I heard this song over the weekend...in, of all places, a casino. It SO didn't fit, it grabbed my attention and stuck in my head. Had to come here to look at the meanings, and that has inspired a mini-epiphany.
Overall, I feel the group has it right. Bono writes "bigger picture" songs - especially at that stage of his career. But the inspiration is often highly personal, which is what makes his songs work so well. I believe that, in general, the song is about loss - or missing what was, and wanting it back, in some form. This could be love, or a sexual relationship, and it could easily be seen in religious light, as well.
"Ice" is death, or something that is no longer there.
"Water" is life, or more generally, the object that is desired. It is something that is "here".
"Fire" is passion, or desire. Particularly, the desire for something that is now in an "ice" state.
All good, but the thing that bugged me about the interpretations was that so many wanted to dismiss, or minimalize the Hiroshima connection. I think it's there, though at the "inspiration" level that got him thinking about bigger, wider topics. I pictured Bono standing at the photo exhibit and feeling the pain and suffering depicted in the pictures. He felt hopeless. He wanted to reach out to the victims. To comfort them. To make their lives continue to mean something - something that was extinguished by acts of men they did not know.
"Stay tonight in a lie" - his "lie" was that he was looking at the pictures, thinking that he could offer the victims - the entire city, for that matter - comfort. That he could make the pain and suffering go away. But it's a lie. He can't. He's just one more person looking at pictures of what may as well be ancient history.
There were good times in Hiroshima before the blast - he describes this as their carnival. But now he stands face-to-face with their images, in a "dry and waterless" place - the lifeless exhibit filled with the lifeless photos.
The only part I have trouble reconciling into this epiphany is the most haunting part of the song, about the mountains crumbling. He's saying he has no regrets for what may come in the future, and yet that just doesn't fit as neatly here. I can only guess that, despite all that happened, his own, personal conscience is still clear. He knows that he did not cause this, and so he cannot regret any of his actions. Funny, though - he describes that with "not a tear" - more water.
I heard this song over the weekend...in, of all places, a casino. It SO didn't fit, it grabbed my attention and stuck in my head. Had to come here to look at the meanings, and that has inspired a mini-epiphany.
Overall, I feel the group has it right. Bono writes "bigger picture" songs - especially at that stage of his career. But the inspiration is often highly personal, which is what makes his songs work so well. I believe that, in general, the song is about loss - or missing what was, and wanting it back, in some form. This could be love, or a sexual relationship, and it could easily be seen in religious light, as well.
"Ice" is death, or something that is no longer there. "Water" is life, or more generally, the object that is desired. It is something that is "here". "Fire" is passion, or desire. Particularly, the desire for something that is now in an "ice" state.
All good, but the thing that bugged me about the interpretations was that so many wanted to dismiss, or minimalize the Hiroshima connection. I think it's there, though at the "inspiration" level that got him thinking about bigger, wider topics. I pictured Bono standing at the photo exhibit and feeling the pain and suffering depicted in the pictures. He felt hopeless. He wanted to reach out to the victims. To comfort them. To make their lives continue to mean something - something that was extinguished by acts of men they did not know.
"Stay tonight in a lie" - his "lie" was that he was looking at the pictures, thinking that he could offer the victims - the entire city, for that matter - comfort. That he could make the pain and suffering go away. But it's a lie. He can't. He's just one more person looking at pictures of what may as well be ancient history.
There were good times in Hiroshima before the blast - he describes this as their carnival. But now he stands face-to-face with their images, in a "dry and waterless" place - the lifeless exhibit filled with the lifeless photos.
The only part I have trouble reconciling into this epiphany is the most haunting part of the song, about the mountains crumbling. He's saying he has no regrets for what may come in the future, and yet that just doesn't fit as neatly here. I can only guess that, despite all that happened, his own, personal conscience is still clear. He knows that he did not cause this, and so he cannot regret any of his actions. Funny, though - he describes that with "not a tear" - more water.
@KirkH I couldn't agree more on you about Japanese atomic bombs event is not a just inspiration, it is wider, bigger topic that covers the song.
@KirkH I couldn't agree more on you about Japanese atomic bombs event is not a just inspiration, it is wider, bigger topic that covers the song.