[zooropa]
"Zooropa" attempts to explore the dark side as in
"Achtung Baby", this time to convey themes on technology and everyday
occurences.
Zooropa
"Zooropa" seems to describe the advertising world. The song captures all aspects of advertising, looking at the gimmicks used to sell products -" Vorsprung durch technik" which was a excerpt from a car commercial as well as the images and people used to induce people to buying products. The song also conveys the deceptiveness of advertising by symbolising it as mud. (Edmond Gock : email - s2154869@cse.unsw.edu.au)
Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car
This song appears to be something on heroin addiction. (from pages 110 of "U2" by Mark Taylor)
Another interpretation when I was reading "U2 At The End Of The World" "Sounds like a good description of U2 on tour in America to me"- Bill Flanagan (from pages 167 of "U2 At The End Of The World" by Bill Flanagan). "I got a different feel from this song than is described. It seems as though a daughter is Daddys little girl. She is either spoiled, abused or both. Either way Daddy's gonna take care of her. Reread the lyrics from this point of view." Peter Whelan (email ??). "Try swapping Daddy with Jesus, crashed car with sins and flaming car with riches of heaven throughout the song. Then reread the lyrics." from Tore Kyste (email : store@mix.hive.no)
The First Time
I see this song as a pure spiritual song." For the first time I feel love"that is about receiving forgiveness. Bono at first tells about, what is important in his life. "A lover", I guess, theese lines express his love to Ali, and how she gives him, what he cannot take himself. Secondly he tells about "a brother", and that must be Jesus, as he is descriped as a person, who allways seeks and finds him.
Then Bono quotes the Gospel of John, saying that in God´s mansion, there is a room for him too, and Bono reflects himself as both Judas, saying "I left by the back door", and Peter "I threw away the key." Thereby he tells about saying no to Gods grace, going his way on his own. So it´s a sad tune, about losing the relation to God. The open question is about the end, where he repeats "for the first time I feel love", is this about receiving the forgiveness, like Peter had a new starting-point after the ressurrection of Jesus? It´s all about the usual hard stuff - the longing for freedom and the need for receiving love, and being honest - Does it mean anything to you to be loved by God?
lasgaard@vip.cybercity.dk (Joergen Lasgaard 23.11.98.)
A gospel song which describes a prodigal son who takes the wrong direction in life and returns to find his father forgiving him. (from pages 206 of "U2 At The End Of The World" by Bill Flanagan).
"For the First Time" to me is this: A son is taught to love and appreciate life by his lover. Note "and she teach me how to sing." He did go to see his father to make up but his father spoiled him with his wealth. Father "I have many mansions .. many rooms to see." Son "but I left by the back door and I threw away the key, and I threw away the key and I threw away the key." from Peter Whelan (email ??). "I think that the song "For the First Time", is a cyberpunk version of "Still haven't found what I'm looking for." The reference to the father is no mortal father. It is a heavenly father and an feeling of unworthiness by the character." from Jon Paul Gaalswyk (email : gaalsj@krypton.mankato.msus.edu)
"... I agree with the interpretation stating that the song "The First Time" is more closely related to "I Still Haven't Found . . ." The evidence for this is found in the line "Gave me the keys to His kingdom coming." His is capitalizied indicating that this is not about any mortal father, but rather, God." from Erin Byerly (email : ewee@juno.com)
"The Wanderer"
"The Wanderer" describes a person's search for God. Flanagan : " He is playing with the ancient Antinomian heresy that you can sin your way to salvation ("I went out there in search of experience/ To taste and to touch and to feel as much as a man can before he repents"). (from page 203 of "U2 At The End Of The World" By Bill Flanagan).
"Babyface"
"Obsession. . . . The idolisation of commercial imagery into consuming passions ("in the freeze frame" etc) and the conversion of sexuality, beauty and attractiveness as youth ("baby face, baby face"), particularly feminine beauty as passiveness, weakness, youth ("baby face. . . let me untie your lace"). Anorexia. . . . Lonliness and isolation as childhood is suspended (as denoted by the fairy tale music) in the 90's information revolution, and male rites of passage and sexual experience is alien to humanity. Now we sit in the corner by the glowing box staring at my love who I'll never meet or ever no nor ever understand. :-) baby face, baby face, open the door and let me unpack my case!" from Justin Jones (email : jjones@carmen.murdoch.edu.au).