Bono's lyrics slip-ups

Originally posted by haytrain:[..]

Huh? Just because you don't get the same meaning out of something that other people do doesn't mean that they're incorrect or that other people are reading too much into it. And your comment about non-native English speakers is offensive and elitist. Indeed, move on.

Originally posted by vanquish:I meant that people who don't have English as a first language, may make connections that native English speakers may not, as they may not know the context, culture, figures of speech etc pertaining to English and thus take things more literally,

Originally posted by WojBhoy:[..]
On the other hand of course, you may get native English speakers making the same connections as those for whom English isn't a first language lol. For me, music is like poetry etc. - there is no definitive way to read a lyric, text etc., that's what pissed me off when I studied English Literature for a year at A-level; both my teachers tried to be objective in a subjective context, and we never really hit off as a result because I'd be drawing my own understanding of the texts we read and not necessarily what they wanted us to all take from it, and then it was a kick in the teeth when I got good grades in my papers. There may be a particular way the writer intends a passage to be interpreted but that is not to say that there aren't any other ways - just because you do not necessarily take the meaning of the sentence in a literal sense doesn't mean it isn't vaild as a result.

Originally posted by vanquish:Not everything in existence is subjective! There are sometimes when you are wrong, if everything was subjective, everyone would get good marks in a subject like English.
I am really not a fan of this kind of kindergarten mentality, where everybody is deemed correct.

Originally posted by vanquish:I guess I was not so much annoyed by Ali's views on that particular lyric, rather than the fact that after I had specifically chosen an example of a 'silly' lyric (and chose one that other posters had also found 'silly') someone quipped up and said that the lyric made was good and made perfect sense.
Which is highly annoying and makes it seem that you can't ever post anything that is 'correct'.

And the kindergarten mentality thing, was more out of reference to primary school teachers, who go out of the way to tell students that they are all correct when answering a question etc., when in reality not all are.

Originally posted by Ali709:[..]

As you said above, I don't believe at all that Bono's words are gold or that he is anything special in that matter...but yea, I disagreed with you about that lyric and I still do, I don't think it is one of the lyrics "that sound silly, nonsensical or make him seem stupid". With the way I interpreted it, which is a simple way of seeing it, I believe comes to everyone's mind...it goes with the context of the song as well, after all the chorus is "Baby baby baby...light my way" which goes with the lightbulb idea!

Just wanted to show how you can look differently at the so called "slip ups" from Bono, and enjoy them...in this case, it went very well with the song, in other cases, it might not go so well, but still sound interesting or even funny...making that performance a special one. If I wanted exactly-like-studio performances, I would listen to the studio version.

Originally posted by markp91:And what are we exactly discussing here? Bono's slip-ups or wether lyrics have several explanations or not?

Originally posted by vanquish:[..]

I hate it when people do this, people in my English class used to do it all the time, read to much into something whether it be a book, film, or lyric that the artist never intended, and hail it as having artistic qualities when it doesn't. It is probably harder to understand to people who aren't native English speakers though.

Not everything Bono says or sings is gold, he isn't Aurum Vox.

Originally posted by carlibengarli:[..]

I agree completely. I just wish people would realize it was a pure mistake - and nothing to worship Bono for screwing up for. That was just... bad! Really, really bad!

Originally posted by germcevoy:[..]

And again nobody doubted it was anything more than a mistake. Sometimes these mistakes just turn out nice.