Favourite album lyric so far?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
"I was punching in the numbers / at the ATM machine"

When I first read this lyric a couple weeks ago, I cringed. It seemed like a painful attempt by Bono to sound modern and futuristic... on paper, it just didn't look right. But he sings it perfectly, and the vocal delivery almost has a country twang to it, which makes the "ATM machine" sound like something old-fashioned. It works perfectly in the context.
 
"I was punching in the numbers / at the ATM machine"

When I first read this lyric a couple weeks ago, I cringed. It seemed like a painful attempt by Bono to sound modern and futuristic... on paper, it just didn't look right. But he sings it perfectly, and the vocal delivery almost has a country twang to it, which makes the "ATM machine" sound like something old-fashioned. It works perfectly in the context.

Yeah I agree :up:


There are so many to choose from...here are just a few:

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify

We set ourselves on fire
Oh God, do not deny her

Playing with the fire
Until the fire played with me

A speeding head, a speeding heart
I’m being born, a bleeding start
 
I’ve been in every black hole
At the altar of the dark star
My body’s now a begging bowl
That’s begging to get back, begging to get back
To my heart
To the rhythm of my soul
To the rhythm of my unconsciousness
To the rhythm that yearns
To be released from control

and pretty much all of MOS.
 
I did not notice the passers by
and they did not notice me


if I had to choose.
 
I’ve been in every black hole
At the altar of the dark star
My body’s now a begging bowl
That’s begging to get back, begging to get back
To my heart
To the rhythm of my soul
To the rhythm of my unconsciousness
To the rhythm that yearns
To be released from control

and pretty much all of MOS.

Yes, that's brilliant, also the way Bono sings it! :up:
 
I love "at the moment of surrender, I folded to my knees. I did not notice the passers by and they did not notice me." I also like a few others, but I'm too tired to figure out what they are. That was just what immediately came to mind.
 
I’ve been in every black hole
At the altar of the dark star
My body’s now a begging bowl
That’s begging to get back, begging to get back
To my heart
To the rhythm of my soul
To the rhythm of my unconsciousness
To the rhythm that yearns
To be released from control

and pretty much all of MOS.
can't be quoted enough
 
Ok these are just my first impressions. The thing is that whilst there are some good lines I just don't think the lyrics on NLOTH as a whole aren't Bono's best. Also some of them just sound like bumper stickers. I just hope over time they grow on me.
 
There are so many, so I'll post just a couple of them.

"Every night I have the same dream
I´m hatching some plot, scheming some scheme" - No Line on the Horizon


I can really relate to this line. It seems that on some nights, we just go crazy and start tending to "overdream" or overanalyze. Especially in my case with this girl... ahem different story.

"I was punching in the numbers at the ATM machine
I could see in the reflection
A face staring back at me" - Moment of Surrender


OK, not exactly the deepest lyric. But there is that image of simplicity that I find touching. Such a deep song, yet such a simple image. It's just one of those reflective (no pun intended) moments we all have in our most somber moments. And I like the way he says it.

She's a rainbow and she loves the peaceful life
Knows I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight - I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight


I really think the title of this song is good. I get those moments where I wish I'll take action, but it doesn't turn out my way or I don't even try. I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy and just DO it!

I really love all of Moment of Surrender and -gasp- Crazy's lyrics.
 
There's only one lyric I think that is really one of his best ever:

This shitty world sometimes produces a rose
The scent of it lingers, but then it just goes


The best two lyrical tracks are the title track and Cedars of Lebanon.
 
Favourite Lyric?

Most of you have been listening to the new album for some time now so I'm sure you've got some lyrics already that you love (or loath).

Probably not a common choice: "Every beauty needs to go out with an idiot / How can you stand next to the truth and not see it?" from IGCIIDGCT

Favourite lyric: "The worst of us are a long drawn-out confession /
The best of us are geniuses of compression"
from COL
 
Just a couple:


Infinity is a great place to start

Time is irrelevant, it's not linear, then she put her tongue in my ear OOOOOH

My first cry, it was a joyful noise!


Fez/Being Born - the whole thing.

The roar that lies on the other side of silence

We are people borne of sound

If found grace inside a sound, I found grace, it's all I found
 
Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady.

I was punching in the numbers at the ATM machine. I did not notice the passersby and they did not notice me.
 
"Every day I die again, and again I’m reborn
Every day I have to find the courage
To walk out into the street
With arms out
Got a love you can’t defeat
Neither down or out
There’s nothing you have that I need"
From Breathe
 
"I was punching in the numbers / at the ATM machine"

Yeah when I first heard this it kinda jarred but on reflection i think that the ATM machine can be seen as a symbol of materialism and how this person is quite taken in or over by making money or the material world and then he has his epiphany and moves towards spirituality.

Just a thought.
 
Back
Top Bottom