What the hell are the lyrics to Promenade?

[U2SavesTheWorld]

Zoney asked the original question, I'm just starting the thread.

U2.com is reporting that the lyrics to Promenade are:

______________________________________
Earth, sky, scenery.
Is she coming back again?
Men of straw, snooker hall.
Words that build or destroy
Dirt dry, bone, sand and stone.
Barbed wire fence cut me down.
I'd like to be around in a spiral staircase
To the higher ground.

And I, like a firework, explode.
Roman candle, lightning, lights up the sky.
In cracked streets, trample underfoot.
Side-step, sidewalk.
I see you stare into space.
Have I got closer now, behind the face?

Oh, tell me, Cherry you dance with me
Turn me around tonight
Up through the spiral staircase to the higher ground.
Slide show, seaside town.
Coca-cola, football radio, radio, radio, radio, radio, radio.
---------------------------------------------------------


What the hell is "Cherry you dance with me"???

I thought it was "charity dance with me".

I don't have the actual CD nearby, can someone look in there and see what it says?

Interference is reporting CHARITY as are about 84934 different lyrics websites.

The only two websites I can find that use CHERRY are www.u2.com and www.atu2.com and I think atu2 takes their lyrics directly from u2.com but I could be wrong.

Please please please tell me that its not "Cherry you dance with me".

"Charity dance with me" is the best line in the song.

 

[edgeboy]

It's poetic. It's obviously about a girl,it's kinda lusting over a women i guess.

 

[U2SavesTheWorld]

I know. I don't know which lyric is correct.

CHERRY or CHARITY.

 

[Liesje]

Personally, I can't figure out how either of them are correct. I'm not the type of person that usually reads lyrics to a song, especially when I'm still learning it and to me, it's always sounded like "oh tell me, tell me you'll dance with me, turn me around tonight....". Since there are no "official" lyrics in the booklet and I take everything printed on U2.com with a grain of salt, I'll continue to listen as if my way is correct, b/c I like it best and it makes the most sense. Hmph

 

[Zoots]

Sounds like 'cherry' to me! I listened to it several times and can't hear any 't' like in charity.

But the first line is definitely Earth, Sky, Sea and Rain.... not scenary!

 

[zoney!]

Thank you for starting this for me.

In return, I had Puljos hit a three-run dinger.

SO...I haven't listen to this song in a while. Before work, I dug out UF, and played this song OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER today in my car...signing "charity dance with me"

I raced home, and realized the lyric site here is gone...so checked U2.com...and was devestated. Then zootlesque directed me to the interf site...and saw charity.

Anyone have an UF Song Book (Lyrics and notes) that predates the Internet? If I wanted to know the lyrics pre-Internet, I would go to Sam Ash or like-store and find one of those books.

Maybe that can shed some light!

 

[LMP]

I always hear Charity

 

[bratty_cat]

Well i found my cassette version of UF
but the only lyrics printed are those for A Sort of Homecoming. I always thought he said "tell me" too, but I suppose Cherry makes sense cause don't the lyrics to Walk to the Water say something like 'her/your lips, cherry red.'

mmm...sort of homecoming

 

[discothequeLP]

i fucking LOVE Promenade!! i like it better than Pride, Wire, A Sort of Homecoming, even The Unforgettable Fire. it is masterpiece! the 'spiral staircase' line is just amazing.

 

[shart1780]

Ohhhh I love this song sooo much! It reminds me of going to the ocean with my girlfriend for some reason (which I loved). I just love U2's more relaxing, ambient songs like this so much and I really wish they'd do more.

And I always thought he said "cherry".

 

[Axver]

Anyone who thinks it is 'cherry' is deaf. Besides the fact Bono clearly sings 'charity', it makes sense in context of the song, as an archaic usage of 'charity' means love. If you don't believe me, just go look at the famous passage about love in I Corinthians 13 in any King James edition of the Bible: 'charity' is used in place of 'love'.

 

[c4veritas]

I think Axver knows way too much...

 

[thrillme]

I've yet to find any site that can make out the 'bongolese' at the end, "Another time, another place."

