Well, I suppose I'll give it a shot
I've actually given this quite a bit of thought.. U2 lyric analysis is something I really really enjoy.. so here goes:
First of all, I think this song is greatly influenced by Jubilee2000 -- by the places Bono had been to and his struggle to help provide for the poorest of the poor (and his observations along the way)..
"The heart is a bloom
Shoots up through the stony ground
There's no room
No space to rent in this town"
I think the 'stony ground' is a metaphor for society.. which tends to want to resist the 'heart'. "There's no room No space to rent in this town" could be a reference to society seeming occupied at times, without any room for compassion.
"You're out of luck
And the reason that you had to care
The traffic is stuck
And you're not moving anywhere"
Perhaps this is a personal feeling that Bono felt at times during the campaign.. as if there was no progress being made (or atleast not to a desired extent), and this could have caused for some frustration, which may have one doubt the actions at hand.
"You thought you'd found a friend
To take you out of this place
Someone you could lend a hand
In return for grace"
this seems to be an allusion to the support the campaign recieved from various individuals
"It's a beautiful day
Sky falls, you feel like
It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away"
It's a beautiful day.. dont let it get away -- this is a new millennium, with new beginnings.. don't let the opportunities escape you..
"You're on the road
But you've got no destination
You're in the mud
In the maze of her imagination"
Perhaps 'you're on the road' means that you're progressing to brighter things.. but you're not sure where you will end up just yet.. I've been trying to figure out who "her" is. I know that Bono regards the Holy Spirit as female, and perhaps this is a reference to the spirit.. later on you will see that there is a biblical reference, so it does make some sense, but again I'm not sure.
"Your love is done
Even if that doesn't ring true
You've been all over
And it's been all over you"
Your love is done, even if that doesnt ring true -- a lot of love has gone into this, though it may not be reflected just yet in the way things are.. you've been all over is probably to be taken literally -- and then it's been all over you could refer to the high exposure to the jubilee campaign.
"Touch me
Take me to that other place
Teach me
I know I'm not a hopeless case"
this could be Bono asking to be 'touched' by a divine strength which would help take him to where he wants to go, and teach him how to go about reaching his goals.. i know i'm not a hopeless case shows self confidence in what he's doing.
"See the world in green and blue
See time move right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out
See the Bedouin fires at night
See the oil fields at first light
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood all the colors came out"
These are observations made along the way.. "see the bird with a leaf in her mouth after the flood all the colors came out" is obviously a biblical reference to Noah's ark.. after the flood a dove was sent out, and it returned with a leaf, which showed that the flood has passed and the earth was now ready for a new start so to speak..
"What you don't have you don't need it now
what you don't know you can feel it somehow..."
this could be speaking of inspiration.. anyone care to give this bit a go? I'm not entirely sure.. it seems the point of view has changed here -- there was a transition in the song at this point, which could lend itself to this theory..
Note that at the end Bono says "it WAS a beautiful day".. which shows past tense and reflection.. so I think that's saying that things have been successful.. they didn't let it get away and took advantage of the opportunities.
Anyway that's my sketch for now, and i'm sure things will become more clear once given more insight into the themes presented.. I know this analysis suggests heavy jubilee influence, but I actually think that's what it is.. Jubilee has been a large part of Bono's life in recent times, and it's shown up in his writing.. Everyone give your thoughts and thanks for sticking with me while I rambled on