What is Bono crying about in OOTS video?

[WildHoneyAlways]

I apologize if I came off as "self-righteous" in my previous posts. I figured that it was implied that any statements I make are of course my own opinions. I am of the opinion that this song, while decent, is not as great as everyone in this thread is saying. Is that OK that I think that? Is it OK that I post that feeling? I am not better than anyone else because I don't love it as much. There are songs that I enjoy that other people don't. Big deal. Once again, sorry if I appeared to be self-righteous.

You don' t have to apologize for your opinion to me. It's just as "self righteous" for people to criticize your opinion.

It seems that some here forget that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, even if those opinions may be what some would call "self righteous."

 

[PopDaisy]

"you feel like no one before...you are the first one of your kind" ...

(Bono mentioned both his daughters and Holly as inspiration for this song, as well as insecurity of young girls/teenagers about their bodies. I guess all of that caught up with him on the shoot of the video.)

I have a couple of theories, but then I've been accused of thinking too much now and then...

"You are the first one of your kind" -- I assumed Bono was referring to Hollie as the first "U2 child."

As delicately as I can put this, it appeared from Edge & Morleigh's public wedding photos that Hollie is a lovely girl... but not teeny tiny. Can you imagine growing up in a world in which your dad regularly hangs with dazzling celebrities and supermodels? Oy.

I'm sure at some point she voiced some dissatisfaction with her body image to her godfather and Bono was frustrated with his inability to convince her of her own unique beauty.

I think it's worth mentioning here again that Edge also said that he cried while listening to it in the studio.

As Bono has stated since, the song has expanded from its original core idea.

Again, these are my own thoughts and nothing more.

 

[U2Girl1978]

i dont get why he'd "eroticize" a song that he wrote for edge's daughter though. he actually said that just before.

that he later eroticized it. how exactly?

I'm curious, why do you over analyze every little detail about what goes on in a song or what the band says? Not being rude or whatever but I'm just asking.

 

[shart1780]

I thought it's cause he has hemerrhoids.

 

[U2girl]

I have a couple of theories, but then I've been accused of thinking too much now and then...

"You are the first one of your kind" -- I assumed Bono was referring to Hollie as the first "U2 child."

That is possible too.

MattFromNYC: I guess the line "I kneel cause I want you some more" can be read as eroticising, making the whole song more about lovers. I think "kneeling" in this case is about praying for Holly, personally.

 

[LyricalDrug]

As I wrote elsewhere: if any newer fans are confused by the video, here's an explanation.

The video seems to open with umbilical cords, knotted together, before they morph into a fetus. Then we see an unmistakable image of maternity: a mother's breasts, and her arms around her child. The synchronicity beween lyric and video is perfect, as the line "please stay a child" overlays exactly with the graphics, before "somewhere in your heart" matches up with a scribbled, red heart.

The band members' heads appear next, as if to signal paternalism: U2, collectively, is the father of this child. As Bono has said, this song is for "all of U2's girls." The female child in the video also represents the future, the coming generation of music, and the result of U2's influence on the world.

As the video continues, Bono whispers in the child's ear, "I'll give you everything that you want..." as the child smiles, listening. The advice continues, as written phrases appear on the child's head, scrawled like words of wisdom in a classmate's yearbook ("Stay True"..."Let Go"). Like a father imprinting life lessons into a child's mind, Bono's lyrics implore listeners to recognize their own individuality.

The flowers growing from the child's mouth symbolize her individuality, her own song, and her identity. Bono instructs her to "shout it" everywhere she goes, and the flowers represent the child's unique voice.

Bono has said that while the song was first written for Edge's daughter, in the end, he "eroticized it" a little bit. The video hints at this fact, as the child transforms into a woman, emerging from the silky cocoon of childhood to enter womanhood. The director's imagery is telling: we see butterflies (a symbol of post-pubescence), a pregnant womb, and a rose (the quintessential symbol of romantic, sexual love).

Even the tattoos on Bono's arm are symbolic: we see a heart, "Mother," and a dove flying free, which echo the themes of the song.

As the song climaxes, Bono's face teeters on the edge of joy (of a father seeing his daughter grow up) and agony (the ache of a father missing his little girl).

There are so many themes in this song: parental influence vs. individuality, nature vs. nurture vs. free will, the entry into adulthood, the excitement it presents to a teenager, mixed with the sadness a father feels from seeing his daughter leave home.

 

[*sofia*]

^THANK YOU! that's a great post.

 

[BonosBaby12]

Wow Lyrical Drug great job! . Makes total sense with what you said.

 

[starsforu2]

Finally watched the video. Wow! I love when U2 do something which will attract attention. It moved me the 1st time I saw it. Then again, I've always loved this song. My wife and I chose it as our first song to dance to at our wedding reception.

Anyway, I was at the NYC shows last week and while watching them perform OOTS, I noticed the rotating head and immediately thought Adam, then I realized that it was a feminine head. It was then that I thought that it was Edge's daughter and that her head was scanned in after chemotherapy. That thought brought me to the edge of tears during the show.

The video contains enough evidence to support that thought as well as to refute it. Like just about everything U2 has ever done, you can't depend on just one interpretation. They do ambiguity really well, all the while hitting you in the heart.

Anyway, I wonder if the tears are a nod to Edge's daughter. The Edge looking up at the end of the video could be that he is looking up to God on his daughter's behalf, in grief and in hopefulness. The head scans would be an act of solidarity for a girl who is probably quite scared by all that is going on. The red lines going around the head look surgical, like text books which map the brain. Butterflies usually signify transformation or new beginnings, perhaps it's the hope of a new life post-cancer.

Like most U2 songs, they take a life of it's own once they leave the studio. A song that at first was a lesson for his daughters, became more like a love song to a lover, now becomes encouragement to an ailing child. The layers could make it an confused mess, but I think it works this time around.