Lyrics for Where The Streets Have No Name as interpreted by spitfirek7

Where The Streets Have No Name Lyrics
I wanna run
I want to hide
I wanna tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I wanna reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name

I wanna feel sunlight on my face
I see the dust cloud disappear without a trace
I wanna take shelter from the poison rain
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love,
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do

The city's a flood
And our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled in dust
I'll show you a place
High on a desert plain
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love,
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do

Our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh yes, in dust
See our love turn to rust
And we're beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh, when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do

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ballzofsno
04-27-2002

Rated 0 
This song captures the sublime feeling of anyone who's stood alone atop a mountain, bathed in the setting sun and a cool breeze and a breathtaking view; and wished only for the opportunity to share it with someone special.

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chosen1forlife
05-01-2002

Rated 0 
I think this place "where the streets have no name" is heaven. When they say "I want to feel sunlight on my face See that dust cloud disappear without a trace
I want to take shelter from the poison rain ", it's an obvious referance to a wonderful, peaceful place. That's my thoughts.


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u2elevation
05-21-2002

Rated 0 
This song is and will always be my all-time favorite song. It makes a wonderful live song, too! What does it mean to me? I think what Bono may be refering to is that a place where the streets have no name is a place were there is peace-away from the rest of the messed up world we live in. It may be a place that can only be dreamed of or imagined. As someone before me said, it may be heaven. But how great would it be to live in world peace? If we ever find a place where the streets have no name on this earth I hope I can be there.

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zipped6648
05-28-2002

Rated 0 
This a great song. I'm not sure what it means. I think that "u2elevation" has a good meaning of it. I just love the song. Thanks.

b

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anafashion
06-05-2002

Rated +1 
it´s all about freedom. i guess they captured this well with their music. And Bono is the best. not as much because he has a tender voice, but because he know how to express himself in a music. this is the music of my life. the music when you run and you´re free and then you know, that you´re in a place so high that none can´t do do no harm. it´s all about being in heaven too.

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IanoDublin
06-09-2002

Rated 0 
This songs is about how music can let you transcend time and place, and let you escape from the world.

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TasChiBandGirl
06-29-2002

Rated 0 
This is the ultimate driving song, in my opinion. This is a great song just to drive along a scenic route to. I mean, the song is about freedom, and what is more free than just driving around the streets with this song blasting, hugging every curve of the roads and smoothly just accelerating to the beat of this song? What is more free than that?! With the sunlight in your face, just driving along, no exact destination, just driving...okay I'll stop being poetic now. This is a great song, that's all I can really say.

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wanderingstar
09-02-2002

Rated 0 
I think the central theme of this song is the band's dreaming of a better world, one of freedom, equality, peace and personal courage. It's a social/personal commentary, like many U2 songs. One of my favorites from U2.

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U2babe
09-03-2002

Rated 0 
This is my absolute favourite song of all time.
The intro is fabulous, and it never fails to put a smile on my face on bad days.
I think this song may be about heaven, but the world peace idea is also great.
It's so amazing when its performed live, the version on 'Elevation 2001' dvd is fantastic.
I have to see this band live.

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jana1985
09-04-2002

Rated 0 
In N. Ireland you can tell by the name of the streets whether the person who lives there is protestant or catholic, this song is about a place where this no longer happens

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MetalKronic
09-12-2002

Rated 0 
I think this song is about getting away from our fucked up society and our fucked up cities. Going to a place where it all doesn't matter, where the streets have no name.

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Mattimeo84
09-23-2002

Rated 0 
if you saw the live version of this song, you know that the stage is in the shape of a heart, there is a cross hanging near the back and the screens produce so much bright light, that all earthly things are just basked. this song was written shortly after bono became a christian and he was writting about how he understood heaven

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plosion
03-11-2003

Rated 0 
This is from u2.com, and I think it explains what the song is about really well...

"An interesting story that someone told me once is that in Belfast, by what street someone lives on you can tell not only their religion but tell how much money they’re making - literally by which side of the road they live on, because the further up the hill the more expensive the houses become. You can almost tell what the people are earning by the name of the street they live on and what side ot that street they live on. That said something to me, and so I started writing about a place where the streets have no name...."
-bono

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Silhouette
06-13-2003

Rated 0 
I've also heard that some of his inspiration for it came on one of his crusades in Africa. Him and his wife, I believe, were talking about the sub standard living in these 3rd world countries, but at the same time the things they don't have to worry about with the industrialization and corruption of capatilism. I remember hearing that story somewhere.. not sure of the validity. Check please?

