Running to Stand Still

[U2girl91289]

Running to Stand Still is one of my favorite songs. I was wondering if there was a meaning to it other than a girl wanting to change her life. That's my dumb interpretation of the song. What do you think it's about?

 

[FallingStar]

Actually it was about drug addiction - heroine in specific if I'm right - in Dublin.

'I see seven towers,
But I only see one way out'
^^That part is about Ballymun, the area were Bono grew up in. A bad area really and the only way out was for many ppl to take drugs.

'She will suffer the needle chill'
^^Also hint for drugs.

 

[U2girl91289]

I never thought of it like that.

 

[ICRED]

The drug reference is also present in the line "I took the poison from the poison stream then I flowed it outa here." If you watch the ZOOTV Sydney video, Bono rubs his arm like he's shooting up when he sings that line. It puts a jump on that lyric, which I always thought was about escape from that part of Dublin or from the state of the narrator's life.

 

[cujo]

Great Song... the drug reference is definitely there... "she runs through the streets with her eyes painted red"...

"white golden pearls stolen from the sea" refers to drugs stolen from the street.

Hey look at my avatar... wonder where I got my location from...

 

[dizzy]

I absolutely Bono's play of words in this song. The title itself, "Running To Stand Still" shows that. Other lines would be, "cry without weeping, talk without speaking, scream without raising your voice..." RTSS is such a sad song and it's amazing how Bono showed the drama of it in the Zoo TV shows. I think that aside from the ecstatic, drug-induced "Hallelujah..." he was singing, it was also a cry to God for help concerning the poverty and drug problem. I read in the U2 MOL website that apparently, the government wasn't doing anything to solve it.

 

[wertsie]

I have just recently "discovered" this song. Amazing...

 

[adamswildhoney]

I love this song I have been listening to it all week!!!

 

[HeadsOnSticks]

sigh...
I love this song so much, it was one of my favorites. Well, it still is. But I never knew the meaning behind it until my younger brother died of a heroin overdose. Someone told me then what it was about. It's so hard to listen to. OK, didn;t mean to bring anyone down, just wanted to share my thoughts/attachments to this wonderful song that will always remind me of my little bro.
*goes off and smacks head into wall:

 

[U2girl91289]

sigh...
I love this song so much, it was one of my favorites. Well, it still is. But I never knew the meaning behind it until my younger brother died of a heroin overdose. Someone told me then what it was about. It's so hard to listen to. OK, didn;t mean to bring anyone down, just wanted to share my thoughts/attachments to this wonderful song that will always remind me of my little bro.

Oh my God- I'm so sorry about your brother

 

[HeadsOnSticks]

Oh my God- I'm so sorry about your brother

Thanks..much appreciated.

 

[melon]

Yep...I remember reading about the heroin connection with this song as well. What a cool song all around...

Melon

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

beautiful song, one of my favourites.