List of references.

[Salome]

Hey Achtung Bubba,

Thank you for making me feel welcome.
About "Until the end ..."
It first struck me when I heard Bono shouting "Hey Judas, come on" each time at the beginning of the song during the Zoo TV-tour. He wasn't shouting at us, so he must have been shouting at himself.
It is a known fact that U2 have had some difficulty combining their love of God with their love of music (especially around the time they recorded October - Is that all?)
And lyrics like "In the garden I was playing the tart" could be a references to Bono "giving himself away" to his fans, instead of to God.
I hope you kinda know what I mean.

Bye

 

[Achtung Bubba]

Actually, that's a very cool analysis. Just from live shows, Bono's stage presence in "Until the End..." is a lot like his presence in "Hold Me...", an obvious song about his stardom.

Very insightful.

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- Achtung Bubba

 

[Salome]

I'm glad you liked it.
Honestly, one reason why I think U2 are the greatest live-band is because you learn something about some songs because of the way they present it live.
Example: I had no idea what Mofo was about (still thought it was a really great song though) untill the moment during Popmart when Mofo ended and the intro of "I will follow" started it all sort of fell in place.

Know what I mean?

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Salome
Shake it, shake it, shake it

 

[Achtung Bubba]

Yup, I thought the segue from "MOFO" to "I Will Follow" was great. In my case, I knew the underlying meanings to both songs coming into the concert, but it was great to hear that the band has simultaneously moved so far in twenty years and they've never really left where they started.

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- Achtung Bubba

 

[Salome]

Because this topic originally was about references I would like to name "Love rescue me". I know some of the lyrics "I have cursed they rod and staff" originate from the Bible. I just don't know whhich part of the Bible.
(The most important reason I'm posting this message is so this topic will be redis-covered. Nothing beats discussing U2-lyrics.)

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Salome
Shake it, shake it, shake it

 

[Achtung Bubba]

Thanks, Salome! It looks like we strayed very quickly from lyric references to interpretations (another good topic idea, perhaps?), and your posting has brought it back into focus.

Yea, though I walk
In the valley of shadow
Yea, I will fear no evil
I have cursed thy rod and staff
They no longer comfort me
Love rescue me

The quote's derived from Psalm 23, the "Shepard's Psalm" and perhaps the most famous of the collection.

" Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. " -- Psalm 23:4

I find the line in "Love Rescue Me" to be one of the most haunting (perhaps more than any single line in "Wake Up Dead Man") because it so opposes the 23rd Psalm.

More than that, the song itself parallels (or precedes) "Love Lifted Me", an old hymn of redemption that my grandmother sang to me as a lullabye.

Between those two facts, it's easy to see why it's one of my favorites from R&H.

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- Achtung Bubba

 

[Mermaid]

Originally posted by Achtung Bubba:

* Yeah, I agree, the bulk of Bono's obsession with women has probably centered around three figures: his mother ("Lemon"), his wife ("Sweetest Thing"), and probably the Holy Spirit ("The First Time").

this is the second time I've seen Lemon linked with Bono's mother. I couldnt figure out the link, but on just reading the lyrics I suppose 'she wore lemon' could be his mother and 'a man' could be Bono. Can you please explain your interpretation in more detail Bubba?

and which other songs do you see as referring strongly to his mother? (apart from the obvious, I will follow, Mofo, etc)
Mermaid

PS I too always *loved* the lyrics of 'love rescue me', especially those which refer to the psalm. I always took the song to mean he had given up on god and had turned to love instead. Any idea what 'the ruins to the right of me will soon have lost sight of me' could be about?

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'a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle'

 

[Achtung Bubba]

Those are some tough questions, but I'll try to answer them:

If I've read correctly (from "Into the Heart", a book by Niall Stokes about the meaning of pretty much every U2 song), "She wore lemon" is indeed a direct reference to Bono's mom. Apparently, before/during the Zooropa recording sessions an old family friend showed Bono a recently rediscovered home movie -- with his mom in a yellow dress. Apparently, this movie REALLY captured Bono's attention and made him feel closer to her. I even think there's a direct reference to that film:

A man makes a picture
A moving picture
Through the light projected
He can see himself up close
A man captures colour
A man likes to stare
He turns his money into light
To look for her

To me, the obvious songs about Bono's mom are few in number but important in U2's history: "I Will Follow", "Tomorrow", "Lemon", and "Mofo". I may be missing one or two, and I'd love to hear from someone if they know of other songs.

And I'm not entirely sure what that line from "Love Rescue Me" coud mean. It could be very personal, but if it isn't, I think that it *might* be a reference to the destruction of Sodom, found in Genesis 19. Basically, God saw that the entire city was wicked with the exception of Lot, and He gave Lot and his family the chance to escape the city's destruction as long they left without regret, as long they never looked back.

There ya go.

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- Achtung Bubba

 

[Salome]

Re. other songs about Bono's mother.
Really difficult to say. I sort of feel she is always there when Bono sings about love, God or missing someone.
To name a few: With or without you, So cruel and October ("but you go on, and on").
Still "With or without you" is also about Ali, "So cruel" about Roy Orbison and "October" could be about autumn

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Salome
Shake it, shake it, shake it

 

[AnCatDubh]

"I will follow" is another song about losing his Mom. Alot of the earlier songs are. I think the biggest revelation I had was listening to the Joshua Tree and realizing that almost the entire album is about man questioning his relationship with God. So great.

But, while I'm at it, I would like to throw "Elvis Presley and America" into the discussion. I love this song, but I'm baffled by the lyrics. Has anyone got a clue?

 

[Vorsprung]

I also think Gone might be about his mom.
Everybody's saying it's about a conversation Bono's having with God. I think it also could be very easily about a conversation with his mom in heaven........

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Vorsprung durch Technik

 

[wormwood]

sorry, this is kind of off of the mother references, but i just wanted to share some other thoughts and get some feedback.

it seems to me that a big theme in all of the bands 90s records is technology. i mean the opening lines to the zooropa album (and vorsprung's signature) are "zooropa, vorsprung durch technik" - advancement through technology. i think a lot of the songs, while also dealing with more personal topics (his mother, faith), are looking at technology's effect on society.

for example, EBTTRT is kind of about how people need to get something on video before it's real to them. instead of enjoying the grand canyon while they're there, they're videotaping it so they can watch it later. because on video and t.v., it's even better than the real thing. people's infatuation with getting on television, etc.

also, babyface seems to be, at least in part, about the sadness of cybersex. "the sound and color under my control." i can't think of any more exact lyrics right now.

just some ideas . . .

 

[Achtung Bubba]

Don't apologize for straying from the topic of Bono and his mom. First, you're not that far from the original topic. Second, you make great observations.

Yup, it's obvious that U2's been spending the last decade observing technology, celebrity, and their effects on the individual. But given Zooropa came out in '93 (early in the Internet revolution) and given the actual lyrics (mentioning freeze frames and slow motion), I always took "Babyface" to be a reference to television rather than cybersex.

As we progress (or at least, as time progresses), I find "Babyface" can apply more and more to the Internet and the song becomes more and more ominous.

Of all the warnings/predictions of the future, the most accurate may end up being Brave New World, 1984, and Zooropa. And that's probably not good.

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- Achtung Bubba

 

[Salome]

Another nice example on this topic in Lemon "man makes a picture, a moving picture, through light projected he can see himself up close" (I always thought the Lemon lyrics also hinted at adictions)

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Salome
Shake it, shake it, shake it