salomeU2000
The Fly
[SIMG]http://bonovox.interference.com/reviews/abcoverthumb.jpg[/SIMG]
by Gregory Mc Guire
2003.11
This time around our classic album track is the moody and meaningful Achtung Baby closer ?Love Is Blindness?.
Achtung Baby as an album has a thematic story running through it. It is of a boy who believes himself ?an acrobat/ to think like that and to act like that," a boy who eventually discovers how far he?s ?gonna go before he loses his way back home?, before concluding that love is indeed blindness.
The very song title suggests the insecurity of love and how it can lead one into journeys one never imagined possible. An analysis of the lyrics will reveal that Bono, speaking through the ?boy," may indeed concur that love is blindness, but as early as the second line states that ?I don?t want to see." This is indicative of not wanting to see how complicated or changed things have now become. This is further added to when he almost whispers the request; ?won?t you wrap the night around me??
The latter parts of the song have some interesting, one could often even say magnificent, but above all believable, imagery - an early one of ?thread ripping," ?knot slipping?; an implication of the changing of state and differences that have been brought around. It is as if, in the dead of the night, all the boy?s conundrums have collected upon him. Imagery is continued in this song in the line making mention of ?fingers too numb to feel?, a picture that contains the power to send a shill down near everyone?s spine.
?Squeeze the handle, blow out the candle?, suggests closure, but closure almost as if it is challenging. Finally, the line about the ?dangerous idea that almost makes sense? is almost teasing while similarly suggesting danger. The fact that this boy actually contemplates being swayed to this new idea (whatever that idea is), whereas in right mind he would have been strong in enough and in a good enough position for him never to even have considered it, we can all relate it to ourselves when each of us are in the depths of despair.
Looking at the song musically, Edge?s first lead line is simple, even musically sounding slightly wrong, or perhaps put better ?unsuitable," the first time one hears it. Nevertheless it as so raw that it is as if he had just plugged a guitar into an amp there and then and started to play, with his eyes closed, the first thing that flowed from his head to this fingers.
The organ introduction adds to the mystery and eeriness abundant throughout the song, as does the ?fuzzy? bass line throughout. The second guitar solo is compelling while Bono?s cooing at the close, with a far stronger voice then he started the song with, denotes a certain strength that he has accumulated - whether from good or from bad being maybe the biggest question of the song.
Overall, this is a deep song that can be interpreted in many different ways. But then again this is U2. And a big part of their charm is in the fact that none of their songs fall short of that particular criteria.
Sl?n until next time!
Copyright ? 2003 Gregory McGuire. Comments or suggestions are welcome, please email Gregory.
by Gregory Mc Guire
2003.11
This time around our classic album track is the moody and meaningful Achtung Baby closer ?Love Is Blindness?.
Achtung Baby as an album has a thematic story running through it. It is of a boy who believes himself ?an acrobat/ to think like that and to act like that," a boy who eventually discovers how far he?s ?gonna go before he loses his way back home?, before concluding that love is indeed blindness.
The very song title suggests the insecurity of love and how it can lead one into journeys one never imagined possible. An analysis of the lyrics will reveal that Bono, speaking through the ?boy," may indeed concur that love is blindness, but as early as the second line states that ?I don?t want to see." This is indicative of not wanting to see how complicated or changed things have now become. This is further added to when he almost whispers the request; ?won?t you wrap the night around me??
The latter parts of the song have some interesting, one could often even say magnificent, but above all believable, imagery - an early one of ?thread ripping," ?knot slipping?; an implication of the changing of state and differences that have been brought around. It is as if, in the dead of the night, all the boy?s conundrums have collected upon him. Imagery is continued in this song in the line making mention of ?fingers too numb to feel?, a picture that contains the power to send a shill down near everyone?s spine.
?Squeeze the handle, blow out the candle?, suggests closure, but closure almost as if it is challenging. Finally, the line about the ?dangerous idea that almost makes sense? is almost teasing while similarly suggesting danger. The fact that this boy actually contemplates being swayed to this new idea (whatever that idea is), whereas in right mind he would have been strong in enough and in a good enough position for him never to even have considered it, we can all relate it to ourselves when each of us are in the depths of despair.
Looking at the song musically, Edge?s first lead line is simple, even musically sounding slightly wrong, or perhaps put better ?unsuitable," the first time one hears it. Nevertheless it as so raw that it is as if he had just plugged a guitar into an amp there and then and started to play, with his eyes closed, the first thing that flowed from his head to this fingers.
The organ introduction adds to the mystery and eeriness abundant throughout the song, as does the ?fuzzy? bass line throughout. The second guitar solo is compelling while Bono?s cooing at the close, with a far stronger voice then he started the song with, denotes a certain strength that he has accumulated - whether from good or from bad being maybe the biggest question of the song.
Overall, this is a deep song that can be interpreted in many different ways. But then again this is U2. And a big part of their charm is in the fact that none of their songs fall short of that particular criteria.
Sl?n until next time!
Copyright ? 2003 Gregory McGuire. Comments or suggestions are welcome, please email Gregory.
