Taking the Vinegar out of Vertigo?
Now that they've released Native Son (the basis for Vertigo) i wonder, did U2 take the piss and vinegar out of Vertigo?
Without going into too much analysis of Vertigo (it's been done else where on these forums), I'd just make a quick note that there doesn't seem to be a cohesive plot or message of Vertigo except that character is in a place of confusion. In interviews the band goes into the stories for almost all other songs. Explaning their meanings and where they come from. But they only vaguely describe vertigo as being in a place of confusion, where the world is at right now, and a really rocking song. A rock song meant for commercial radio. Ok.
Now we have the release of Native Son, the foundation of Vertigo, and we get a interesting story from the lyrics:
Yeah
It's on the street
It's under your feet
It's everywhere
but if you're looking for free
don't look at me
my enemy
became my country
on the run
officer put down the gun
native son
never wanted to own one
native son
both of us want to be someone
it's so hard
is it so hard for a native son
to be free
tears
falling from the sky
falling to the ground
bullets start to fly
he's hurt
he's in the dirt
on my word
i did not take his life
i want to run away
see the land, my father's place
i know i can't stay
if i stay i know i'll (I can't make it out)
on the run
officer put down the gun
native son
never wanted to own one
native son
we all want to be someone
it's so hard
is it so hard for a native son
to be free
yeah yeah yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah yeah
free
on the run
officer put down the gun
native son
never wanted to own one
native son
both of us want to be someone
it's so hard
is it so hard for a native son
to be free
A quick review show's someone who's made an enemy in of his country and is on the run. He's in a situation where bullets are flying and at least one person is dying. Maybe he killed them, maybe he refused to kill.
Combine this look, with comments by Bono that this is the Full Metal Jacket of rock songs. Looking on IMDB.com at the description of Full Metal Jacket the movie we see the plot:
A group of soldiers develop dehumanized personalities in their training and it shows in their tour of duty in Vietnam. Further one reviewer says that the movie shows the "ugliness of war and the potential for violence within almost all people"
With all these observations gathered, maybe U2 meant to make a more direct anti-war statement with this song. Why did they divert from their original direction?
Did they not want the album to be overshadowed by a political statement? Did they not want their song to feel dated after the election in Nov. 2004 like many other protest songs sound now like Eminem's "Mosh" and Green Day's "American Idiot"? Did the song just naturally change and the message restructured? Has U2 lost it's taste for making "anti" statement about what the world is doing wrong and looking to make "pro" statements of what we can do right, like pro-active involvement in Africa?
I don't know the answers to these questions. I just know Vertigo feels fun, but shallow. And even though I disagree with the politics of Native Son, I find the lyrics to be much more engaging and natural.
So did U2 take the Vinegar out of Vertigo?
Now that they've released Native Son (the basis for Vertigo) i wonder, did U2 take the piss and vinegar out of Vertigo?
Without going into too much analysis of Vertigo (it's been done else where on these forums), I'd just make a quick note that there doesn't seem to be a cohesive plot or message of Vertigo except that character is in a place of confusion. In interviews the band goes into the stories for almost all other songs. Explaning their meanings and where they come from. But they only vaguely describe vertigo as being in a place of confusion, where the world is at right now, and a really rocking song. A rock song meant for commercial radio. Ok.
Now we have the release of Native Son, the foundation of Vertigo, and we get a interesting story from the lyrics:
Yeah
It's on the street
It's under your feet
It's everywhere
but if you're looking for free
don't look at me
my enemy
became my country
on the run
officer put down the gun
native son
never wanted to own one
native son
both of us want to be someone
it's so hard
is it so hard for a native son
to be free
tears
falling from the sky
falling to the ground
bullets start to fly
he's hurt
he's in the dirt
on my word
i did not take his life
i want to run away
see the land, my father's place
i know i can't stay
if i stay i know i'll (I can't make it out)
on the run
officer put down the gun
native son
never wanted to own one
native son
we all want to be someone
it's so hard
is it so hard for a native son
to be free
yeah yeah yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah yeah
free
on the run
officer put down the gun
native son
never wanted to own one
native son
both of us want to be someone
it's so hard
is it so hard for a native son
to be free
A quick review show's someone who's made an enemy in of his country and is on the run. He's in a situation where bullets are flying and at least one person is dying. Maybe he killed them, maybe he refused to kill.
Combine this look, with comments by Bono that this is the Full Metal Jacket of rock songs. Looking on IMDB.com at the description of Full Metal Jacket the movie we see the plot:
A group of soldiers develop dehumanized personalities in their training and it shows in their tour of duty in Vietnam. Further one reviewer says that the movie shows the "ugliness of war and the potential for violence within almost all people"
With all these observations gathered, maybe U2 meant to make a more direct anti-war statement with this song. Why did they divert from their original direction?
Did they not want the album to be overshadowed by a political statement? Did they not want their song to feel dated after the election in Nov. 2004 like many other protest songs sound now like Eminem's "Mosh" and Green Day's "American Idiot"? Did the song just naturally change and the message restructured? Has U2 lost it's taste for making "anti" statement about what the world is doing wrong and looking to make "pro" statements of what we can do right, like pro-active involvement in Africa?
I don't know the answers to these questions. I just know Vertigo feels fun, but shallow. And even though I disagree with the politics of Native Son, I find the lyrics to be much more engaging and natural.
So did U2 take the Vinegar out of Vertigo?
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