Happy Sixteenth of June!

[digitize]

16th of June, nine-oh-five, door bell rings
Man at the door says if I want to stay alive a bit longer
There’s a few things I need you to know
Three

Coming from a long line of
Traveling sales people on my mother’s side
I wasn’t gonna buy just anyone’s cockatoo
So why would I invite a complete stranger into my home?
Would you?

These days are better than that
These days are better than that

Every day I die again, and again I’m reborn
Every day I have to find the courage
To walk out into the street
With arms out
Got a love you can’t defeat
Neither down nor out
There’s nothing you have that I need
I can breathe
Breathe now

16th of June, Chinese stocks are going up
And I’m coming down with some new Asian virus
Ju Ju man, Ju Ju man
Doc says you’re fine, or dying
Please
Nine-oh-nine, St. John Divine on the line, my pulse is fine
But I’m running down the road like loose electricity
While the band in my head plays a striptease

The roar that lies on the other side of silence
The forest fire that is fear so deny it

Walk out into the street
Sing your heart out
The people we meet
Will not be drowned out
There’s nothing you have that I need
I can breathe
Breathe now
Yeah, yeah

We are people borne of sound
The songs are in our eyes
Gonna wear them like a crown

Walk out, into the sunburst street
Sing your heart out, sing my heart out
I’ve found grace inside a sound
I found grace, it’s all that I found
And I can breathe
Breathe now

 

[BVS]

10 inch

 

[digitize]

That's one big cockatoo.

 

[Jeannieco]

 

[Sicy]

Meh.

 

[Miss_Pop]

I'm sorry, but what is this interpretation about?

 

[mad1]

its about the 16th of June.

 

[sisterinthemoon]

tehe

 

[powerhour24]

 

[lauramullen]

 

[secretly alone]

 

[nirniva]

Funny story: I was sleeping in this morning, when my dad BARGED THE HELL INTO MY ROOM and shouted "HEY! WAKE UP! YOU CAN'T MISS IT!" like a kid on Christmas morning. Needless to say, this all happened at precisely 9:05 and was backed to the sounds of Breathe being played very loudly in the next room.

While I appreciate his enthusiasm, I would have been perfectly happy to wait until 9:05 P.M.

 

[Jeannieco]

I found this on the web for those that don't know this already :
Dublin celebrates on the 16th of June "BLOOMSDAY” a fictional anniversary created by James Joyce, taken from his novel Ulysses.
The 16th of June will see strange goings-on in Dublin every year - mostly elderly gentlemen and ladies in decidedly old-fashioned garb tramping through town. Reciting literature. These are people celebrating Bloomsday."

Does anyone have a guess or know what 9-0-9 St.John Devine means?
I know there is speculation but has anyone heard Bono mention this in any interviews as to what it means?
I thought it might be another biblical reference, or a reference to the church St.John Devine in New York City??

 

[Galeongirl]

Oh man. Freaky. I didn't even realise this and my alarm went off this morning at exactly 9.05 this morning!

Happy Cock-atoo day guys.

 

[sisterinthemoon]

I found this on the web for those that don't know this already :
Dublin celebrates on the 16th of June "BLOOMSDAY” a fictional anniversary created by James Joyce, taken from his novel Ulysses.
The 16th of June will see strange goings-on in Dublin every year - mostly elderly gentlemen and ladies in decidedly old-fashioned garb tramping through town. Reciting literature. These are people celebrating Bloomsday."

Does anyone have a guess or know what 9-0-9 St.John Devine means?
I know there is speculation but has anyone heard Bono mention this in any interviews as to what it means?
I thought it might be another biblical reference, or a reference to the church St.John Devine in New York City??

Hmm that's interesting about the Bloomsday... I wonder how it relates to the song though unless and gentleman is the one ringing the doorbell

I wonder what the 9-0-9 thing is too. I'm not very smart in the Bible area but is there a passage written by St. John, chapter 9.9... That's my only idea. I would like to know though.

