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 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.