Questions About Verses In U2's Songs!

[Cute Irish Bono]

I was listening really close to Pride, I listen to this verse in the song "Early Moring, April 4, shot rings out in the Memphis sky, free at last, they took your life, they could not take your pride." I am an idiot? I have never realized that, that meant Martin Luther King's death! Anyways, I am very curious what some of these U2 verses mean. Could you please help me out?

1."We are told this is the golden age, gold is the reason for the wars we wage."

2. "I am a man who can see the shadow behind your eyes."

3. What's does Bono mean by Spanish Eyes and Summer Rain?

4."Your love was a light bulb hanging right over my bed."

5. What's do the songs Twilight, Stories For Boys mean?

I love Bono's lyrics I just want more understand of they mean!

 

[wolfeden]

pssst--
down a few lines is an entire forum (It's A Musical Journey) dedicated to the lyrics... try posting this there....
http://forum.interference.com/f194.html

 

[U2girl]

In that forum, in the "helpful hints" thread, there is also a link to MOL site that offers fan explanations of U2 lyrics.

1. I guess 80's was the time of greed and materialism and that is what Bono is referring to. Of course, the whole album got more relevance because I think around the time when it was out Britain invaded Falkland islands.

2. I think Kite is (even though Bono said it's about his daughters) essentialy about Bono's father, letting him go and moving on. Bono said they did not have a great relationship in his youth - as far as I know, his father didn't think much of Bono's career or his fame - which shows in their several father-son songs IMO. That particular line you mentioned IMO says that Bono understands his father better than he used to (he said in interviews they patched up their differences in the latter years) and he realizes it's ok for his father to show his feelings.

3. I'm not sure about Summer rain - there was a thread recently where I asked about the meaning - but I think Spanish eyes is about Ali and their relationship.

4. Another song about relationships, only this one is more bitter - the character in the song is IMO basically begging his wife/long-term partner (the "sun" metaphor on AB) to take him back after he had an affair with the lover (the "moon" on AB).

 

[Cute Irish Bono]

Thanks, I'll check that out! Also I know the meaning behind Kite, I just what's asking what that spefic verse meant.

 

[BluberryPoptart]

Summer Rain is about getting old isn't it? He said Kite used to be about his kids but now it's about his dad and him.

 

[FallingStar]

1."We are told this is the golden age, gold is the reason for the wars we wage."
- Hm. Well. Like U2girl said already and also everybody says that the time we are living in is so great but at the same time we need to have wars to keep it in this state. So it is already the 'golden age' but it isn't called golden because of so many developments or whatever but because we are fighting for the gold. So it's a pun.


2. "I am a man who can see the shadow behind your eyes."
- I think he is refering to grief. As a child all the grown-ups tell you that everything is okay and you shouldn't worry, but when you grow up you realise that there are things that bother others. And Bono sings about being a man and seeing his father's grief or angst because of approaching death (in case the song really meant his dad) or that he can see when his children are sad but pretend to be happy...


3. What's does Bono mean by Spanish Eyes and Summer Rain?
- Spanish eyes is refering to Ali because he says her eyes look like as if they were Spanish eyes. Blue eyes boy meets brown eyed girl...brown = spanish....


4."Your love was a light bulb hanging right over my bed."
- when you're in bed it's mostly dark and the love was like the only thing he could hold on to in dark times, r the only thing he could see when he looked up.


5. What's do the songs Twilight, Stories For Boys mean?
- Twilight was actually about the fear of growing up, the usual feeling that you don't know who you are or what you want, but it was interpreted as an anthem for gays in America. Stories for Boys...well.....thoughts that boys have...sitting in front of tvs or rading comics and letting your thoughts drift away....

 

[Cute Irish Bono]

Cool!