City of Blinding Lights

[cobl04]

Is there a message to this song? Or is it just Bono singing about himself and someone else and a city?

 

[the rockin edge]

it's about first going to London/New York when they were first trying to sell their music etc

 

[*k_i_t_e_86*]

Well, as for me the song is about time, about growing older, about the power of youth...
Bono somehow recalls their first (?) trip to NY, but only to show how much power they had, how the things were at that time.

"The more you see the less you know
The less you find out as you go
I knew much more then than I do now"

I think it's all about the 'wisdom' of young people, their spontaneity, courage, optimism.

Also: "Don't look before you laugh
Look ugly in a photograph"

And: "I've seen you walk unafraid
I've seen you in the clothes you made" - I've read somewhere that this line may be about Ali, as a long time ago when they were young, she was making clothes for herself, and B. mentioned it in one of the interveiws.



"Time...time...time...time...time
Won't leave me as I am
But time won't take the boy out of this man"

This is my favourite quote from HTDAAB I'm sure that Bono and the rest are still those boys which they were in the very beggining of their career And hope i'll be like that too in the future


Well, the other thing is that they're obviously singing also about NY after September 11th and their concert there, right? I guess the two topics (being young +NY at that time) are mixed in this song. Maybe there's a deeper conection between them? Like only the power of youth can overcome the evil in the world?
Dunno...im no poet Just my random thoughts about the song...

 

[cobl04]

I thought it meant it was about superficiality. How it clouds whats real.

The more you see (what you see) the less you know (what is really there).

 

[bono_gal]

On the U2: ALL ACCESS documentary (I think) Bono says that U2 performed in New York, not long after the terrorism attacks on the world trade center.

As he was singing he said he realised how important U2 were to the city in their time of desperation. He said they looked beautiful, with the lights of the show.....he knew that with U2s music peoples lives had been transformed.

So...

"Oh you look so beautiful tonight, in the city of blinding lights"

You= The people of New York
The City of blinding lights= New York City


Thats what I picked up from it, but check out one of the documentaries, he does say it

 

[tuwie]

that's what i got from it too