 

[digitize]

It's probably referring to Revelation, which was written by John of Patmos, also known as John the Revelator (put him in an elevator) or St. John the Divine. The John who wrote the Book of John (nowadays, I'm pretty sure they're assumed to be different people) isn't usually referred to as St. John the Divine, so it's probably Revelation.

Revelation 9:9 is, for the record:
They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.

Do as you with with that.

 

[sisterinthemoon]

Well Divine rhymes better than Revelation haha....

 

[Jeannieco]

It's probably referring to Revelation, which was written by John of Patmos, also known as John the Revelator (put him in an elevator) or St. John the Divine. The John who wrote the Book of John (nowadays, I'm pretty sure they're assumed to be different people) isn't usually referred to as St. John the Divine, so it's probably Revelation.

Revelation 9:9 is, for the record:
They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.

Do as you with with that.

Oh, very cool perspective! Thanks!
I love the mystery of it but still would love to hear what Bono means by it's reference. I tried looking up verses also but that one about doing battle may well be it!

 

[bonocomet]

I woulda been in Oakland right now!

 

[Jeannieco]

Hmm that's interesting about the Bloomsday... I wonder how it relates to the song though unless and gentleman is the one ringing the doorbell

I don't really understand the song either. I go back and forth with it.
I can't remember Ulysses ...perhaps there is an obvious reference in it regarding the symbolic salesman in this song? Anybody know?

The verses are what confuse me. I think the jist of the song refers to Bono being able to breathe a bit easier now because AIDS drugs are getting to Africa and saving lives! Finally!! So he is saying to world leaders that there's nothing he needs now since they have forgiven African debt, ect... but the bit about the salesman at the door is strange unless it represents the church?
Selling 3 things as in the Holy Trinity? ?? You know how Bono says he doesn't find God in church building?
Here's the whole quote:
"I often wonder if religion is the enemy of God. It's almost like religion is what happens when the Spirit has left the building. God's Spirit moves through us and the world at a pace that can never be constricted by any one religious paradigm. I love that. You know, it says somewhere in the scriptures that the Spirit moves like a wind -- no one knows where it's come from or where it's going. The Spirit is described in the Holy Scriptures as much more anarchic than any established religion credits."
BONO

I love that quote by the way and totally agree!

 

[u2gek]

Really wishing I was at a concert today...

 

[Katiesheb]

^
Don't worry...I would have started a countdown for my concert which would have been one month from today...

Anyway, happy 16th of June!!! Love that song...and the cockatoo too!!!

 

[sisterinthemoon]

^
Don't worry...I would have started a countdown for my concert which would have been one month from today...

Anyway, happy 16th of June!!! Love that song...and the cockatoo too!!!

Mine was June 30th. I plan on watching the Rose Bowl DVD that day Next year hurry please!!

Happy 16th of June everyone

 

[Sicy]

I woulda been in Oakland right now!

Me too.

 

[secretly alone]

I just have to say that, tonight while eating dinner, some guy came to our door looking for donations for local nature preservation...

We don't get that kind of thing more than a few times a year. I was unnaturally thrilled when the doorbell rang

 

[digitize]

I just have to say that, tonight while eating dinner, some guy came to our door looking for donations for local nature preservation...

We don't get that kind of thing more than a few times a year. I was unnaturally thrilled when the doorbell rang

Do they preserve cockatoos at that nature preservation?

 

[U2387]

Great song, great lyrics!!

Don't know why it gets put in the "ok, but nothing great U2 by numbers 2000s category" by so many.

There are of course better openers out there,(and even U2 has vocally acknowledged as much by this point) but this is a real gem of a song overall.

 

[Catman]

Happy Bloomsday everybody

 

[indigo tree]

God Dammit- I would have been singing that at Oakland Coliseum earlier tonight.

 

[The_Edge89]

I always thought the song was about Bono the salesman, Africa and the Soweto Uprising... Never heard of the Bloomsday connection before.