Don't know why people think these lyrics aren't deep or meaningful. It's about stepping into a seedy club in Mexico called Vertigo, nearly being overwhelmed with temptation, and resisting with faith and love in God.
Here, I'll break it down for you:
Unos dos tres catorce! ("1, 2, 3, 14" -- Stepping inside and feeling immediately out of your depth and overwhelmed)
Lights go down, it's dark (The lights go down in the club)
The jungle is your head, (Your thoughts are going mad)
Can't rule your heart, (Your innocent heart is still in control)
A feeling so much stronger than a thought (A spiritual feeling is more powerful than a carnal thought)
Your eyes are wide (Your eyes are wide with innocence and drinking in the temptations)
And though your soul It can't be bought, (You're not selling out to the temptation...)
Your mind can wander (...but man, you're tempted)
Hello hello (Calling out to God for help)
I'm at a place called Vertigo (I'm in a club called Vertigo)
It's everything I wish I didn't know (It's full of all these temptations that I wish I didn't have to know about)
Except you give me something I can feel, feel (but you, God, give me something I can feel, and like I said a minute ago, a feeling is more powerful than a tempting thought)
The night is full of holes (I'm surrounded with things that are wrong)
As bullets rip the sky (Chaos)
Of ink with gold (Money)
They twinkle as (Bling)
the Boys play rock and roll (Rock and roll music)
They know that they can't dance (The rockers can't dance)
At least they know (But it's okay, because they don't try)
I can't stand the heat (It's hot in here)
I'm asking for the check (I'm asking to get the check so I can pay and leave)
The girl with crimson nails (Sexy girl)
Has Jesus round her neck (has a necklace with a crucifix on it)
Swinging to the music (The girl is dancing)
Swinging to the music (The crucifix is swinging)
Oh oh oh oh (I'm getting mixed signals from the symbol -- carnal lust and spiritual love)
Hello hello (Calling out to God for help)
I'm at a place called Vertigo (I'm in a club called Vertigo)
It's everything I wish I didn't know (It's full of all these temptations that I wish I didn't have to know about)
But you give me something I can feel, feel (but you, God, give me something I can feel, and like I said a minute ago, a feeling is more powerful than a tempting thought)
Check mated (Voices from hell)
Oh yeah (tempting me)
Hours of fun (to sin)
All of this, all of this can be yours (Satan tempting)
All of this, all of this can be yours (Satan tempting)
All of this, all of this can be yours (Satan tempting)
Just give me what I want and no-one gets hurt (Satan tempting)
Hello hello (Calling out to God for help)
We're at a place called Vertigo (We're all metaphorically in this hellish, tempting club called Vertigo)
Lights go down and all I know (When the lights go down, the thing I can rely on)
Is that you give me something (Is that you, God, give me something)
I can feel your love teaching me how (real that I can feel. Your love is teaching me how)
Your love is teaching me how, how to kneel (Your love is teaching me how to bow down to the true master)
Yeah yeah yeah yeah (Yes, God, Yes, God, Yes, God, Yes)
@PencilNeckedGeek But why is it 1, 2, 3, 14? Why 14? I had this argument with my girlfriend cuz she said catorce means 14, and I argued that that doesn't make sense why would he scream out 1! 2! 3! 14!? what's 14??
@PencilNeckedGeek But why is it 1, 2, 3, 14? Why 14? I had this argument with my girlfriend cuz she said catorce means 14, and I argued that that doesn't make sense why would he scream out 1! 2! 3! 14!? what's 14??
@PencilNeckedGeek 14 is unexpected. When you hear a count, you expect, "1, 2, 3, 4." Bono is creating an experience of what he's experiencing, to throw you off balance. Here's a painfully literal version of what I'm saying: Let's say you're descending steps into a club, and it's too dark to see the steps. Each step is two feet long but only about 4 inches high. You make your way down the first step and it's fine. You make your way down the second step, and it's the same, so you're reassured. The third step is the same too, so...
@PencilNeckedGeek 14 is unexpected. When you hear a count, you expect, "1, 2, 3, 4." Bono is creating an experience of what he's experiencing, to throw you off balance. Here's a painfully literal version of what I'm saying: Let's say you're descending steps into a club, and it's too dark to see the steps. Each step is two feet long but only about 4 inches high. You make your way down the first step and it's fine. You make your way down the second step, and it's the same, so you're reassured. The third step is the same too, so now you get it, you understand the pattern here. So you confidently walk down the fourth step thinking you know what to expect, and you fall into the club because that last step is 14 inches. You're not hurt, but you're off-balance and disoriented. That's the experience created by "1, 2, 3, 14."
@PencilNeckedGeek
Great blow-by-blow interpretation, makes a lot of sense
@PencilNeckedGeek
Great blow-by-blow interpretation, makes a lot of sense
Interesting explanation of the intro there. I seem to remember reading that when asked about that Bono basically chuckled and shrugged and said there was probably liquor involved.
Interesting explanation of the intro there. I seem to remember reading that when asked about that Bono basically chuckled and shrugged and said there was probably liquor involved.
