1. i like it but waiting 5 years to new stuff and they recycle music
  2. Just listening to this song...and this verse suddenly made sense:

    Yes, I can change the world
    The poor breaking bread
    That’s made out of stone
    The rich man won’t eat
    He’s eating alone
    That’s easy
    But I can’t change the world in me


    I'm thinking it's relating to what Bono did with rich countries' leaders.
    Yes, he can change the world. The poor are hungry. The "rich man" here referring to leaders such as Bush and Blair who were "alone" in that they needed public support and to look good...getting involved in Bono's campaigns helps with that.....so, "that's easy"!
    He feels he can change the world as a rockstar, but this still isn't helping him change the world in him, the loss of his mother etc.


    Am I reading too much into it?!!
  3. This song is actually super religious if you look at the lyrics. For one, Lucifer is the name for the Devil, or Satan, while he was still an angel. The chorus can be easily seen as a declaration that Satan no longer has control over the singer.

    "Prayers of fire on a raindog night
    Young men see visions beyond sound or sight
    The Velvets beginning to see the light
    Amen"

    This verse immediately makes me think of Elijah from the old testament and his challenge with the priests of Baa. The proposed challenge was whichever priest was able to call their god to burn a wooden monument would be allowed to preach their beliefs. The priests of Baal were unable to do so, but Elijah's prayers were able to call down fire to consume the monument, which he had earlier doused thoroughly with water. At this point, the priest of Baal began to believe in Elijah's God.

    "The poor breaking bread that's made out of stone
    The rich man won't eat, he's eating, alone
    That's easy
    But I can't change the world
    In me"

    The act of breaking bread was a biblical sign of fellowship in faith and community. The analogy between bread and stone shows up a few times in scripture as well. When Jesus is tempted by Satan, he challenges Jesus to command God to change the stones into bread. Later, he says "Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?" Ultimately, it symbolizes that the poor can make do with what little they have. The line about the rich man symbolizes a fundamental disconnect between the wealthy and the poor that is deeper than just finances. Bono is saying that the rich does not even want to associate themselves with the poor.

    The last two lines are most interesting, though. Bono saying "that's easy" is him saying that the disconnect between the rich and poor can be easily bridged, but in contrast radical change within himself is very difficult.

    U2 has incorporated elements of their Christian faith into their music since their inception as a band. I'm currently reading "Get Off Of Your Knees: Preaching the U2 Catalog" which is a book that explores the elements of faith seen in U2's music. I haven't had a chance to study Songs of Innocence in depth, but having listened to it countless times since its release it's very clear that U2's faith plays a larger role in the album than in previous albums. In fact, it could be U2's most faith-driven album ever.


    But to answer your question, you are definitely not reading too much into it. Bono doesn't do meaningless lyrics (except uno, dos, tres, catorce).
  4. Wow that was a lot that I did not know. Only knew the Lucifer part!
    Not sure about the Elijah part, but for the poor breaking bread part that actually came to my mind (not with all the biblical signs, but the same meaning), not sure which is right yet.
    But yea, agree on Bono's lyrics, a big part of why I enjoy U2..
  5. Originally posted by Andrew_C:[..]

    yeh im hoping North Star appears on SoE

    Here I am a space cowboy
    Looking out for love and logic in the universe"

    this line seems to lend itself to someone with experience rather than innocence.
    thats assuming the line is still even in the song.


    With lyrics like that? Let's hope it's gotten a facelift.
  6. Wow, deep digging there, excellent explanations !
  7. Obviously this is all up for interpretation and I just noted what immediately came to mind. I do hope to spend a significant amount of time scouring Bono's lyrics for biblical references someday though. Rock and roll and faith are not usually seen hand in hand, but nobody does it better than U2, in my opinion.
  8. Not only religion or faith. Their lyrics touch many subjects and almost always have a deeper meaning.
    (Ignore Elevation etc.)
  9. Originally posted by ahn1991:Obviously this is all up for interpretation and I just noted what immediately came to mind. I do hope to spend a significant amount of time scouring Bono's lyrics for biblical references someday though. Rock and roll and faith are not usually seen hand in hand, but nobody does it better than U2, in my opinion.

    www.atu2.com/lyrics/biblerefs.html

    Here is a good place to start!
  10. If you want a good laugh...

  11. It's so brilliant it's not even funny