Sleep Like A Baby Tonight - Song Discussion

[CosmoKramer]

Yeah, it's in the liner notes. It's basically about child sexual abuse in the church.

"Some can live with cruelty and abuse. Some have to... when the children of any church aren't served but instead enslaved by an abuse of power, extraordinary acts of atonement are required to put things back together...honesty is just the starting point...secrets can make you sick"

1)Do you think its about a priest who is ignoring the problem,
2) The priest who IS the problem
3) The church in general ignoring the problem

I tend to "hear" it as option 1 but I'm curious about other perspectives. I'm also VERY curious about the "alternative perspective" mix and if it is from the child/victims point of view.


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[Irvine511]

I think, basically, it's about a high ranking clergy member ignoring and enabling the physical and sexual abuse of children at the hands of priests, and living wrapped in a cocoon of self righteousness. Pretty simple stuff.

The view of Dublin/childhood goes from hope, to loss, to phusical violence and emotional violence over the course of the album. It's not nostalgic at all. It's anti-nostalgic.



Sent from

 

[Max_theHitman]

Huh ... was the Mojo review the only place we've seen a mention to the song being about abuse by the church? Was that backed up anywhere by the band, or in other articles? Or did this review's interpretation just stick within our brains?

U2's Songs Of Innocence: First Review! | MOJO

I have to applaud the guys at MOJO magazine! They are some of the best writers and music critics around. I have stopped buying the other
music magazines just because MOJO continues writing some of the best articles ever.
A very good first review for this record, and yes, they did write what this
song is about.

 

[U2FAN4LIFE]

1)Do you think its about a priest who is ignoring the problem,
2) The priest who IS the problem
3) The church in general ignoring the problem

I tend to "hear" it as option 1 but I'm curious about other perspectives. I'm also VERY curious about the "alternative perspective" mix and if it is from the child/victims point of view.


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There is something about the "eyes as red as Christmas" line and the way its delivered that has me thinking its more likely #2 and that its a metaphor for the subject being truly evil rather than just having bloodshot eyes. That's not to say that I think Bono is saying the "enablers" are any less "evil" than the "abusers" but I sense this song is more of a direct shot to the latter.

Makes me wonder if "The Troubles" could be interpreted as being about the same subject matter just a different perspective

 

[popacrobat]

Pretty clearly a priest who is the problem.

Why don’t you
You dress in the colours of forgiveness
Your eyes as red as Christmas
Purple robes are folded on the kitchen chair

Purple robes are the priest's vestments that are nicely folded and not being worn, sort of, to me, illustrating that he's not currently in his priest-mode.

 

[lazarus]

Can someone with religious knowledge explain the "like St. Francis covered in light" line? Is this a reference to a specific story, or just Bono's own imagery?

 

[Hawkmoon269]

Hmmm... I don't have a deep knowledge of him, I just know that he was a rich guy living in excess, then he had a vision or something and had a change of heart, gave up his old life and lived in poverty.

And the new Pope took the name of Pope Francis.

 

[purpleoscar]

Can someone with religious knowledge explain the "like St. Francis covered in light" line? Is this a reference to a specific story, or just Bono's own imagery?

There are some quotes of St. Francis involving light metaphors:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/149151.Francis_of_Assisi

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”

Where there is darkness, light;

There's an opera:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_François_d'Assise

While the choir hymns the Resurrection, a patch of light illuminates the spot where previously the body of Saint Francis lay. The light increases until it becomes blinding. The curtain falls.

Caravaggio:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Francis_of_Assisi_in_Ecstasy_(Caravaggio)

The sparkling features of the Being wore an expression of supernatural beauty and grief. It was the face of Jesus, and Jesus spoke. Then suddenly streams of fire and blood shot from His wounds and pierced the hands and feet of Francis with nails and his heart with the stab of a lance. As Francis uttered a mighty shout of joy and pain, the fiery image impressed itself into his body, as into a mirrored reflection of itself, with all its love, its beauty, and its grief. And it vanished within him. Another cry pierced the air. Then, with nails and wounds through his body, and with his soul and spirit aflame, Francis sank down, unconscious, in his blood.

He called all creatures his “brothers” and “sisters,” and even preached to the birds

Take your pick.

 

[MillyU2]

To me it seems that "St. Francis covered in light" is a reference to divine inspiration and guidance at the highest level - God has not merely lit his way but completely covered him in light.

As for "St. Francis" himself, I would be surprised if this had been a random choice. The Pope indeed has taken this name and although it is a fact that St. Francis was a uniquely generous soul, I believe the parallel here is with the fact that some act as if all revolved around their symbolic goodness while the darkness reigns elsewhere under their papacy and no action is taken to actually reflect this goodness that they are expected to embody. It seems to me like a "poke" on the Pope himself.

I hope I'm wrong though... cause I find the new Pope to be quite generous and humble in his public interactions with people. He certainly seems more like a Christian and less of a scholar compared to his predecessor.

 

[lazarus]

I hope I'm wrong though... cause I find the new Pope to be quite generous and humble in his public interactions with people. He certainly seems more like a Christian and less of a sith lord compared to his predecessor.

