War

U2's third album. Probably their most political album. The band has always been very vocal - with words and actions - about their beliefs and where they stand on world issues. This album mixes religion and politics into its songs. Unlike most bands, U2 never worried about "turning people off" by talking about the three forbidden areas in music - politics, sex, and religion. The song "40" is taken straight from the Bible, from first few verses of chapter 40 in Psalms.

Tracks
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Seconds
New Year's Day
Like A Song...
Drowning Man
The Refugee
Two Hearts Beat As One
Red Light
Surrender
"40"

Album Info
Released : March 1983
Producer : Steve Lillywhite
Studio : Windmill Lane, Dublin

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Sunday Bloody Sunday

This is a song that was inspired by an Irish event labeled "Bloody Sunday". It was a clash between soldiers and pedestrians, in which pedestrians were killed. It outraged much of Ireland.

The first few lines of the song paint a picture of a war torn Ireland, not necessarily a battle with another nation, but a war within. Bono says he wants nothing to do with it in the line "But I won't heed the battle call, It puts my back up, puts my back up against the wall." Bono knows this battle is one that has just gotten started. (And the battle's just begun, There's many lost, but tell me who has won?) The second part of that line is saying that many have died for their cause, but who is going to win?

Again we see the image of civil war in the line - "The trenches dug within our hearts, and mothers, children, brothers, sisters torn apart." What one listening to this song must understand is that Ireland is involved in a religious war. Catholics are battling Protestants over who is right. This has been going on for centuries and will probably continue for centuries to come. Bono pleads "How long, how long must we sing this song? How long?"

The line "We eat and drink while tomorrow they die" reminds me of the bible verse "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you will die." That is the attitude Irish people had. They partied at night but fought and many died during the day.

This is a war that isn't necessary. They fight over religion, when the true answer is Jesus Christ. The winner of the battle tries to gain fortune and fame and prestige when it was actually Christ who won the war (victory over death) when He died and rose again, three days later, on a Sunday. That is put into verse in the line "The real battle just begun. To claim the victory Jesus won, On a Sunday bloody Sunday, Sunday bloody Sunday."

This song is saying the real problem isn't trying to fight over who is right and who is wrong, but to truly accept the gift (of eternal life) that Jesus has fought for and won already, when He rose from the grave the day after the Sabbath, which is Sunday.

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Seconds

This song, as many U2 songs, is probably about two things. Atomic weapons and the return of Christ.

The song simply states "It takes a second to say goodbye, Say goodbye. It takes a second to say goodbye, Say goodbye, say bye bye where are you going to now?" It only will take a moment, whether you are talking about an atomic explosion, or Christ's return. The last line asks "where you going to now?" This is a good question for people who haven't accepted Jesus as their Savior. It is like - Christ is here, so are you going with him or aren't you? The catch is, you can't make your decision then. It is a decision you had to make earlier in life. It's too late once Christ has returned.

The Bible says that Jesus will return "like a thief in the night" and that "no man knows the day of the return of the Lord". This is paralleled in the line "Like a thief in the night, see the world by candlelight."

The second verse goes back to the idea of atomic destruction. "In an apartment on Times Square, You can assemble them anywhere. Held to ransom, hell to pay, A revolution everyday." This is talking about a bomb. They are easily accessible and can be used as ransom, with "hell" to pay.

Again images of atomic anialation are brought to mind - "Push the button and pull the plug, say goodbye." and the line "They're doing the atomic bomb, Do they know where the dance comes from? Yes they're doing the atomic bomb, They want you to sing along."

The parallel between atomic destruction and Christ's return is very artistic. It is a trademark of U2 to sing a song with a usually obvious meaning, but for that song to have deeper, more meaningful lyrics than first seen. It is almost as if many of their songs have dual meanings. This, of course, won't be seen unless you do more than scratch the surface.

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New Year's Day

On a bootleg, I have heard Bono say "this song is for the solidary people of Poland."

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Like A Song...

This song is about the religious situation in Ireland.

Bono feels that the Gospel of Christ is "like a song he has to sing". In the first lines we see that Bono is talking to someone (probably God) - "Like a song I have to sing, I sing it for you. Like the words I have to bring, I bring them for you." To understand this song, one must understand the religious situation in Ireland. Protestants and Catholics kill each other over who is right and who is wrong. They are more into religion and have forgot about God.

Bono makes light of the people who are more focused on religion than God in the line - "But I won't, I won't wear it on my sleeve. I can see through this expression, And you know I don't believe." Again in the line - "And we love to wear a badge, a uniform, And we love to fly a flag." Bono then makes his statement. "But I won't let others live in hell, As we divide against each other, And we fight amongst ourselves." Bono won't get caught up in religion. His main concern is sharing the true gospel and keeping people out of hell.

