Miracle Drug question

[namkcuR]

The following block of lyrics from Miracle Drug have never made that much sense to me. The first two lines are straightforward enough, so far so good. But from 'there is no failure' to 'reason etc', it makes little sense to me. Is there some meaning in these particular lyrics?

Of science and the human heart
There is no limit
There is no failure here sweetheart
Just when you quit

I am you and you are mine
Love makes nonsense of space
And time will disappear
Love and logic keep us clear
Reason is on our side, love

 

[Popmartijn]

I think that Bono explained a couple of times that this song was about Christopher Nolan and his fight against cerebral palsy (sp?). He also indicated that there are different viewpoints in the song (i.e. the mother, Christopher himself). I think the part you quote is from the mother perspective.

Since Christopher apparently couldn't really communicate until they found that medicine to treat his condition, those first lines sound like a mother encouraging his son. As long as you're trying to break that barrier, to communicate, there is no failure. So keep on trying.
From the motherly perspective also comes the I am you and you are mine part as Christopher came into this world from his mother's womb. I also think that the next lines are again an allusion to his condition, but that love will conquer everything and goes through any barrier.

That's my interpretation of those lines.

 

[Meghan]

This is what Bono had to say about it:

'We all went to the same school and just as we were leaving, a fellow called Christopher Nolan arrived. He had been deprived of oxygen for two hours when he was born, so he was paraplegic but his mother believed he could understand what was going on and used to teach him at home. Eventually, they discovered a drug that allowed him to move one muscle in his neck, so they attached this unicorn device to his forehead and he learned to type. And out of him came all these poems that he'd been storing up in his head. Then he put out a collection called 'Dam-Burst of Dreams,' which won a load of awards and he went off to university and became a genius all because of a mother's love and a medical breakthrough.'

'But in a more oblique way (Miracle Drug) is probably as much about Aids and the drugs developed to arrest it. I couldn't write specifically about that without feeling an idiot.'

-- Bono

 

[babyman]

popmartijn and meghan, both very appropriate responses. well done

 

[Meghan]

Thanks.