mickey said:
blindinglights:
To me, zooropa is a massive endeavor. The particular line we both seem drawn to (amongst others, no doubt), is the very keystone in the arch of a song that reads more like a thesis to me. I did mention at the onset of this thread that I was extremely guilty of dressing the "uncertainty can be a guiding light" line in my own fashion. Reading what you've written, I trust that you will relate to my understanding of zooropa.
Everything about this song/thesis, seems like a bubble that is expanding. The background voices harnessing doubt within the expanding bubble, the questions...things that don't make sense for some within the bubble...until it goes nova and confusion looms. In the midst of zooropa the bubble explodes and right in the thick of this is where the uncertainty lyric lends direction and focus once more. This is the amazing context which makes this line for me.
the score, the background voices, the (if you will) expanding bubble and subsequently exploding, bono's calm demeanor at the beginning and disorderly self later - everything is huge about this song. Whether it was Europe coming together, society in general, references to Plato's cave, the good christ, or whatever, it's U2 making political observations at a magnificent level. Sunday, New Year's...these were fantastic at capturing a moment, feeling or situation. Zooropa is/was a thesis. It's very intelligent.
I definitely understand your interpretation of Zooropa and can relate to it. Very nice observations.
While my interpretation is somewhat like yours, it has a different twist to it.
Lets just say, I don't know a lot in the world of current events, politics, happenings, etc. because of the fact that I'm only 16. Maybe that's ignorant, I don't know. So I take the song very personally, even though it's still about the entire world. I suppose the last lines, "Dream out loud" have an effect on the whole song. I didn't really GET IT until the song was over. That relates back to the very beginning, which asks (if I'm not mistaken), "What do you want?" In a sense, Zooropa kind of takes on the ethics of people and the motives of the world and pop culture.
We listen to what we're told and almost automatically believe what society tells us- "Be all that you can be. Be a winner. Eat to get slimmer." We try to be what society wants us to be. So therefore, on the outside, we're "squeaky clean". We get comfortable not letting what we really are show and letting society decide for us. "We've got that ring of confidence".
And then the tempo picks up, indicating a new part of the song. To me it represents a realization, coming out of the blurred vision of the first part of the song. It's when a person realizes that they have their own identity, their own voice. Somewhere. It's being masked by all of these outside influences- "I've been hiding". Then the chorus is a reassurance, telling people that being your own person is okay, even though it's a scary thing to go against society- "Don't worry baby, It'll be alright. You got the right shoes to get you through the night. It's cold outside, but brightly lit. Skip the subway, let's go to the overground. Get your head out of the mud baby. Put flowers in the mud baby.... Don't worry baby, it's gonna be alright. Uncertainty can be a guiding light. I hear voices, ridiculous voices. In the slipstream Let's go, let's go, overground. Take you head out of the mud baby."
Then there's the call for action. Stand up for yourself. It's your life, your world. Live your own life. Don't just conform to society. "She's gonna dream up the world she wants to live in. She's gonna dream out loud. Dream out loud."
ZOOROPA
This went through my head many many times during a time when I was going through a deep depression and was trying to, well, numb/drink the pain away. Of course it doesn't work, whatever you're trying to "drown" will certainly still be there and sometimes I can use a reminder of that. Luckily this is still one of my all-time favorite songs so I hear it often. 
