Sexual Messages in U2's Songs

[BVS]

I just watched U2: Live from Slane Castle again last night. During 'Desire' we all know how Bono often changes the lyrics to 'the fever when I'm inside her.'

I'm not sure, but I thought I heard another change while watching the Desire from Slane Castle. It sounds like he's saying 'a promise in a year of erection' as opposed to 'collectoin.'

Am I hearing things?

It's year of ELECTION, not collection...

 

[BlackElectric]

oh...
then I really am hearing things

 

[Zoophe]

hey y'all forgot crumbs from your table!:
three to a bed
sister anne she said
dignity passes byyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!

No, Bono wrote this song after having seen in Africa ah hospital where a lot of people die everyday, and people who work there (like Sister Ann) put dead bodies on bed ("three to a bed" refers to dead bodies).
I think U2's songs are full of sexual meanings, but not this one.
Bye

 

[phommel]

from out of my head:

Did I disappoint you or leave a bad taste in your mouth?

Her skin is pale like God's only dove
Screams like an angel for your love
Then she makes you watch her from above
And you need her like a drug.

Don't believe in forced entry
Don't believe in rape
But every time she passes by
Wild thoughts escape.

I'm in a fever, when I'm beside her, Desire LOL

 

[Meghan]

Here are some from Summer Rain. They might be a little obscure, (I'm not sure how dirty everyone's minds are), but here goes.

"In a small boat on a generous sea."

"Diving for pearls."

They sound like clitoris/oral sex references to me.

 

[Lorka127]

Lyrics to KITE...I don't think its sexual. The song is about his father. BOOSTER JUICE....that's sexual

 

[doubleU]

Lyrics to KITE...I don't think its sexual. The song is about his father. BOOSTER JUICE....that's sexual

Actually it was originally about his daughters but when his father became ill and passed away it took on a different meaning for Bono.

 

[bono_212]

The thread that got me hooked on this website is back :clap:

Oh um...on topic....uh....

Seriously don't get too serious about this thread...it's mostly all in good fun

 

[bakedpony]

Dirty Day: Be careful where you aim, cause where you aim you just might hit. (unwanted pregnancy)

Zooropa: take your head out of the mud baby (hmm mud...)

 

[Babyface_20]

Zoo Station

''I'm ready for the push", onstage at the Sydney concert 4 sure The Fly did a thrust w/ this line

Granted there may be a double meaning to Zoo Station but if you listen to the beginning, it sounds like it is about a mother giving birth to a child.
"Im ready, I'm ready for the laughing gas, Im ready, ready for whats next....."

 

[Soul Love]

Oh Gawd that's an old expression anyway!

Do agree with Miroslava, the groaning is very important but I personally prefer the break in BTBS

 

[Total U2 Nut]

oh...
then I really am hearing things

Someone has a very dirty mind

 

[Ellay]

Granted there may be a double meaning to Zoo Station but if you listen to the beginning, it sounds like it is about a mother giving birth to a child.
"Im ready, I'm ready for the laughing gas, Im ready, ready for whats next....."

I'd never noticed that before..!!

 

[MsGiggles]

That's a lot of U2 songs with sexual overtones don't ya think

 

[~BrightestStar~]

"All our songs are about sex and God, and sometimes we mix the two up" -B



About sums it up, hmm?




(Note: quote may not be word for word..I'm working on memory here)

 

[celtophile]

um......

Peace on Earth
Where I grew up
There weren't many trees
Where there was we'd tear them down
And use them on our enemies ..................... [/B]

god i feel so stupid but i dont get the reference, or is there some joke that i dont get.....

 

[bono_212]

I don't get it either, but I was too embaressed to say so

 

[Babyface_20]

Re: um......

Wasn't Bono a member of a Street gang growing up (Lipton Village...)? Maybe the trees were a reference to that......

 

[Babyface_20]

Also too Ireland was having some tough times when Bono was a kid......

 

[celtophile]

Also too Ireland was having some tough times when Bono was a kid......

that seems pretty plausible

 

[bono_212]

well I know what the lyrics supposed to literally mean, but I don' tget why it's a sexual message

 

[Babydoll]

i dont either! i thought i was the only one who didn't get it and i felt really dumb. can anyone... explain?

 

[CMIS]

that line in mysterious ways is one of my favs and the unifying force in what makes me like that song so much. I think in this song bono is looking at females as divine. So, 'if you wanna kiss the sky', better kneel and 'worship' them . I don't think there's anything wrong with the oral sex reference. its brilliant.

And achtung is definitely a lot about sex. I think the title of the album might be have something to do with orgasms (Warning, baby, here it comes.)

Bono always said that there are three types of writing :spiritual, sexual and political, so this is to be expected.

 

[CMIS]

I didn't get the peace on earth one either. I thought it might have been a joke, you know trees are phallic, using them as weapons. I think the guy who said it at first was being funny in taking a sexual reference out of nowehre. Thats what I thought.

 

[cobl04]

I think I'm bumping this up, but anyway...

I'm pretty sure the Peace on Earth thing had nothing sexual about it. It was just a lyric with nothing sexual just thrown in to make people laugh.

Some Days Are Better Than Others:

if you change "days" to "d**ks" see what happens on the first stanza:

"Some d**ks are dry, some d**ks are leaky
Some d**ks come clean, other d**ks are sneaky.
Some d**ks take less, but most d**ks take more
Some slip through your fingers and on to the floor.
Some d**ks are quick, but most d**ks are speedy
Some d**ks use more force than is necessary.
Some d**ks just drop in on us.
Some d**ks are better than others."

That is the funniest thing I have ever read.

 

[LMP]

It's like changing out the word "wand" with "wang" in the Harry Potter books.

 

[last unicorn]

You people are so crazy. I cannot believe how much fun I am having in this thread. But more seriously, I think that most of their lyrics are left open for various interpretations, since they are quite subtle and ambivalent and obviously have more than one meaning to them. Bono is doing that on purpose, and I think one interpretation is as good as the other one. However, "sex" and "God" would be a too limited explanation for their wide range of issues in the songs. There is so much more than that.

 

[cobl04]

What is this thing you call 'sex'?

 

[~BrightestStar~]

Omg! The thread returns!




And at the 'some days' thing.

 

[JanuaryStar]

This is the first time I'm reading through the thread!!

And yes BrightestStar, I agree!!