Bono knows the people don't want to hear what he has to say. They are stubborn. This is apparent in the line - "Too set in out ways to try to rearrange. Too right to be wrong, in this rebel song." "Let the bells ring out, is there nothing left?" He want's his song to ring out across the land. Bono asks "Is honesty what you want?" They don't want truth, they want what makes them feel most religious.

In the closing verse Bono makes his last plea - "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 wrings won't make it right. A new heart is what I need, Oh God, make it bleed, Is there nothing left?"

For Bono, he feels that the Gospel is something that he has to sing, he has to bring. He doesn't want to waste his time fighting over religion and which rules are right and which rules are wrong. He wants to live for God.

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Drowning Man

This is a powerful song. It is about how God's Love can pull one through any situation.

This song is sung by two characters - Bono and Jesus. This song is almost a plea. The title "Drowning Man" paints the picture of a man drowning in the sorrow and strife of the world and life. It reminds me of the time Jesus' disciple Peter was walking on the water with Jesus, but took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink into the water. He then was rescued when Jesus gave him His hand and pulled him up out of the water.

Jesus:
Take my hand
You know I'll be there,
If you can I'll cross
The sky for your love,
For I have promised all
To be with you tonight
And for the time that will come.

Jesus pleas "take my hand". He will be with you through all situations. The choice of words couldn't be better for the line "You know I'll be there, If you can I'll cross the sky for your love." The image of the cross where Jesus died is brought to mind in the verse. Jesus says that he has "promised all". He gave all that he had - His life. Just so that he could die for our sins and give us a chance to live with Him for eternity.

Jesus:
Take my hand
You know I'll be there,
If you can I'll cross
The sky for your love
And I understand
These winds and tides,
This change of times
Won't drag you away.
Hold on, hold on tightly,
Hold on and don't let go
Of my love.

Again, Jesus pleads for the hand. Jesus knows what we go through. He knows the trials and tribulations. He also knows the "storms" will pass. ("The storms will pass, It won't be long now. The storms will pass, But my love last forever.") If you grab onto Jesus, there is nothing anyone can do to tear you apart from Him.

Jesus:
Child take my hand,
You know I'll be there,
If you can I'll cross the sky
For your love.
Give you what I hold dear,
Hold on, hold on tightly.
Hold on, hold on tightly.
Rise up, rise up with wings,
Like eagles you'll run, you'll run.
You'll run and not grow weary.

For a third time, He asks for the person to take His hand. He wants to "give you what I hold dear" - His life. The line "Rise up, rise up with wings, Like eagles you'll run, you'll run. You'll run and not grow weary" is from the Book of Isaiah in the Bible.

In the last line, Bono or the band members join in with the plea-

Jesus:
Take my hand, take my hand.
Hold on tightly.
Hold on tightly.

Bono (or the band members):
His love will last,
His love will last,
His love will last forever,

Jesus:
Take my hand,
Take my hand.

The song is begging a "drowning man" to take the hand of Jesus. The real twist of the song is that it is addressed to U2's bass player Adam Clayton - he is the only member of U2 who doesn't profess to be a Christian.

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The Refugee

Following the title of the album and the subject matter of most of the songs on the album, this song deals with the political and social situation in Ireland. The weight of the album has dealt with religious topics and the problems that Ireland has encountered because of religious fighting. This album is probably the most political album U2 has made, and this is the song on the album that takes the subject of war head on.

The first line, "War, War, she's the refugee" let's us know exactly what this song is about. It sets the mood of the song. Bono states war is a refugee. Webster's defines a refugee as : "a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution."

Bono sings "I see your face, I see you staring back at me." Bono is addressing "the refugee". Everyday Bono looks war in the face. Maybe not a world war of superpowers, but a war in which people are dying none the less. His country has been in constant conflict with other countries and within itself. Bono looks into the face of war everyday, and war stares right back at him.

The next line makes me think of Webster's definition - "War, War, she's the refugee, her mama say one day she's gonna live in America." Who is "her mama"? Is the "mama" telling "war", much like other "foreigners" who one day dream of coming to America tell their children, that she will be in America soon?

Next we hear that War is waiting in the morning for her ship to sail. She is waiting to come to America.

Next verse: "Her papa go to war, He gonna fight, But he don't know what for. Her papa go to war, Her mama say one day he's gonna come back from far away." Many men fight for their country or beliefs, but if they had there way, they would not. They fight out of what they consider duty, and some, like War's papa, don't know why they are fighting. War's mama assures War that her Papa will be back.

Now it is "evening" and War is waiting, "Waiting for her man to come. And take her by her hand. And take her to this promise land." Who is "her man"? Is it her husband? She is waiting for him to come and take her to the "promise land" which is America. In the Bible, The phrase "promised land" is the land God gave to the Jews - Israel. It took the Jews a long time to receive this land though.

Twice again War's mama assures her that one day she will live in America.

This song was released around 1983. I don't know Ireland's political situation at the time, but I assume it was very much like it is today. Bono may have been predicting that America would see dark days as Ireland had. He also was trying to show that war isn't wanted - by the people or even sometimes by the people fighting the war.

