I think this song is about U2's fascination with Elvis Presley & his themes of love & lust.

hm... i thought the song was about a hooker.

I thought it was about a hooker too. Heartbreak Hotel = Brothel. Anyway, this song is great, i like the choir singing at the end.

I absolutely love this song. It's just so full of soul and it really shows off Bono's incredible vocal talent. Like everyone else, I think it's about a prostitute, but I also think it has a deeper meaning than just that the same way most other U2 songs do.

I think it's about a woman who mistakes sex for love. She associates the attention she recieves for her *services* as a sort of love because clearly it's all she's ever known. I think the underlying story is that the main character of the story is in love with her, but as the line goes: "You've got everything you want but what you need you give away" meaning she actually has real love in the form of this man (the lyricist) but she doesn't really see it or understand it because she thinks love just comes with her profession.

The lyricist is basically saying that she gives up every chance she gets at something meaningful and true for *a primitive love* (lust) and a ride on the mystery train* and she's headed for heartbreak because she's too naive to differentiate between real love and lust.

"I think this song is about U2's fascination with Elvis Presley & his themes of love & lust."

I agree w/ this statement. I'm not sure where I heard that from but it sounds like the song is more of a fascination with a public figure than with an ordinary encounter or meeting with a prostitute.

Its obvious to me that a prostitute does know the difference between lust and real love. They do not choose to be prostitutes, they become one out of unfortunate circumstances.

So it wouldn't make much sense to say this song is U2's take on a prostitute. Bono's lyrics are almost always to be taken symbolicly.

I had always understood it to be about Elvis Presley, Could the lyrics it be from the POV of someone talking to Elvis, maybe Priscilla?

This song is a b-side on Angel Of Harlem, which has a picture of Billy Holiday (the Angel of Harlem) on the back of the 7", 12" and CD-single sleeves. I seem to remember Elvis' picture also included on the 12" somewhere, maybe the disc label?