God Part III
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
I always thought they were the weirdest lyrics ever.
Did Bono ever give a clue what they were about or something?
Did Bono ever give a clue what they were about or something?
What's Lemon about???
- Thread starter God Part III
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
biff
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
The lyrics were inspired by an old home movie Bono came across many years after his mother's death. In this movie, his mother was wearing a lemon-yellow dress. The shock of seeing his mother's moving image after so many years lead him to ruminate about the loss of her, and how that death had in many ways lead him to become a creative artist. This in turn lead to an exploration of the roots of innovation and creativity. Where do these impulses and inspirations come from? What makes it possible for "a man to melt the sand so he can see the world outside"? (In other words, to invent glass.) I'm sorry, I don't have time for a line-by-line analysis, but I hope that's a start for you.
OP
OP
God Part III
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
It helps, surely 
OpperGoeroe
War Child
It is about his mother and voyeurism, that explains the "a man makes a picture" lines.
Lemon; now here’s my favorite song by U2 and one of my favorite songs of all time. You know, I’ve discovered over the years that when artists comment on their songs that their word is about as reliable as a ten cent watch – and for good reason! What they say about a song is often superficial and has marginal relevance to its actual meaning. I think I know why they do this? Songs that mean a lot are hard to express in public. It can seem trite, silly, embarrassing, too deep or emotional to talk about. The greatest songs often get the lamest analysis from their creators. John Lennon, often trivialized his greatest works.
Lemon is a deep song about love. Actually, one of the best love songs I have ever heard. Lemon can be substituted nearly verbatim for the word “woman”. It’s like a play on words. Man spends his whole civilization subconsciously creating things for pro-creation, for a woman, “banks and Cathedrals”, movies “a moving picture”, he likes to stare at that beauty, and he wants to run form it too, “man dreams of leaving” her “but always stays behind”. He try’s to get to her but seems to drift away.
Ok look, it seems romantically silly, and it is, and the word “Lemon” masks this incredibly romantic song, taking the pretentionously and over bearing romance in it by deflecting ones thoughts to piece of citrus fruit – a sour one at that I might add. It’s pure genius really.
If Bono just wrote the lyrics as a straight love song without the symbolic meanings, you would cringe. The true genius of the song is the subtle hidden meaning about man’s need for a women’s love (even typing this can sound corny). It’s written on a very high poetic level that sorts the child’s emotions from the adults, and a Real Artist from a pop star.
One last thing; what I have just said is really pretentious, I apologize for that. But that’s because the song is pretentious as well! So much so that U2 cryptically made it so, so as not to seem as stupid mush. The genius is in conveying the message without writing stupid mush!
Yeah, Bono got the idea from seeing an old film with his mother in it. His creativity, his genius even, took it from there. When I first heard it I knew exactly what it was about. Nothing seemed cryptic to me, because I’ve spent time swimming after her too.
Lemon is a deep song about love. Actually, one of the best love songs I have ever heard. Lemon can be substituted nearly verbatim for the word “woman”. It’s like a play on words. Man spends his whole civilization subconsciously creating things for pro-creation, for a woman, “banks and Cathedrals”, movies “a moving picture”, he likes to stare at that beauty, and he wants to run form it too, “man dreams of leaving” her “but always stays behind”. He try’s to get to her but seems to drift away.
Ok look, it seems romantically silly, and it is, and the word “Lemon” masks this incredibly romantic song, taking the pretentionously and over bearing romance in it by deflecting ones thoughts to piece of citrus fruit – a sour one at that I might add. It’s pure genius really.
If Bono just wrote the lyrics as a straight love song without the symbolic meanings, you would cringe. The true genius of the song is the subtle hidden meaning about man’s need for a women’s love (even typing this can sound corny). It’s written on a very high poetic level that sorts the child’s emotions from the adults, and a Real Artist from a pop star.
One last thing; what I have just said is really pretentious, I apologize for that. But that’s because the song is pretentious as well! So much so that U2 cryptically made it so, so as not to seem as stupid mush. The genius is in conveying the message without writing stupid mush!
Yeah, Bono got the idea from seeing an old film with his mother in it. His creativity, his genius even, took it from there. When I first heard it I knew exactly what it was about. Nothing seemed cryptic to me, because I’ve spent time swimming after her too.
I'm Ready said:
Thank you for the thank you.
