching for answers about himself, his life, and the universe he examines religion, he examines deep space and physical theory as mentioned by the black holes and dark stars, and he ultimately ends up as anyone else would end up deep in such thought; lost and and at the point that you wish you could go back to being blissfully ignorant because of the torment that comes along with not being able to answer such questions. That I can relate to the lines where he wishes he could get back to the various rhythms and back to his heart.

Ultimately, as everyone who has ventured into such thoughts, the man surrenders to the unanswerable questions and it is at that moment, the moment of surrender, that one gains the most wisdom because they have accepted and have become comfortable with the fact that nothing, whether it be a relationship or the origin of the universe, is certain. That is vision over visibility. Insight over sight. Comfort in not knowing over ignorance in not caring.

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2 Replies
Ekkoe
03-04-2009

Rated 0 
Seems to me it has something to do with suicide. Not denying references to religion and drugs.

He's on a subway, people are waiting for their trains, not looking at him. I feel he's about to throw himself in front of a train, and people might believe this is so, but they're just "waiting for the pain to stop".

Moment of surrender, I think is the moment at which the character surrenders his will to live, and his life by throwing himself to the train.

Whatever it means (one of the things I love about U2 is that we'll never know), it's a brilliant song :)



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vicci3376
03-06-2009

Rated 0 
Awesome song. I feel that this is the continuation of until the end of the world- i feel it depicts the final thoughts of Judas Iscariot prior to hanging himself.

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tylerd5
03-09-2009

Rated 0 
I hate to do this because the song works on so many levels but B did mention one of the characters on the album was a junkie and I think I got this one. I thought it was about how fame changed him at first but....

I tied myself with wire--tying arm to shoot up
To let the horses run free--horse, another name for heroin
Playing with the fire until the fire played with me-you have to cook heroin
The stone was semi-precious--heroin is a rock
We were barely conscious--um, yeah
Two souls too smart to be in the realm of certainty--people often talk about their drug as a love affair
Even on our wedding day--first time he tried heroin

So is the moment of surrender to the drug or to God once the character's addicted?


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TomServo11
03-10-2009

Rated 0 
I interpret the song as dealing with the void inside all of us that we try to fill. The character in the song tries to fill it with drugs (the first verse) and even another person (the wedding day references and the second verse). He then moves on to science (the stars and black holes) and to money (at the ATM machine). His final stop and ultimate "surrender" is to spirituality (the stations of the cross).

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ablecain
03-10-2009

Rated 0 
There are so many ways that this song can be interpreted, but for me, it's about loneliness and finding God to overcome that loneliness. It's about feeling like nobody notices you and trying so hard, over and over again, to come out of that loneliness and find a way to be loved (because that's all we really want, when it comes down to it, right?). I'm just not sure where the song culminates. Like, where the revelatory point is... But I can see the moment of surrender being the point where you just give up and surrender to Christ rather than searching fruitlessly in the material world (which would explain "vision over visibility").

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malonesnoogie
03-11-2009

Rated 0 
unknown caller is the sequel to this song as the junkie character meanders through the early morning hours, calls up for more dope, and finds himself in the presence of the lord through text messages. the lyric that mentions the time, 3:33, is a reference to Jeremiah 33:3. Read it and u will understand.

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ecogirl20
03-12-2009

Rated 0 
I can't say for certain what these lyrics mean substantively, but I can say what they mean to me. I was horribly depressed, and for me, the moment of surrender is that moment when you decide to change your life. It's the moment of no return, where you either give in to suicide or you decide to move on and get help.

I cried the first time I heard this song, the lyrics "I did not notice the passers-by, and they did not notice me" was how I felt while being so depressed. I felt detached from the world, living life but not really LIVING it... until my moment of surrender, when I realized that I had to get help to re-join the world.

The moment of surrender doesn't necessarily have to mean that you surrender to suicide... to me, it means that you surrender to the will to live, which in a lot of ways is harder to do.

Just my opinion.

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AnthonyE33
03-15-2009

Rated 0 
I think it's about suicide too. But Christian suicide. It says repeatedly in the Bible, and Bono has said repeatedly in his songs (including the song "Surrender" on War) to die to yourself (he says this in "Breathe" too). Of course, this dying to yourself is a spiritual death, not necessarily a physical one. To me, the song is about giving up control of your life to God, so its not about suicide and uncertainty and hopelessness, its about suicide and uncertainty and hopelessness as regards to yourself. You SURRENDER to God, not death and despair.

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ptanzola
03-21-2009

Rated 0 
This song is clearly about winning a bronze medal in the shotput in the 1984 Summer Olympics.

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retzo
03-21-2009

Rated 0 
For me, the lyrics speak to getting over an addiction. The addiction is not necessarily herion or drugs....like in Bad. It is whatever addiction haunts your soul and consciousness. Addictions of any sort take you "out of the moment".....they make you go thru life with blinders on. The moment of surrender is a state of complete consciousness. Complete self-awareness.

When you enter this state, you see beauty in things that normally do not....the beauty is overwhelming and it flows thru your soul. You want others to share in the experience.

We visibly see things evey day.....but do not really see how great they are. When people are completely conscious/self aware, they see beyond the mundane. They see beauty. Vision over visibilty is a powerful message, and it is a message of hope.

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RayMan
03-28-2009

Rated 0 
For me, the crux of the meaning of this track occurs at:

"I was punching in the numbers at the ATM machine
I could see in the reflection
A face staring back at me
At the moment of surrender
Of vision over visibility..."

Vision over visibility. Visually there's nothing special here... unless you are aware of the VISION of prophecy about this event. Almost 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ revealed to His favourite disciple, St. John, that a day would come when nobody in this world would be able to buy or sell without first receiving a mark or number:

"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." - Rev. 13:16-17

I think about this every time I use an ATM. The first thing I do is insert my "number" (on my card) with my RIGHT HAND. But this alone isn't enough. I still cannot make a financial transaction until I enter another NUMBER... my PIN (Personal Identification Number), which only exists in one place... in MY FOREHEAD. It sends chills down my spin every time I do it, because it makes me realize that Jesus KNEW this 2000 years ago... JESUS IS GOD. My moment of surrender.

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FriendOfLuke
03-29-2009

Rated 0 
Those who see the junkie references are accurate in the literal sense. The addiction reference is a metaphor for anyone seeking to fill the void in their life through earthly pursuits. If money is your god then the ATM is your altar. You can attempt filling this chasm with good acts, money, sex or drugs, but nothing we do will be enough. The lucky among us will receive vision above visibility and recognize our folly for what it is. Our only true option is to surrender. To accept God as our savior and to ask Him into our hearts. At this moment of surrender we are justified. The burden is lifted. We call to Him and He answers and tells us great and unsearchable things we did not know (Jeremiah 33:3). We will also realize that our life is His, and that we were born to sing for Him. The Magnificent.

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