Originally posted by kobrien:Ned, Fred, zach are all biblical references, with zach being the father of John the Baptist, Fred being the benevolent king, and Ned being in the lineage of David.
Jack could be short for Jacob - again biblical. But I prefer think he is referencing JFK who was o/w known as Jack. Makes the democracy statement even more powerful.
Bottom line he is comparing the contrasting views of science and religion as he lost innocence and is experiencing the adult world; however the light remains. He's not letting the bastards grind him down.
Originally posted by iTim:[..]
Being an unlistenable mess doesn't help. I will try again when we have something better. Promise.
Originally posted by kobrien:Ned, Fred, zach are all biblical references, with zach being the father of John the Baptist, Fred being the benevolent king, and Ned being in the lineage of David.
Jack could be short for Jacob - again biblical. But I prefer think he is referencing JFK who was o/w known as Jack. Makes the democracy statement even more powerful.
Bottom line he is comparing the contrasting views of science and religion as he lost innocence and is experiencing the adult world; however the light remains. He's not letting the bastards grind him down.
Originally posted by deanallison:[..]
I'm pretty sure the names will have significance because the lyrics would have rhymed and fit just as easily without them so it's one of they ones I think Bono needs to be asked about in an interview.
Originally posted by blueeyedboy:[..]
Who gives a f**k, Chuck?
Originally posted by kobrien:Ned, Fred, zach are all biblical references, with zach being the father of John the Baptist, Fred being the benevolent king, and Ned being in the lineage of David.
Jack could be short for Jacob - again biblical. But I prefer think he is referencing JFK who was o/w known as Jack. Makes the democracy statement even more powerful.
Bottom line he is comparing the contrasting views of science and religion as he lost innocence and is experiencing the adult world; however the light remains. He's not letting the bastards grind him down.
Originally posted by Faceman2000:[..]
Okay, is it just me, or does this reeeeaally seem like a stretch?
Originally posted by bpt3:Staying on the subject of the lyrics but switching from the name references...
I'm probably overthinking it, but to me this song could have three possible layers of meaning:
1. The end of civilized dialogue and normal processes of democracy/free press under Trump.
2. In the chorus especially, the line "in the darkness where you learn to see" reminds me SO much of their whole 90s adventure, beginning with the journey into "Night-town" on Zoo TV (as Bill Flanagan put it in "U2 at the End of the World"), going through Zooropa with "no compass and no map" and ending with "looking for the baby Jesus under the trash." Or as Bono put it, U2 moving from the Psalms to Ecclesiastes in a biblical sense, finding true meaning and purpose by first "sliding down the surface of things."
3. Or, "let's just party hard" as the lights go down - in a club, bar, dance floor, opening song at U2 concert, whatever!
That's me, anyway. I'm still loving the song.
Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:After listening to the song a number of times, I have two critiques:
1. The intro is a little too much like The Miracle, but I feel like it won't be on the album version. Just the sound of it in the video sounds live, Edge and Adam play the note off-time on one of the "plucks", and I'm sure they realize it sounds a bit like The Miracle too (unless maybe it's supposed to).
2. I love the groovy bridge section, and then the heavy lead-in into the next section, but the next section is almost like a second bridge with the chorus lyric again. It would've been a perfect place for a solo, or even just to go back into the chorus there, it's weird to go BRIDGE - LEAD IN - QUIET CHORUS/BRIDGE - CHORUS. Switch that quiet chorus part out for a solo or just leave it out entirely, it fits oddly to me.
These are minor though, I'm still digging the song quite a bit
Originally posted by JuJuman:[..]
There's 'relevant' as in the Taylor Swift kind of relevance, and relevant as in the David Bowie kind of relevance. I meant the former, and of course they should always aim at the latter.