U2start.com | The Round Table of U2 Lyrics

I agree with Olof, I never play it.

I remember a whole story on 'red guitar on fire'... (or actually, I don't remember the story, I only know there is a story

)

KieranU2

13 years

Originally posted by ASortOfDesire:[..]

+1

Sorry, I'm not even part of this round table, but I had to say that. Desire is a great song.

fabian

13 years

Since there is not that much discussion on Desire's lyrics:
What do you guys think of Desire and what is your favourite track on Rattle and Hum?

I adore Heartland.

bartajax

13 years

Heartland

Desire is pure rock and roll.

LikeASong

13 years

Quadruple tie between Heartland, Hawkmoon 269, Love Rescue Me and All I Want Is You

ladygodiva

13 years

Seems that there is a general agreement that Rattle & Hum was not such a bad album after all !!

Lady G

iTim

13 years

Originally posted by ladygodiva:Seems that there is a general agreement that Rattle & Hum was not such a bad album after all !!

Lady G

Quite a brilliant album. I have love for all the studio songs on there. Particularly Desire, God Part II, Heartland and Hawkmoon 269.

nickbibby

13 years

I do like Desire, and have always enjoyed listening to the different versions - Lovetown's original, ZooTV's electric punk and the acoustic versions that have come afterwards.

Am I right in thinking it was U2's first No.1 in England?

KieranU2

13 years

Originally posted by nickbibbyI do like Desire, and have always enjoyed listening to the different versions - Lovetown's original, ZooTV's electric punk and the acoustic versions that have come afterwards.

Am I right in thinking it was U2's first No.1 in England?

Yes, it was U2's first number 1 in the UK, not just England

eviltwin

13 years

I was kinda disappointed when WOWY came out as the first single for JT, it worked out great in the end, but I wanted something with more oomph and bite.
That's why Desire was perfect as a first single for R&H, as was the Fly for AB.

I know this is not the right topic for R&H appreciation but if they had released it as a full studio album, it would still be counted as an all time classic:

Desire
GodptII
Night and Day

Sweet Fire of Love (/w Robbie Robertson)
Hawkmoon 269
van Diemen's land

AoH
Jesus Christ
Love Rescue Me (preferable /w Dylan's original lead vocals)

LoveTown
Heartland
AIWIY

...anyway I think Desire's first verse

Yeah...
Lover, I'm on the street
Gonna go where the bright lights
And the big city meet
With a red guitar...on fire
Desire

is a reference to blues musicians (such as Bo Diddley, who inspired the beat and arrangement of Desire) moving from the deep south (Mississipi) to Chicago. Diddley played street corners before getting a record deal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Diddley

The lone gunman motif is quite common in blues music (gun->guitar) and here's the red guitar:

fabian

13 years

Don't forget: this week we will explain Like A Song's lyrics
Like a song I have to sing
I sing it for you.
Like the words I have to bring
I bring it for you.

And in leather, lace and chains we stake our claim.
Revolution once again
No I won't, I won't wear it on my sleeve.
I can see through this expression and you know I don't believe.
Too old to be told, exactly who are you?
Tonight, tomorrow's too late.

And we love to wear a badge, a uniform
And we love to fly a flag
But I won't let others live in hell
As we divide against each other
And we fight amongst ourselves
Too set in our ways to try to rearrange
Too right to be wrong, in this rebel song
Let the bells ring out
Let the bells ring out
Is there nothing left?
Is there, is there nothing?
Is there nothing left?
Is honesty what you want?

A generation without name, ripped and torn
Nothing to lose, nothing to gain
Nothing at all
And if you can't help yourself
Well take a look around you
When others need your time
You say it's time to go... it's your time.
Angry words won't stop the fight
Two wrongs won't make it right.
A new heart is what I need.
Oh, God make it bleed.
Is there nothing left?

LikeASong

13 years

I feel like I should be the first to make an interpretation of the lyrics

First of all, I will copy the general review of the lyrics I wrote in the Like A Song topic, some months ago.

Like A Song talks about how violence can't change anything, and if you try, violently, you are no better than the ones in control, the people you riot against. From a simple lyrics-point-of-view, this song preaches passive and non-violent resistance. It also expresses sadness for what the world has become.

The character of the song won't be fooled by uniforms, badges or flags, as he truly believes the hysteria of a "violent" revolution (specially with all the different opposing groups fighting also among themselves) will not make things better - it will only add to the bloodshed. He also feels numbed by his experiences and thinks that the world has little or nothing to offer him and his generation. That's a subtle rebel punk reference, inteded as a message to those who said and believed that U2 were too worthy, too sincere, too soft, and not 'punk' enough.

