What is Bono saying in the beginning of "The Fly" in Elevation - Boston?

[Infinity]

He says something like this:

"You walk out into the sports hall, lights go down, its a whole different scene. Light in motion, light in motion, lights off in motion on the other side. Its hard to walk away. You could have it all, we could have it all. We could have it all some day."

Does anybody know where this is from? Or did he just make it up? It matches nicelly with Edge's guitar in the intro of the song on the DVD. Such an amazing combination, even though these words don't seem to mean much.

Thanks!

 

[An Cat Gav]

I'd also like to know.

The Elevation version of The Fly is one of my favourite U2 performances of all time.

 

[LyricalDrug]

Seems like some cool-sounding lines that he scribbled on the back of a napkin on the way to the gig... I'm not sure there's a lot of meaning other than what you make of it, but it sounds fantastic on the recording.

 

[dal975]

me too, simply amazing.

I went to the Charlotte, NC show very early on the Elevation tour. I think 3/29/01 or something like that. I had not yet heard that version of the fly as the tour had only started like two nights before in miami. Bono did the same intro ("You walk out...")with the lights off, just the spotlight on bono out on the heart, but I did not yet know it was the beginning of the fly, until, after this long, silent pause, the soft "but love, you shine like a burning star..." with bono doing the thing with his hand during the "falling from the sky" part. just incredible. one of the most beautiful and stirring things i ever heard from the group. and then...the full blast of the song.
good memory.

 

[david]

Sounds like they could easily be lyrics for Vertigo

 

[dal975]

He says something like this:

Its hard to walk away. You could have it all, we could have it all. We could have it all some day."


Thanks!

I think he actually says "its hard to walk away WHEN you could have it all..." i think that one word adds some significant meaning to the line

 

[lauramullen]

He said that in a lot of shows before the The Fly

 

[powerhour24]

That performance was awesome, always great to see a rebirth of cool AB tracks like Zoo Station on Vertigo.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

"You walk into a sports hall, lights go down, we strip the song of all the chaotic energy that made it so brilliant, turned it into a generic arena rock hit, you can't have it all."

Something like that, then off into a song called The Castrated Fly.

 

[Rob33]

Great version of the Fly...I actually think these lyrics do have a meaning..I don't think they're just mindless ramblings that sound good...

 

[digitize]

"You walk into a sports hall, lights go down, we strip the song of all the chaotic energy that made it so brilliant, turned it into a generic arena rock hit, you can't have it all."

Something like that, then off into a song called The Castrated Fly.

 

[KristenCaNaDiAn]

That slower intro with those lyrics is pretty cool

 

[Vlaco]

One of my favorite U2 performances of a particular song ever....

 

[MooMoo!]

"You walk into a sports hall, lights go down, we strip the song of all the chaotic energy that made it so brilliant, turned it into a generic arena rock hit, you can't have it all."

Something like that, then off into a song called The Castrated Fly.

Fail.

 

[vjacqb]

One of my favorite U2 performances of a particular song ever....

Ditto!! In my opinion, this is THE BEST version of The Fly. And ti's also partly of what he said at the beginning of the song. I've always assumed that Bono made up the lyrics himself (maybe not on the spot), but it's to sum up the feeling he had during the arena shows. Elevation was the tour that marked their return onto the indoor arenas. And to this day, it still remains as the most memorable tour ever for me. Well, of course, my experience has only been Elevation and Vertigo tours. Before that I did not have the privilege of living in a country where U2 would tour to.

 

[Mac Phisto]

I always think of the Fly / MacPhisto character when I listen to Bono's intro. The thrill of being a star, having an entire arena in the palm of your hand, and the fear that one day it will all be gone. It's like a drug that you know will eventually turn on you but you keep taking it anyway. "It's hard to walk away" is the Fly trying to come to grips with his rock star mortality. Mac Phisto is coming.