There is one other tidbit about the song that really shouldn't be overlooked. That is the chorus in the background of Edge/Bono singing "midnight is where the day begins." You know, that's a "wow" kinda phrase. Just when everything seems futile, your life or love is at ropes end, nothing seems to be going well, and you are at your darkest hour -- that is where the day begins! That's where a rebirth always starts, or at best it's not gonna be so bad from there out. What a brilliant little phase. I don't know if they/Bono coined this phrase, but it sure is brilliantly used.
I just can't get over the beauty of this song, and deep levels it goes too. I think U2, when they wrote this, thought it would be one of their greatest. Bono dedicated a whole concept to the song (Macphisto right?) There is a lot to be said about this. Someone else take it from here?
OK, I'll stop now....
MumblingBono
War Child
One of their all-time greats.
It's a song for true U2 fans, it's dense, long, difficult, obscure. It represents to me a magical moment in time in their long journey as a band. We'll never hear it live again.
It's a song for true U2 fans, it's dense, long, difficult, obscure. It represents to me a magical moment in time in their long journey as a band. We'll never hear it live again.
blueeyedgirl
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
What's Lemon about? It's about 40 feet.
Earnie Shavers
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
It's by far one of my favourite U2 songs. Easy.
It's also one that I don't particularly want to see performed live again.
It doesn't fit the format of current U2 tours at all. The Zoo TV and Popmart tours had all the flash and dazzle to entertain you on the surface, but there was a lot more there, a real further opening into the meaning of the songs. That lacks from these 'belt out the hits' tours where Bono feels the need to explain and preach each song for 5 minutes before playing it.
Watch the Zoo TV Sydney video again. Bono's camp, over the top performance of Lemon. It's not really MacPhisto performing that song, it's the guy who needs to feel the love and attention of 50,000 people each night just to feel normal (as he says himself), who completely indulges in it. Sexually suggestive to anyone and everyone in the crowd (and the camera meaning you at home), dressed in the most attention seeking way, a spoilt brat adoring what the crowd is giving him. He needs it and loves it.
But then the lights die down to darker colours. The musical flair of Lemon subsides and the simple heartbeat bass of With Or Without You kicks in. The make up running down Bono's face as he gives long, sad looks out over the crowd like he's searching for one particular person out there. He curls himself up like he's cold, alone.
From Lemon, needing the attention of everyone to feel ok, to With or Without You, desperately wanting the attention of only one person.
That whole sequence is the giveaway to the Lemon lyrics. His mothers death made him what he is, and what he is is best summed up in those 8 minutes or so of that concert video.
It's also one that I don't particularly want to see performed live again.
It doesn't fit the format of current U2 tours at all. The Zoo TV and Popmart tours had all the flash and dazzle to entertain you on the surface, but there was a lot more there, a real further opening into the meaning of the songs. That lacks from these 'belt out the hits' tours where Bono feels the need to explain and preach each song for 5 minutes before playing it.
Watch the Zoo TV Sydney video again. Bono's camp, over the top performance of Lemon. It's not really MacPhisto performing that song, it's the guy who needs to feel the love and attention of 50,000 people each night just to feel normal (as he says himself), who completely indulges in it. Sexually suggestive to anyone and everyone in the crowd (and the camera meaning you at home), dressed in the most attention seeking way, a spoilt brat adoring what the crowd is giving him. He needs it and loves it.
But then the lights die down to darker colours. The musical flair of Lemon subsides and the simple heartbeat bass of With Or Without You kicks in. The make up running down Bono's face as he gives long, sad looks out over the crowd like he's searching for one particular person out there. He curls himself up like he's cold, alone.
From Lemon, needing the attention of everyone to feel ok, to With or Without You, desperately wanting the attention of only one person.
That whole sequence is the giveaway to the Lemon lyrics. His mothers death made him what he is, and what he is is best summed up in those 8 minutes or so of that concert video.
bombergirl1978
Acrobat
Wow, Earnie, that gave me chills reading that 
I've alway loved the line "midnight is where the day begins" as well. It's such a simple yet powerful expression of optimism. What is midnight? The end of one day? Yes it is, but it's also the beginning of another. It's like that glass half empty/half full thing.
There is a lot of other great stuff in this song. It has an unusal structure for a pop/rock song, but it all ties in with the lyrics.
There is a lot of other great stuff in this song. It has an unusal structure for a pop/rock song, but it all ties in with the lyrics.
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
-
-
3 Irishmen and a Dutchman Walk Into A Sphere - General Discussion Thread Part III
- Latest: Headache in a Suitcase
-
-
-
-
-
