VintagePunk
Blue Crack Distributor
I don't want to give you shit for this, because I understand where you're coming from with it, but I don't agree, no. As much of a meme as I TAIGHGHGHT MASELLAFF WIT WIIAYAHAYHAGHGHGHGH has become, Bono's delivery on MOS is the key to understanding what makes it so special. The song is inherently isolating, targeting the universe less and the individual more, to the extent that the protagonist doesn't even notice others around him. In doing so, Bono naturally drags the listener into a very intimate place without being lazy and using the words "alone," "lonely," "isolated," "detached," and so on.
The lyrics share an attitude with the music that emphasizes subtle changes in melody (note the final 30 seconds or so, in which Edge carefully spreads sunlight over the proceedings) and mood. This sort of harmony is an example of excellent songwriting, and when it's sung with the conviction Bono brings to the table (he wails "I've been in every black hole" as if he were being torn apart by one at that very moment) it doesn't matter that it lacks a ridiculous Bohemian Rhapsody-style payoff. The fact that MOS makes you want to hang on to its every word without ever rising above a whisper is an amazing trick, and the message behind the lyrics (particularly refreshing for the hell-bent-on-universality U2 of the '00s) makes it one of their recent classics.
I like your take on it, thanks for posting this.
At times, I've struggled with this song, not really feeling the greatness that everyone else seems to see, and feeling like I'm missing something. Sometimes it felt like I was on the verge of "getting it," and then it would slip away. It wasn't till the rap part was added live that I felt like the song was really gelling for me.