Sounds like German or something.

Bono doesn't remember his lyrics at times, seems to be a favorite pasttime here, bashing U2.com, but if there's no official lyric sheet from 1984, then it's whatever it sounds like to you.

If Bono can't remember his lyrics, didn't write them down, you expect a website writer to know exactly what Bono is saying?

Some of "Unforgettable Fire" was recorded "at the microphone" as Bono says. He didn't write down what he was singing.

I like U2.com for what it is, a place to watch U2 videos and talk to other people about U2.

 

[Meghan]

I hear Cherry.

I just thought it was like a pet name for Ali or something.

btw, I've had my ears checked Axver, they're fine

 

[U2girl]

Charity is what I hear.

 

[bono_man2002]

I think Axver knows way too much...

You're Semi-New here...we'll let you go this time

 

[corner]

I have "U2 the complete songs" and apparently its 'cherry', not 'charity'. Kinda weird if you ask me, but the sheet music here looks like a good authority.

 

[Axver]

I have "U2 the complete songs" and apparently its 'cherry', not 'charity'. Kinda weird if you ask me, but the sheet music here looks like a good authority.

Official U2 stuff is notoriously wrong. I'd give a whole list of mistakes but I haven't looked in so long that I don't recall them. I rely on fan transcriptions of both lyrics and music because they tend to be much more accurate.

Sometimes I wonder if whoever they hire to listen to their albums and write down lyrics can't speak English.

I seriously can't believe anyone thinks Bono sings 'cherry you' rather than 'charity'.

 

[Axver]

Well, I just listened to Promenade loud enough through my headphones that I've probably damaged my hearing and it's a somewhat poorly enunciated 'charity'.

Of course, if U2 played it today, someone from U2.com will probably print off the lyrics and Bono will sing a very nonsensical 'cherry you'.

 

[Bonochick]

Screw the cherry/charity thing...

Earth, sky, scenery.

...I always thought that line was "Earth, sky, searing rain".

 

[matt76]

cherry cherry cherry!!!!

 

[YBORCITY]

Promenade, is one of my all time favorites. If they ever would play this song live I would probably.....in fact I don't know what I'd actually do.

But anyway - I don't remember where I read this (early Propaganda... Interview from that era?) but when asked about this song and in particularly this line, Bono is referring to Ali. They lived for a short time in a studio that had a spiral staircase up to the bedroom area.

 

[MumblingBono]

Cherry here....

 

[U2SavesTheWorld]

I'm never listening to this song again if its cherry.

Thats just dumb.

 

[Liesje]

I can't make my ears here any sort of "ch" sound, and to me it sounds like two syllables, not three. I'll stand by....

oh......
tell me......
tell me you'll dance with me
turn me around tonight
up the spiral staircase
to the higher ground

Makes perfect sense to me

 

[JessicaAnn]

I'm never listening to this song again if its cherry.

Thats just dumb.

Agreed ... cherry just sounds lame.

 

[longingforBono]

i fucking LOVE Promenade!! i like it better than Pride, Wire, A Sort of Homecoming, even The Unforgettable Fire. it is masterpiece! the 'spiral staircase' line is just amazing.

The spiral staircase refers to the Lighthouse Bono and Ali used to live in in Bray. Their bedroom was at the top and it had a glass ceiling so they could look at the stars at night. I remember reading that in an old old interview with Bono in Smash Hits.

Aw ain't that just too sweet?!

 

[financeguy]

I agree with people who said 'charity' is a lot better in the context of the lyric, but listening to it recently it sounds more like 'Cherry' to me.

 

[beegee]

i already posted this in another thread where this argument came up before.

but, i shall do it again.

clearly, bono (as usual) has borrowed a verse from a poem by william butler yeats.


from i am of ireland by yeats:

‘I am of Ireland,
And the Holy Land of Ireland,
And time runs on,’ cried she.
‘Come out of charity,
Come dance with me in Ireland.’

it's charity.

 

[financeguy]

That's interesting Bonosgirl84, well spotted.