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Two Hearts Beat As One

This song is, in the fashion of "Sunday Bloody Sunday", and "Like a Song...", about the confused religious state of Ireland. This is obvious in the first line. "I don't know, I don't know which side I'm on." This line shows Bono's confusion. Is he on the catholics side or the protestants. He again shows his confusion and disorientation in the line "I don't know my right from left, Or my right from wrong."

Bono doesn't want to choose a religious side - He wants to follow God. Because Bono won't choose a side, he is called foolish. He knows that if he is a fool in not choosing a side yet he loves God, he is doing the right thing. This is shown in the verse "They say I'm a fool, They say I'm nothing, But if I'm a fool for you, That's something."

Bono doesn't know how exactly to handle his dilemma. He does know what to do, but he doesn't know how to do it. That is made evident in the line "I don't know, How to say what has got to be said. I don't know if it's black or white. There's other's who see it red I don't get the answers right. I'll leave that to you." How do you explain not choosing a religion is a country that is so "religious". Bono decides he doesn't have to answer correctly, He will leave that up to God.

The next question he asks is an important one. "Is this love out of fashion? Or is it the time of year?" Sometimes religion is a coat people wear twice a year - Christmas and Easter. Sometimes people are religious because it seems like the thing to do. These are the wrong reasons to want to be "religious". Bono tries to get the listener to take an inner look at themselves. He knows these questions will make the listener angry. ("Are these words distraction to the words you wanna hear?")

The chorus - "Two hearts beat as one. Two hearts beat as one."- is Bono trying to explain it's not about religion, it's about living a life that is pleasing to God, about striving to do God's will.

Once again Bono struggles to explain his situation - "I'll try to spit it out, I try to explain. The way I feel, For you, Two hearts." It is hard to tell people who are so caught up being "religious" why he lives his life the way he does - it's two hearts.

"I can't stop the dance. Maybe, this is my last chance. I said don't stop the dance. Maybe this is our last chance. I said, can't stop the dance." Bono knows this may be the last chance he gets to explain his situation. He knows the "dance" or (living his lifestyle of truth) can't stop, because this may be his last chance to reveal how he feels.

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Red Light

No interpretation yet.

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Surrender

This is a song asking someone to surrender. It starts out with the line "The city's alight, With lovers and lies, Bright blue eyes. The city is bright, Brighter than day tonight." Bono uses the phrase "city" as a representation of the world. What I mean is that the world is the world apart from God. This song has two sides - good and bad, God and the city. Bono says the city or world is bright (maybe shiny like a coin).

Bono pleas "Surrender, Surrender."

Now we hear about Sadie. "Sadie said she couldn't Work out what it was all about. And so she let go, Now Sadie's on the street, And the people she meets you know." Sadie is having problems with life. She has "let go" of God. Now her life has really gone down hill and she is in the gutter.

The lyric continues - "She tried to be a good girl, And a good wife, Raise a good family, live a good life - living the life's not good enough. She got herself up on the 48th floor, Got to find out, find out What she's living for." Sadie tried to be "good". She may have been trying to please the Lord on "merit" - by "good works". Now she is on the ledge of a very tall building doing some soul searching. She is trying to find out what she is really "living" for.

Again the plea "Surrender, Surrender."

Now we hear about the city (or world) again. "The city's a fire, A passionate flame, That knows me by name. The city's desire - To take me for more and more. It's in the street and under my feet, It's in the air it's everywhere I look for you, It's in the things I do and say. If I ever want to live, I've got to die to myself someday." The city (or those apart from God) call Bono with great enthusiasm. The city desire to take everything it can from Bono, and to eventually take his life (and soul). Bono knows that sin is everywhere. He acknowledges that sin is all around, and in his life. He closes with the statement saying if he ever wants to truly live (eternally with God) he will have to die to himself someday. (dying to oneself is a phrase which refers to giving God total control of your life)

The title and chorus "surrender" is asking the listener to surrender their life to God.

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"40"

For today's lesson, open your King James Bible to Psalm 40. U2's 40 is taken directly from the first few lines of Psalm 40, thus the title. The Psalm says "I will sing a new song unto the Lord". U2 opens the album asking "How long, how long must we sing this song, how long, how loonnnng.." in the song Sunday Bloody Sunday. They close the album asking the same question in the track "40" - "how long to sing this song, how long, how long, to sing this song?"

Another note of interest about this song, Adam didn't play bass in the recording. Edge did. I don't know if it had anything to do with the fact that Adam isn't a Christian.

Also, in live versions, Bono sometimes teases the crowd about how they got the title for "40". He says "I think this next song, it took us 10 minutes to write, 10 minutes recording it, 10 minutes mixing it, and 10 minutes playing it back" then slyly states "and that has nothing to do with why it's called 40".

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