Zooropa

[Zoophe]

Hi, i have some questions about the album Zooropa. Why are the faces of Lenin and Hitler, and the communist symbol printed on the booklet? And what's the meaning of the russian fanfare at the beginning of Daddy's gonna pay for your crashed car? Can someone help me? Pllllleeeease!!!!!
Communism and nazism have played a big role in the formation of the actual Europe, but i think this is a discounted interpretation. What do you think about this album?

 

[VertigoGal]

I have no idea, but weren't several of the songs influenced by some german book or I think it was the whole thing with the Macphisto character, he was based on some german guy that was in the film industry and got pretty high in the nazi power structure. (hence the accent maybe.) so they had that whole vibe and influence at the time.

or maybe I just made that up. hopefully someone knows what I'm talking about and can give you a better explanation.

as far as what I think about the album, I adore this one! I know some people don't like it on the merits of the individual songs, but you need to listen to it as an album to love it.

 

[Zoophe]

Thank you for your interpretation!! Well, it could be. But i've red that the Macphisto character was inspirated by the book "The screwtape letters" (Lewis), in fact in the video "Hold me, thrill me..." before a car runs over Bono, he's reading this book. I've red it, it talks about a devil who wrotes some letters to his nephew, who is a devil too, to teach him how to bring men to sin. Instead of give some precepts about how to escape sin, Lewis tried to unmask all devil's makeups. I think it is effective, and it is a nice book.
Excuse me for the detour...
Let's return to the album Zooropa...it is very complicated to understand!! Overall i don't like it very much (...don't hate me, please!), but it contains some songs which i adore, above all Lemon .
Any other different interpretation is welcome!!

 

[babyman]

you don't like zooropa in its overall???.........................
ma dai!

 

[Zoophe]

Yes....what's the problem...??

 

[babyman]

Yes....what's the problem...??

i just wanted to be cosy.............don't need to shrug.........

 

[Zoophe]

Sorry, i misunderstood...can you forgive me?

 

[babyman]

Sorry, i misunderstood...can you forgive me?

don't have any doubt

 

[Ellay]

Just guessing but

AB was recorded in Berlin, Zooropa was the offspring of AB

Berlin (and East Germany) have obvious Nazi & communist connections.

The burning swastika was also used during ZOO TV at the start of bullet the blue sky, at the time Zooropa was recorded.

Also whenever I listen to zooropa, I always get a 'big brother' type feeling about it for some reason - I guess because Zoo was all about peoples ideas being manipulated by something bigger - not unsimilar to nazi germany - or Lenins USSR

 

[guill]

In 1993 Eastern Europe was a field of ruins (as in 1945), the communist (in 89) and nazi (45) ideologies collapsed.
There was also the Yugoslavian civil war, Europe was not a peaceful place as it was supposed to be since the creation of the European Community after WWII.

Zooropa is the moment after a political collapse, the moment when everything is possible, when people can build something new.
Zooropa = Utopia.
The same image is used in JT, the image of the desert as a virgin place where you can build something new.

McPhisto is also the symbol of the decadent artists who lived in Berlin at the beginning of the 20th century.

 

[Zoophe]

Thanks!! I think that your interpretations are correct. Now i begin to see Zooropa in a clearer way!!

 

[Ellay]

It's also probably significant that at the start of Zooropa concerts, (and zoomerang I think)

Bono appeared in front of the European flag (which is also on the front of the zooropa album) and the stars fall off.