Love Is Blindness

[vlasak]

Love is blindness
I don't want to see
won't you wrap the night
around me
Love is blindness oh my heart, blindness

(In the beginning, we're a bit blind to VERY IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS - things we know we see and hear that should warn us but we just keep going deeper in.)

In a parked car
on a crowded street
you see your love made complete
the thread is ripping
the night is slipping
love is blindness

(That's how it truly began - in a parked car. Year eight - "I've made a mistake, I'm an idiot, just like he says I am)

Love is clockwork and cold steel
fingers too numb to feel
Squeeze the handle, blow out the candle
Love is blindness.

(Year thirteen, everything is done by habit, the abuse is so normal and so cold It's what you're used to. But, maybe I don't need to be the victim anymore after all.)

A little death without mourning
no call, no warning
baby a dangerous idea
it almost makes sense

(There really would be no mourning after 18 years of this. It would be a spontaneous, passion filled act, yes it almost does make sense.)

Took the money, honey
Blindness

 

[hpdreamz]

Hmm, interesting. I nterpret in a completely different way

Love is blindness
I dont want to see
Wont you wrap the night
Around me
Take my heart
Love is blindness

Love makes you blind to all the faults of your lover, but you don't really mind. Wrapping the night refers to keeping you in the dark.

In a parked car
In a crowded street
You see your love
Made complete
Thread is ripping
The knot is slipping
Love is blindness

Making love in a parked car in a crowded street just cos your lover wanted to; your not happy about it, but your in love so you dismiss it

Love is clockworks
And cold steel
Fingers to numb to feel
Squeeze the handle
Blow out the candle
Love is blindness

These lyrics conjure up a partcular scene in my head. You wait for your lover to arrive for dinner at your house. You keep watching the clock (clockworks) , and grip the cutlery (cold steel). You squeeze the handle of your chair perhaps? Blow out the candles you lit. Your partner hasn't arrived, but your in love, so even though your dissapointed you think there must be a valid reason

Love is blindness
I dont want to see
Wont you wrap the night
Around me
Oh my love
Blindness

A little death
Without mourning
No call
And no warning
Baby...a dangerous idea
That almost makes sense

Your partner dumps you, you thought things were fine and that even after problems you would have another go at it, but now you've split up a small part of you thinks its for the best

Love is drowning
In a deep well
All the secrets
And no one to tell
Take the money
Honey
Blindness

Love is like trying to escape, but no chance of succeeding. You think your partner may have just wanted your money. If they want it so much, they can have, as long as they leave you in peace. This interpretation is my most uncertain

Love is blindness
I dont want to see
Wont you wrap the night
Around me
Oh my love
Blindness.

 

[Zoots]

I thought this song was about terrorism.

 

[U2Man]

I thought this song was about terrorism.

very nice interpretation, hpdreamz.

 

[Zoots]

I'll bet you its about terrorism. Just look at those lyrics!

 

[DreamOutLoud13]

I'll bet you its about terrorism. Just look at those lyrics!

It is, a look at some of the imagery in the promo video makes that clear enough. Think about car bombs and suicde bombers and violence and war, and then go back and look at the lyrics: "In a parked car, in a crowded street, you see your love made complete" ... "Love is clockworks, and cold steel, fingers too numb to feel, squeeze the handle, blow out the candle" ... "A little death, without mourning, no call and no warning, baby a dangerous idea, that almost makes sense"
But then of course, like many U2 songs, it can be (and is surely meant to be) interpreted in more than one way. The more conventional interpretation is that of a relationship breaking down, which perfectly closes up the chronological theme of Achtung Baby itself.

 

[Ellay]

I've got a boot from the zoo tour somewhere, where bono says at the start that the songs about what's been going on in ireland.

(much the same as he did about please during popmart)

can't remember which concert off hand tho.

 

[partygirl43]

It is, a look at some of the imagery in the promo video makes that clear enough. Think about car bombs and suicde bombers and violence and war, and then go back and look at the lyrics: "In a parked car, in a crowded street, you see your love made complete" ... "Love is clockworks, and cold steel, fingers too numb to feel, squeeze the handle, blow out the candle" ... "A little death, without mourning, no call and no warning, baby a dangerous idea, that almost makes sense"
But then of course, like many U2 songs, it can be (and is surely meant to be) interpreted in more than one way. The more conventional interpretation is that of a relationship breaking down, which perfectly closes up the chronological theme of Achtung Baby itself.

I never thought about the song that way.....but now that you mention it....

I also wanted to add it one of the most beautiful, sexy and haunting songs ever.

I love it.

 

[annie_vox]

I agree with terrorism... specially because of this:

"In a parked car
In a crowded street
You see your love
Made complete"

I never saw it as a love song to a woman, or a breaking up song. But there are so many possible interpretations...

 

[BVS]

I agree with terrorism... specially because of this:

"In a parked car
In a crowded street
You see your love
Made complete"

My ex always refered to that song as our song, because of a frisky night in a backseat on a crowded street.

