What does this mean?

[BVS]

This is a thread devoted for those lines or whole entire songs that you've never been able to figure out what they mean...

Now, I'm one that believes there is hardly ever an absolute answer when it comes to lyrics, so there is no right or wrong here...

Just let us know what lyric you find to be a and hopefully someone can let you know what they think.

Now I'll start:

I've never been able to put the line

"I don't believe in painted roses, or bleeding hearts"

together...

Now in context with the next line I can see why Bono would say he doesn't believe in bleeding hearts, but I don't get the "painted roses" part. Is this a saying I'm not familiar with?

 

[zuropa_fit]

A reference to Alice In Wonderland perhaps, in which the cards paint the white roses red to appease the Queen of Hearts?

 

[last unicorn]

I believe it means he doesn't believe in the romantic portrayal of things - like roses in pictures or bleeding hearts in poetry - while there are many bad things going on in the real world. Maybe it means there is no comfort in this kind of art for him because he knows it's a lie.

 

[BVS]

Interesting...

I always found it an interesting line given the fact that most would describe Bono as a bleeding heart.

 

[No spoken words]

I could be really wrong here, but, I think the next line is the key: "While bullets rape the night of the merciful". I think that line lends context to the painted roses line. Meaning, he does not believe in romantic or flowery gestures when there's such negativity going on.

 

[cobl04]

I have no idea what much of that song means, it's why I think it's so majestic, and easily Bono's best lyrical effort

 

[last unicorn]

Strange, I think One Tree Hill has some of the "clearest" lyrics of all U2 songs. I've never had any doubt about their meanings. But of course, it's still subjective. And knowing what this song was written about really helps.

 

[love2bmama]

like Zooey, I've always thought the "painted roses" was a reference to Alice in Wonderland, where the cards are running around painting all the white roses red under the Queen's command. It's like...cheating, artifice, putting on a false face or a false front, something like that. Of course I have no idea if that's what Bono meant when he wrote the lyrics but that's what it's always meant to me.

 

[Freefall]

Because painted roses are NOT real. They are artifice! You are right, Molly. They will never give the comfort or beauty that the real thing does.