Don't know why people think these lyrics aren't deep or meaningful. It's about stepping into a seedy club in Mexico called Vertigo, nearly being overwhelmed with temptation, and resisting with faith and love in God.
Here, I'll break it down for you:
Unos dos tres catorce! ("1, 2, 3, 14" -- Stepping inside and feeling immediately out of your depth and overwhelmed)
Lights go down, it's dark (The lights go down in the club) The jungle is your head, (Your thoughts are going mad) Can't rule your heart, (Your innocent heart is still in control) A feeling so much stronger than a thought (A spiritual feeling is more powerful than a carnal thought) Your eyes are wide (Your eyes are wide with innocence and drinking in the temptations) And though your soul It can't be bought, (You're not selling out to the temptation...) Your mind can wander (...but man, you're tempted)
Hello hello (Calling out to God for help) I'm at a place called Vertigo (I'm in a club called Vertigo) It's everything I wish I didn't know (It's full of all these temptations that I wish I didn't have to know about) Except you give me something I can feel, feel (but you, God, give me something I can feel, and like I said a minute ago, a feeling is more powerful than a tempting thought)
The night is full of holes (I'm surrounded with things that are wrong) As bullets rip the sky (Chaos) Of ink with gold (Money) They twinkle as (Bling) the Boys play rock and roll (Rock and roll music) They know that they can't dance (The rockers can't dance) At least they know (But it's okay, because they don't try)
I can't stand the heat (It's hot in here) I'm asking for the check (I'm asking to get the check so I can pay and leave) The girl with crimson nails (Sexy girl) Has Jesus round her neck (has a necklace with a crucifix on it) Swinging to the music (The girl is dancing) Swinging to the music (The crucifix is swinging) Oh oh oh oh (I'm getting mixed signals from the symbol -- carnal lust and spiritual love)
Hello hello (Calling out to God for help) I'm at a place called Vertigo (I'm in a club called Vertigo) It's everything I wish I didn't know (It's full of all these temptations that I wish I didn't have to know about) But you give me something I can feel, feel (but you, God, give me something I can feel, and like I said a minute ago, a feeling is more powerful than a tempting thought)
Check mated (Voices from hell) Oh yeah (tempting me) Hours of fun (to sin)
All of this, all of this can be yours (Satan tempting) All of this, all of this can be yours (Satan tempting)
All of this, all of this can be yours (Satan tempting) Just give me what I want and no-one gets hurt (Satan tempting)
Hello hello (Calling out to God for help) We're at a place called Vertigo (We're all metaphorically in this hellish, tempting club called Vertigo) Lights go down and all I know (When the lights go down, the thing I can rely on) Is that you give me something (Is that you, God, give me something) I can feel your love teaching me how (real that I can feel. Your love is teaching me how) Your love is teaching me how, how to kneel (Your love is teaching me how to bow down to the true master) Yeah yeah yeah yeah (Yes, God, Yes, God, Yes, God, Yes)
@PencilNeckedGeek But why is it 1, 2, 3, 14? Why 14? I had this argument with my girlfriend cuz she said catorce means 14, and I argued that that doesn't make sense why would he scream out 1! 2! 3! 14!? what's 14??
@PencilNeckedGeek But why is it 1, 2, 3, 14? Why 14? I had this argument with my girlfriend cuz she said catorce means 14, and I argued that that doesn't make sense why would he scream out 1! 2! 3! 14!? what's 14??
@PencilNeckedGeek 14 is unexpected. When you hear a count, you expect, "1, 2, 3, 4." Bono is creating an experience of what he's experiencing, to throw you off balance. Here's a painfully literal version of what I'm saying: Let's say you're descending steps into a club, and it's too dark to see the steps. Each step is two feet long but only about 4 inches high. You make your way down the first step and it's fine. You make your way down the second step, and it's the same, so you're reassured. The third step is the same too, so...
@PencilNeckedGeek 14 is unexpected. When you hear a count, you expect, "1, 2, 3, 4." Bono is creating an experience of what he's experiencing, to throw you off balance. Here's a painfully literal version of what I'm saying: Let's say you're descending steps into a club, and it's too dark to see the steps. Each step is two feet long but only about 4 inches high. You make your way down the first step and it's fine. You make your way down the second step, and it's the same, so you're reassured. The third step is the same too, so now you get it, you understand the pattern here. So you confidently walk down the fourth step thinking you know what to expect, and you fall into the club because that last step is 14 inches. You're not hurt, but you're off-balance and disoriented. That's the experience created by "1, 2, 3, 14."
@PencilNeckedGeek Great blow-by-blow interpretation, makes a lot of sense
@PencilNeckedGeek Great blow-by-blow interpretation, makes a lot of sense
Interesting explanation of the intro there. I seem to remember reading that when asked about that Bono basically chuckled and shrugged and said there was probably liquor involved.
Interesting explanation of the intro there. I seem to remember reading that when asked about that Bono basically chuckled and shrugged and said there was probably liquor involved.