On a more speciphic note, this song is (like the more recognised Sunday Bloody Sunday) about the fighting between the North and the Republic in Ireland. That becomes evident in the verses "And I won't let others live in hell / as we divide against each other / and we fight amongst ourselves". The fighting against each other is a reference to the Republic fighting against the Brits, and the dividing amongst ourselves is a reference to the fights among the different factions of the Republic, the divided country of Ireland.

And now, verse by verse:

Like a song I have to sing
I sing it for you.
Like the words I have to bring
I bring it them for you.

Bono shows that he's writing this song to take something out of him, as somewhat of a confession or even a relieve... It's the only non-bitter couple of verses in the song, and they also can be understood as a letter-like introduction before taking out all the bitterness and sour of the song.

And in leather, lace and chains we stake our claim.
Revolution once again
No I won't, I won't wear it on my sleeve.

Young rebel people who wear leather and metal chains use to be the most combative and reivindicative people. But Bono doesn't want to join that group, he doesn't want to be pigeonholed into that group.

I can see through this expression and you know I don't believe.
Too old to be told, exactly who are you?
Tonight, tomorrow's too late.

Bono sees through the rebel's faces, and he doesn't believe in that kind of violent revolution. What's revolution, after all? A young boy claiming for revolution seems (or thinks he is) older than he really is, but how old exactly? And what does he become when he joins the violent side of the revolution? Violence radically changes who you are. You might be defending pure and great opinions or ideas, but violence is not the way to go.

And we love to wear a badge, a uniform
And we love to fly a flag
But I won't let others live in hell
As we divide against each other
And we fight amongst ourselves

People (speically young people) need to feel they're part of something, of something bigger than themselves. Wearing badges and uniforms and flying flags is one of the ways to feel part of something, a way to find an identity inside a big group. Revolutionaries use to wear loads of badges and patches in order to show they are part of that 'something'... But wearing such symbols only adds to the rift, to the gap, to the discrimination, to the violence after all. Bono doesn't want that, he won't "let anybody live in hell" (this might be an angry rebel song, but it also shows that there's also sparks of union and goodness amidst the evil). The bad side of it is that, in the meanwhile, the rest of the people fight among themselves and against the others. I still see this as a reference to the Republic Of Eire/Northern Ireland/United Kingdom trouble, as I explained at the beggining.

Too set in our ways to try to rearrange
Too right to be wrong, in this rebel song
Let the bells ring out
Let the bells ring out
Is there nothing left?
Is there, is there nothing?
Is there nothing left?
Is honesty what you want?

People, and mostly people with revolutionary ideas, aren't easily mind-changed. Once you're in the revolutionary path and specially if you're on the violent side, you won't easily leave it - if at all. Bono also takes some of that medicine, and says that what he's writing is inherently right and can't be wrong at all. Maybe it's an ironic point of view of the punk&revolutionary attitude or maybe he really thinks it. The other verses are basicall lyric fillers, until "Is honesty what you want?", which is the central verse of the song in my opinion. Is honesty what you want? What are you really looking for in me and in this verses? Do you want me to be as rebel as I "should be" according to my badge&flag identity, or do you want the pure, nude feelings of my heart? If that's what you want me to be, you won't get it. I have to show off my identity, my rebel-ness. You won't get honesty from me - just another set of revolutionary verses...

A generation without name, ripped and torn
Nothing to lose, nothing to gain
Nothing at all

War was the leitmotive back in 1982. The generation of kids and teenagers who were growing in front of the TV back then were watching war, war, violence, war, rape, war... The few money that people and countries had left from the 70's crisis was used for financing wars. No child can grow healthy in front of such massive evilness. That generation grew among bombs and guns, and without any spark of hope or good news. They had nothing to lose, alright, but nothing to gain either. No good...

And if you can't help yourself
Well take a look around you
When others need your time
You say it's time to go... it's your time.

Bono speaks directly to the violent rebel guy holding the molotov cocktail. If you can't rearrange your way on your own, if you can't pick up the right road again, at least let the ones surrounding you try. You want to show yourself as a completely fucked up human kind - alright, do it. But don't make the others to be as fucked up.

Angry words won't stop the fight
Two wrongs won't make it right.
A new heart is what I need.
Oh, God make it bleed.
Is there nothing left?

Just angry words, angry lyrics, angry music, that ain't gonna change anything by itself. Action needs to be made, decissions need to be made. But the right decissions. A failure can't be fixed with another failure, two wrongs do not make up for a right. And in order to make the new decissions, in order to take the right road, we need to change our ways, to change our minds, to change our hearts. Let God get in your way. Let God make your heart come alive, and you'll be on the right way. Is there nothing left to say?

The Round Table of U2 Lyrics

what they said

did you know

you

forums

U2start