gone - what is it about

[PopTart Pamela]

I have recently been rediscovering Pop !
Gone, in particular. The lyrics are very interesting especially if you think the song is about Bono, well it must be I suppose, and what does
You can keep this suit of lights
mean?
I would appreciate some discussion on the song, which I absolutely love, by the way!!

Thanks Pamela

 

[tackleberry]

In my opinion this is definitely the BEST song on "POP" and its even better when they play it live.
I believe this song is about the band's career as rock stars, or maybe even Bono himself, and how it has spoiled them and made them or him "feel so guilty" because he "got so much for so little." And I think that whole "I'll be up with the sun" Line is a yearning for something that is pure and real, and thats why he says, "you can keep this suit of lights," this fake, man-made rock star life, because Bono would rather be gone in the natural sun.
Overall, its a yearning to be real, or a dire need for something real, after a lifetime of fake fame personna........I think.

------------------
"You gotta put the women and children first, but you've got an unquenchable thirst for New York..."

 

[Shirley]

Originally posted by tackleberry:
In my opinion this is definitely the BEST song on "POP" and its even better when they play it live.
I believe this song is about the band's career as rock stars, or maybe even Bono himself, and how it has spoiled them and made them or him "feel so guilty" because he "got so much for so little."

*agrees*

and i always thought the 'ill be up with the sun' and the 'im not coming down' part was about liking the rockstarlive and staying ' up' there. but its hard to explain what i mean exactly.. :\

 

[Giant Lemon]

I agree with what has been said. In addition to Bono/the band's take on the rock star life, it's also about Michael Hutchence. Bono has mentioned that many times when playing this song live. Maybe Michael is the "you" in the part that goes "closer to you everyday, didn't want it that much anyway..." It's kind of confusing because there's an "I" and a "you" in the song, but it sounds like the "you" parts could apply to Bono.

Anyway, I agree that Gone is the best or almost best song on Pop. The lyrics are really wonderful- I especially love the line "what you thought was freedom was just greed." People see freedom as the ability to do whatever they want, but it's really greed because they *want* all those things. And basically, to be in the position where you can do anything you need to be very wealthy, much like a rock star.

 

[tackleberry]

GiantLemon,

I was just listening to the a bootleg to the Boston Elevation shows, and Bono yells out "Hutch!!" right before Gone kicks in. I always thought he was saying "Butch", but that of course makes no sense. Thanks for clearing that up for me. ha ha ha

------------------
"You gotta put the women and children first, but you've got an unquenchable thirst for New York..."

 

[TylerDurden]

I think it definetely is about the whole 'rock star thing' and giving it away, either just walking away or that darker suicidal thing that rockers seem to get into regularly. THe whole 'you can keep this suit of lights' and 'no emotional goodnight' etc.
Although it's not written about Hutchence, it was written at least a year before he died, it is a perfect song to describe that whole thing. He's been dedicating Gone to 'Hutch' since the Atlanta Popmart concert after he died.

 

[zoomerang II]

It is one of U2s greatest songs, certainly in their top 5 live and their most underated song among the general public. This is what I think about Gone (kick me if I am being stupid):

Gone is written by Bono the person, being Paul Hewson from Dublin who married his childhood sweetheart (referred to as I) and it describes the 3rd person Bono almost as the glam rock star (referred to as you / your). I kind of envisage Bono sitting alone at the top tier of a U2 concert watching himself prance about below.

You get to feel so guilty
Got so much for so little
Then you find that feeling
Just won't go away
(Bono feeling guilty about his success, and the guilt not abating over time)
You're holding on to every little thing so tightly
'Til there's nothing left for you anyway
(holding on to his family, his home, the little things from his past, these are the things that drive the rock star on, yet the nett result of that drive is that he is actually losing those very things he holds dear)
Goodbye...
You can keep this suit of lights
I'll be up with the sun
I'm not coming down
I'm not coming down
I'm not coming down
Looks down and says Bono the star can keep his suit of lights, he can keep his success, however I (Bono the person) will be up with the sun ? be a normal person (and not the rock star kind of sleep all day party all night). He is not going down to the level of the rock star, he is staying up with the sun ? perhaps up with the higher ground, maybe even the Lord.

You wanted to get somewhere so badly
You had to lose yourself along the way
You change your name, well that's okay, it's necessary
(A summary of all his life how Bono has desired the success of U2 ? and perhaps even a description of Paul Hewson v Bono)
And what you leave behind you don't miss anyway
(This is what the rock star leaves behind ? however, we should all know now that for Bono the person, it really is about what you can?t leave behind. I kind of think the themes for ATYCLB grew out of this feeling here in Gone ? basically Bono is saying goodbye to the element of excess and shallowness that was embraced (and exposed) by the Pop album. We should all have seen ATYCLB coming from Gone!)

These themes have been used in different ways since it was written - the michael hutchence aspect obviously but also to the American critics (re: mexico city) and their scornfulness of Pop and the popmart tour. Basically here U2 placed the critics with the glam rock star that they emulated and took the higher ground themselves.

 

[Giant Lemon]

Originally posted by TylerDurden:
Although it's not written about Hutchence, it was written at least a year before he died, it is a perfect song to describe that whole thing. He's been dedicating Gone to 'Hutch' since the Atlanta Popmart concert after he died.

Thanks for clearing that up, Tyler. I wasn't sure about when Hutchence died. Good interpretation, Zoomerang- good insight on the Bono rock star/person aspect and the connection to ATYCLB.

 

[diamondbruno9]

Thats my favorite song as well!( on Pop) I always thought it was about Bono tho.Db9 I agree w berry and Lemon