Personal and Political: The Dual Identity of U2 Lyrics

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angelordevil

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It's interesting (to me anyway:wink: ) how "One" is being delivered during this tour. It's taken a detour from its Achtung roots to become a deliberate anthem for the campaign bearing the same name.

It just goes to show the duality of U2's lyrics...I wonder if Bono realizes this when he's writing them?

This may be a stretch, but the political science student in me has me wondering about STYCMIOYO...:hmm:

On the surface, the song is a simple nod to the father/son relationship, but replace the father figure, insert the United States and the song takes on a completely different (and political) meaning.

(yes, I am crazy...at least I realize this :wink: ).

****

"Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own"

Tough, you think you’ve got the stuff
You’re telling me and anyone
You’re hard enough
You don’t have to put up a fight
You don’t have to always be right
Let me take some of the punches
For you tonight

Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don’t have to go it alone

And it’s you when I look in the mirror
And it’s you when I don’t pick up the phone
Sometimes you can’t make it on your own

We fight all the time
You and I, that’s alright
We’re the same soul
I don’t need, I don’t need to hear you say
That if we weren’t so alike
You’d like me a whole lot more

Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don’t have to go it alone

And it’s you when I look in the mirror
And it’s you when I don’t pick up the phone
Sometimes you can’t make it on your own

I know that we don’t talk
In sick of it all
Can you hear me when I sing
You’re the reason I sing
You’re the reason why the opera is in me
Well, hey now
Still got to let you know
A house doesn’t make a home
Don’t leave me here alone

And it’s you when I look in the mirror
And it’s you when I don’t pick up the phone
Sometimes you can’t make it on your own
Sometimes you can’t make it
The best you can do is to fake it
Sometimes you can’t make it on your own
 
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Nah, not crazy at all, you have a point.

Sometimes with a writer of the type that Bono is, different meanings, intentional or not, can come out of the lyrics.
 
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