 

[annie_vox]

^^ Like I said... there are many interpretaions...

 

[OrARoundabout]

Love is blindness
I don't want to see
won't you wrap the night
around me
Love is blindness oh my heart, blindness

(In the beginning, we're a bit blind to VERY IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS - things we know we see and hear that should warn us but we just keep going deeper in.)

In a parked car
on a crowded street
you see your love made complete
the thread is ripping
the night is slipping
love is blindness

(That's how it truly began - in a parked car. Year eight - "I've made a mistake, I'm an idiot, just like he says I am)

Love is clockwork and cold steel
fingers too numb to feel
Squeeze the handle, blow out the candle
Love is blindness.

(Year thirteen, everything is done by habit, the abuse is so normal and so cold It's what you're used to. But, maybe I don't need to be the victim anymore after all.)

A little death without mourning
no call, no warning
baby a dangerous idea
it almost makes sense

(There really would be no mourning after 18 years of this. It would be a spontaneous, passion filled act, yes it almost does make sense.)

Took the money, honey
Blindness

Perfection...one of the best songs on A.B...so haunting...I think it may be their darkest (other than Exit)...maybe even most political song ever if you look at it symbolically

Bono said its one of his favorite riffs of Edges, apparently he was really pushing him to (By the way, 2 strings on Edges guitar broken durning recording...not sure if it made the cut, just goes to show hoe into the solo he was)



THE MUSIC VIDEO IS A PERFECT REPRESENTATION OF IT...I love all the imagery...

 

[The Disciple]

Here was my take on it, written quite a while ago....

http://forum.interference.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=137588

 

[Marien]

I listened to Bono explaining this song was about what was happening in Ireland at the time, about terrorism, the blindness the terrorist has to be in, not to realise the enormity he's going to do, also the claustrofobic and loneliness feeling as he can't tell or confide on anyone, and comparing it with some of the feelings a lover can get. He agreed that the song can be interpreted as a love song as a love affair is the metaphore he chose, I remember he even said that "a little death with no mourning, no call, no warning" could be interpreted as the description of an orgasm. I use this song to explain the literature theory that says that every artistic writing has at least 3 levels of meaning. the one the writer intended when he first wrote it, the one the writer finds after he has already written it, and the one the reader interprets, which can coincidice with one of the formers or not, and at this level there can be as many meanings as readers. ( Sorry if this is too long, but I just love the song and I like commenting about it)

 

[Ellay]

The last time I posted on this thread, I could only understand the references to terrorism, which are pretty clear.

But like many U2 songs, this has a double meaning.

About two months ago I seperated from my wife, and I am now going through a pretty horrendous divorce.

I was listening to this song in my car the other day, and I suddenly understood the meaning behind every single line in the song. I cried my eyes out. :-[

 

[Varitek]

I like both vlasak and hpdreamz interpretations of the song. vlasak is a bit more cynnical from the start but I think both are valid for the love affair perspective.

I'd alter vlasak's interpretation in a few ways:

A little death without mourning
no call, no warning
baby a dangerous idea
it almost makes sense

(There really would be no mourning after 18 years of this. It would be a spontaneous, passion filled act, yes it almost does make sense.)

Took the money, honey
Blindness

I might just have a more explicit interpretation, but I'd say that here, the abused lover kills the other, a dangerous diea with little warning and no mourning, and then takes the money, but is drowning because she has to live alone with this terrible secret.


I also clearly see the terrorism interpretation. This is similar to Exit in that it could be about an obsessive lover or an obsessive religious fanatic who is willing to resort to terrorism in the name of God. (loving the cause....loving God...)

I was only about 4 when the album was released, so I'm not sure if this was widely known at the time, but I find the "take the money" part especially interesting because a lot of terrorists today (primarily in the middle east, not Ireland, which is booming, though this may have been more true of Ireland in 1991) join not necessarily or not only because they believe in the cause. They also are economically desperate and suicide bombing is a way to get a payoff for their family. In the mean time being part of a cell is something to do.

I listened to Bono explaining this song was about what was happening in Ireland at the time, about terrorism, the blindness the terrorist has to be in, not to realise the enormity he's going to do, also the claustrofobic and loneliness feeling as he can't tell or confide on anyone, and comparing it with some of the feelings a lover can get. He agreed that the song can be interpreted as a love song as a love affair is the metaphore he chose, I remember he even said that "a little death with no mourning, no call, no warning" could be interpreted as the description of an orgasm. I use this song to explain the literature theory that says that every artistic writing has at least 3 levels of meaning. the one the writer intended when he first wrote it, the one the writer finds after he has already written it, and the one the reader interprets, which can coincidice with one of the formers or not, and at this level there can be as many meanings as readers. ( Sorry if this is too long, but I just love the song and I like commenting about it)

Thanks for this! I really like the literature theory about 3 levels of meaning, this song is perfect for that.