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U2 - Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
 Album:
Achtung Baby (1991)
  1. Does anybody know of any stories behind the making of this song? This truly is one of my favorite U2 tracks, I think its a masterpiece in the atmosphere it creates and the really blurry, water-color pictures the lyrics paint. And the live version with the Edge's guitar ringing and the Bono hitting his falsetto and popping the champagne in the middle...

    Very underrated I think.

    I love to read about the stories behind their songs and how they've come about but I can never find out anything about this one other than it was a song about a hangover and 'stumbling home'. Any clues??
  2. What I've read is that it's also about a woman Bono used to see across a house somewhere at 6 o'clock in the morning, he could see her through his window in a flat or something.
  3. Originally posted by RemyWhat I've read is that it's also about a woman Bono used to see across a house somewhere at 6 o'clock in the morning, he could see her through his window in a flat or something.


    What a Perve, lmao. This song is really good, one of my favourites too.
  4. Adam : 'It's about a man who gets drunk at a party, and when he comes home he can't put the key in the door.'

    That's referring to: 'How far you gonna go before you luse your way back home?'

    'It's a Dutch drinking song

    But what Remy mentioned is an option too! Is this again a song with more meanings?
  5. In the book" Into the heart" of naill stokes .He wrote "That's a song about drunk ambition,"
    Bono says .
    "As in 'i'll be home soon' .There's just warmth in that image."And great insight .
    It's about a guy who goes on the town and finds himself staggering home in the
    early hours like a lost soul."SUNRISE LIKE A NOSE BLEED/
    YOUR HEAD HURTS AND YOU CAN'T BREATH /YOU BEEN TRYIN' TO THROW YOUR ARMS
    AROUND THE WORLD/hOW FAR ARE YOU GONNA GO/BEFORE YOU LOSE YOUR WAY
    BACK HOME/yOU'VE BEEN TRYIN' TO THROW YOUR ARMS AROUND THE WORLD.''
    Bono knew that character he was writting about very well.
    At the time the zootv tour reached holland in 1992 he say's before the song started
    "This is a dutch drinking song !" End than say's to the crowd ''There's a lot of great stuf in
    this country'' .(He means with this that there is alot of strong alcoholic drinks)
    I think the song is great very good lyric and a very great baseline and the song with
    the greatest bridge in it .......
  6. hello rmann83,

    Have you never heard about the book "into the heart the story about every u2 song"
    by naill stokes .
    He is a friend of the band and after each album U2 brings out ,
    the book will be reprinted to be up to date .
    I got an older version up to "pop" but there must be a book until "how to dismantle an atomic bomb" .
    I never seen it here in holland and i'm not shore if i'ts still in the shops .
    But it's great to read
  7. I've heard tons of times that it's referred to the men who hit their wifes after getting drunk at the pub...

    Not a nice nor happy song, even if it might seem so musically...
  8. Pervert Bono?? Men hitting their wives!? I think I bit off more with this question than I could chew

    Hey emiel, yeah I have heard of that book though I can't find it myself anywhere I'm only armed with U2 by U2, the internet & documentries/TV specials.

    But all the same, I'm glad to hear its a favorite of others well. And with the bridge, this is one of those U2 songs that doesn't just take off when it's played live, it soars.
  10. Originally posted by rmann83[...]I'm glad to hear its a favorite of others well.[...]


    Also among MY own favourite U2 songs!

  11. Originally posted by emielhello rmann83,

    Have you never heard about the book "into the heart the story about every u2 song"
    by naill stokes .
    He is a friend of the band and after each album U2 brings out ,
    the book will be reprinted to be up to date .
    I got an older version up to "pop" but there must be a book until "how to dismantle an atomic bomb" .
    I never seen it here in holland and i'm not shore if i'ts still in the shops .
    But it's great to read


    yea I have the book. Not bad at all. Few good insightful stories in there
  12. Originally posted by LikeASongI've heard tons of times that it's referred to the men who hit their wifes after getting drunk at the pub...

    Not a nice nor happy song... ... But still one of my all time favourites...


    It's one of my top-10 too!!