"An Cat Dubh" and "40"

Zoots · 09-11-2002, 05:19 PM

Why were 'An Cat Dubh' and '40' named so? Anyone know what these song titles mean?

**KhanadaRhodes** · 09-11-2002, 07:43 PM

an cat dubh: gaelic for the black cat

40: after psalm 40, which the song was mostly based on.

**KhanadaRhodes** · 09-11-2002, 07:45 PM

oh yeah...i thought i should elaborate on why they named it an cat dubh, or the black cat. btw, in some early demos/live versions, he actually says "an cat dubh, the black cat." i guess to clarify for those who didn't speak gaelic.

anyway, there is a story about a black cat who will stalk its prey, a bird, and they lay next to it. bono said the song was written in a similar vein, where the cat was some chick (or bono, he said, iirc, that they can be interchangable) and the bird was him. it was written about a short time where bono and ali and broken up and he went off with some other girl.

**bonosloveslave** · 09-11-2002, 07:52 PM

Just an aside:

Bono had this to say at the Chicago show on April 29, 1987: "This is a song that when we were being thrown out of the studio... we spent ten minutes writing this next song, ten minutes recording it, ten minutes mixing it, ten minutes playing it back, and that's nothing to do with why it's called '40'."

(from www.u2faq.com )

wertsie · 09-11-2002, 09:08 PM

psalm 40...

I read that to my dog one evening while rubbing her head and she fell asleep.

Okay, that was random. Sorry. I miss my doggie!

madonna's child · 09-12-2002, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by KhanadaRhodes
an cat dubh: gaelic for the black cat

I did not know that. Thanks for the info. But how do you pronounce that?

**KhanadaRhodes** · 09-12-2002, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by madonna's child
I did not know that. Thanks for the info. But how do you pronounce that?

bono pronounces it like "on cat dubh" (like the first syllable of dublin)

Popmartijn · 09-12-2002, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by KhanadaRhodes

bono pronounces it like "on cat dubh" (like the first syllable of dublin)

I think it sounds more like "on cat dove" (although it also sounds like "an cat dove").

C ya!

Marty

CatDubh · 09-12-2002, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Popmartijn

I think it sounds more like "on cat dove"

Yep!

09-11-2002, 05:19 PM	#1
Zoots Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: the great beyond Posts: 36,802 Local Time: 12:54 PM	"An Cat Dubh" and "40" Why were 'An Cat Dubh' and '40' named so? Anyone know what these song titles mean? __________________

09-11-2002, 07:43 PM	#2
KhanadaRhodes Paper Gods Forum Administrator Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: a vampire in the limousine Posts: 60,695 Local Time: 04:54 AM	an cat dubh: gaelic for the black cat 40: after psalm 40, which the song was mostly based on. __________________ __________________

09-11-2002, 07:45 PM	#3
KhanadaRhodes Paper Gods Forum Administrator Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: a vampire in the limousine Posts: 60,695 Local Time: 04:54 AM	oh yeah...i thought i should elaborate on why they named it an cat dubh, or the black cat. btw, in some early demos/live versions, he actually says "an cat dubh, the black cat." i guess to clarify for those who didn't speak gaelic. anyway, there is a story about a black cat who will stalk its prey, a bird, and they lay next to it. bono said the song was written in a similar vein, where the cat was some chick (or bono, he said, iirc, that they can be interchangable) and the bird was him. it was written about a short time where bono and ali and broken up and he went off with some other girl. __________________

09-11-2002, 07:52 PM	#4
bonosloveslave Offishul Kitteh Doctor Forum Moderator Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Taking care of kitties Posts: 9,655 Local Time: 06:54 AM	Re: "40" Just an aside: Bono had this to say at the Chicago show on April 29, 1987: "This is a song that when we were being thrown out of the studio... we spent ten minutes writing this next song, ten minutes recording it, ten minutes mixing it, ten minutes playing it back, and that's nothing to do with why it's called '40'." (from www.u2faq.com ) __________________ bonosloveslave [at] interference.com

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09-11-2002, 09:08 PM	#5
wertsie Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: on a country road... Posts: 4,752 Local Time: 05:54 AM	psalm 40... I read that to my dog one evening while rubbing her head and she fell asleep. Okay, that was random. Sorry. I miss my doggie!