Fixed.

 

[U2FAN4LIFE]

Can someone with religious knowledge explain the "like St. Francis covered in light" line? Is this a reference to a specific story, or just Bono's own imagery?

St. Francis is one of the most revered Saints and generally considered the one that most embodied compassion for the underprivileged, weak, and the sick. I think this line is about highlighting how hypocritical the antagonist is... His evil actions are driving his victims to suicide yet he is sleeping like a baby and generally perceived to be a holy man like st. Francis. As for "light", well it rhymes with tonight

 

[MillyU2]

Fixed.

?Does that make Pope Francis a Jedi? ?

 

[Niceman]

Anyone have a track of the Alternate Perspective mix isolated from Invisible?

Noahlot@Gmail.com

Thanks!

 

[bigjohn2441]

I still think that's Bono playing the solo at the end.

After listening to the alternative mix I wish they would've kept that one little section of the solo with the high notes in there. That was awesome, especially coming from Bono.

 

[last unicorn]

The lyrics of the alternative version are interesting, full of dark emotions. I cannot quite figure out who's talking to whom in the song. Any ideas?

 

[Caleb8844]

Can someone post the lyrics? I don't have the ability to listen to the song quite yet, but I'm mostly interesting in comparing the alternate set of lyrics with the original to see if it creates a fuller picture



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[trevgreg]

The lyrics of the alternative version are interesting, full of dark emotions. I cannot quite figure out who's talking to whom in the song. Any ideas?

I've only heard it once, but some said the lyrics dealt from the 'victim''s point of view?

 

[DomCobb]

Wow the alternative version is amazing. Probably better than the original.

 

[Zoo Lemon]

Yes, a true masterpiece. And having both the perspectives is brilliant. I also loved the alternative one for that harder sound throughout it. And the final lines...

 

[CosmoKramer]

Yes, a true masterpiece. And having both the perspectives is brilliant. I also loved the alternative one for that harder sound throughout it. And the final lines...

Bought the album on lunch and will listen tonight to this song. I enjoy the album version, so I'm excited to hear the differences.


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[Zoo Lemon]

Bought the album on lunch and will listen tonight to this song. I enjoy the album version, so I'm excited to hear the differences.

The album version is what I'll end to listen probably the most, because it's how the song is mainly thought to be.

Nevertheless, I must say it's great and exciting to have two perspectives of it, as if the clashing, harder sound added by Tchad Blake to the vulnerable lyrics gets related to how life can turn into hell for the abused boy deprived of innocence.

The album's one is sweeter in the sound where the "lullaby" is caustic towards the abuser, whose hell should concern his conscience. I spoiled enough

 

[Mark Freedman]

dark
dirty
moody
sexy
edgy
catchy
beautiful
challenging
atmospheric
great intro
out of this world outro

this one comes from that place that u2 dicovered in the 90s and should go more often.

love it too much.

I know this is an older thread, but how you described it is perfect!

 

[last unicorn]

Here are the lyrics of the alternative version (from @U2 lyrics page):

Wake
In the morning when you wake up
You won’t have much
But you’ll have enough
When you are weakest
I’ll be strong enough for you

Dreams
Yeah, the ones where you are fearless
Can’t break what’s broken
You are tearless
Steal back your innocence
That’s what they stole from you

You’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight
Not everything can be so black and white
There are demons in the broad daylight
But you can sleep like a baby tonight

Stop
Where you stand right now
Just stop
Don’t think or look down at the drop
The people staring from the street
Don’t know what you’ve got

You’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight
No, not everything can be so black and white
There are demons in the broad daylight
But you can sleep like a baby tonight

Hope is where the door is
When home is where the war is
Where nobody can feel no one else’s pain

You’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight
Not everything can be so black and so white
There are demons in the broad daylight
You’ve got to sleep like a baby tonight
Sleep like a baby tonight

Where you stand
Where you fall is where I kneel
To take your heart back to where you can feel
Like a child, a child

 

[thavidesco]

It´s a great song, both versions. Pity U2 doesn´t have balls to perform it live and prefer to go with more traditional ones like Cedarwood, Miracle, Song for Someone. I bet it would be same for Troubles, Reach, Ballroom,...

 

[MillyU2]

This used to be one of the top 2 topics among the specific song topics. Wondering if the people who had this as a favorite got tired of it? It's still my favorite and I listen to it overwhelmingly much and daily.

 

[CosmoKramer]

This used to be one of the top 2 topics among the specific song topics. Wondering if the people who had this as a favorite got tired of it? It's still my favorite and I listen to it overwhelmingly much and daily.

I'm still enjoying it. I also am enjoying the alternate version.

It's a good song!


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[Nick66]

It is a good song, and certainly stands out sonically from the songs around it, but still ends up being my least favourite on the record.

 

[jeevey]

Least? As in, below Miracle and California?

 

[Nick66]

 

[prbiker15]

Definitely not my least favorite song on SoI. I would say it's been in the middle of the pack for me since the first few listens. So good.