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voicefortheunborn
04-29-2004

Rated 0 
Back during the time of the whole Ethiopia starvation crisis, Bono and his wife Ali did a 6 week deal over there as volunteer relief workers or something of the such. The tent cities that were set up for the people were just lined up in rows, and that was how these people lived, hence there were streets without names. 'high on a desert plain' would be referring to Ethiopia, as well as the mentions of being 'blown by the wind' and 'trampled in dust', as it was a drought and I'd imagine, awfully dusty. Also, I would assume that 'and when I go there, i go there with you...' would be referring to Ali. IMO, the beginning lines are written in frustration at the misery and hopelessness of the situation and his inability to make very much of a difference. Thats what I think

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voicefortheunborn
04-29-2004

Rated 0 
Back during the time of the whole Ethiopia starvation crisis, Bono and his wife Ali did a 6 week deal over there as volunteer relief workers or something of the such. The tent cities that were set up for the people were just lined up in rows, and that was how these people lived, hence there were streets without names. 'high on a desert plain' would be referring to Ethiopia, as well as the mentions of being 'blown by the wind' and 'trampled in dust', as it was a drought and I'd imagine, awfully dusty. Also, I would assume that 'and when I go there, i go there with you...' would be referring to Ali. IMO, the beginning lines are written in frustration at the misery and hopelessness of the situation and his inability to make very much of a difference. Thats what I think

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u2bono17
05-18-2004

Rated 0 
This song is definitely my all time favorite. Its catchy riff and deep lyrics make it a great song. Bono realizes we live in such a dirty culture. We keep building up cities and getting wrapped up in the high-tech world. We should just get out to the wilderness, the fields, the parks, whatever. He is also doing a social commentary on war-torn streets like Belfast. Once there is unity, then there will be no need for division among street names. But primarily this song is about leaving the city and our wretched new culture- just going to a place to feel sunlight on our faces.

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macondo
06-23-2004

Rated -1 
Funny, I always used to think the title referred to the city New York. Because there some streets have no names, only numbers (like 42nd street).. I thought it was about escaping with your love from a boring place to NY.. But hell, when Bono himself has another idea behind the song - who am i?

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mqmninezero
10-03-2004

Rated 0 
This song is definitely talking about heaven, just like most of U2 songs, it is another reference to faith. I love U2.

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mr jim
10-20-2004

Rated 0 
i think it is in a prison escape yo a place where the streets have no name like new york city

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Dana70
12-06-2004

Rated 0 
This is the greatest running song ever!

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DanMiller
12-09-2004

Rated 0 
Bono's quote about the streets in Northern Ireland are a revelation, thanks! I will just note that the ideal setting for this song, IMHO, is driving across New Mexico into a gathering, intense thunderstorm. You can hear the storm build up in the song; in the beginning, just a looming thunderous cloud in the distance, and a minute into the song it breaks...

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PatTheRat99
12-14-2004

Rated 0 
Bono's quote about Belfast is 100% true...I live there. I had heard about that quote before, but also that the song was inspired by New York eg 42nd street as stated above. Who really cares what/where it is about when it sounds as good as this anyway.

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loatu
12-14-2004

Rated 0 
OK. Where can you find a 'high desert plain' with 'dust clouds' and 'sunlight on my face'? This song is clearly about the state of Utah. Utah is a desert. It hardly ever rains, but when it does, 'the city's a flood.' Utah is up in the mountains, and it's notorious for not naming the streets anywhere. All streets are like 300 S or 1700 E. Only numbers. Utah is truly a peaceful place which the world avoids, and one can truly feel at peace up in the mountains.

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robbwhite
12-19-2004

Rated -1 
Hate to 'pop' everybody's bubble, but you can't call yourself U2 fans and not know about this song. It's about L.A. {Los Angeles}. So many streets (as Bono said) they may as well not have names. It's about tinsle town, the Hollywood sign (pointing 'the way') and selling the image!! Try and keep in mind what the album, movie, and tours were about and the famous remixes that included lyrics like "..in Hollywood tonight". Pomp and glitter, status, materialism, .....all things for fodder and to be made fun of. Most importantly, remember the famous video for the track?? ON top of the record store in downtown L.A. - getting shutdown by the cops?? Remember? The desert (and the Joshua Tree) disappears without a trace and WHAM, there is L.A. right before you glowing and bright, a burning image after all that dust and nothingness!! Blown by the winds are the Santa Anna winds that blow through. Where do they have acid rain (poison rain) and smog?? L.A.!!! You know the massive rain gulleys and concrete canals in L.A. that take over and shuttle the flood waters out when it happens to rain there, .........(you've seen them in a million car chase scenes in a thousand different movies) ...well....without them the city is a flood. The band shot the video there for a MAJOR reason!! Why does everybody make U2 songs harder to figure out then they really are??? P.S. I didn't say that, Bono did.

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