Vertigo= a message to fans?

[Chile]

Someone will make this topic, so why not me?

I think we hear so many of the old sounds interspersed with this new monster guitar sound harkening back to u2 Influences, and especially the lyrics, to illustrate a connection between them all to ultimately deliver this message:

The song is about the bands, the fans, and music. And, how the relationship between all three work. In a funny way, Bono sings both about the feeling he gets playing live, in front of us fans, AND how he feels being the Fan himself. The whole Arena Rock sound simply amplifies the big, giant, Bono-sized, nod to us all.



P.S.
Am I hearing this lyric about the band, right?:

"They know that they can't dance, at least they know I can stamp my feet masking for the check?".

 

[AtomicLemon]

"They know that they can't dance, at least they know I can stamp my feet masking for the check?".

Huh?

 

[Chile]

The night is full of holes
as Bullets rip this Sky
of ink with gold
they twinkle as the boys
play rock and roll
they know that they can't dance
At least they know
I can stand(mp?) the feet
masking for the check
go with crimson ears
as jesus round their neck
swaying to the music
swinging to the music.

P.S.
Feel welcome to transcribe the lyrics. As sucky as this sounds, half my audio gear is on it's way to my new hometown, and I've got a set of Energy 22.2's (great speakers) here with no amp.

 

[saltwaterkiss26]

I thought it was:

I can't stand the beat
I'm asking for the check
Girl with crimson nails
Jesus round her neck

And... I don't really think it's so much about the band. I don't really see it. But I always thought Elevation was about playing live. I mean, how can you watch Bono sing that to the audience and not feel like he's talking to them?

 

[Chile]

*kicks little computer speakers*

I think, after listening to a little more closely, we're both half right.

 

[ShellBeThere]

Call me nutty, but besides it being about chaos and dizziness and trying to find something to use to climb out of vertigo...

It's about Spain and their 3/11 and the war and the fucking craziness of the times we're in. Sure, the band is giving us this punkrock driving energy and maybe even saying you guys will give me some way out of vertigo...

but the more I mull the lyrics, it's the boys making the war, the bullets ripping thru the sky (even the 'ink and gold' are feeling like alliances-drawn-on-paper and cash), asking for the check as spain did after their horrible experience, stuff about souls being bought, eyes being widened...
all of this all of this can be yours...just give me what I want and nobody gets hurt...pressure images, pressure exerted by the 'alliance of the willing' and then by the terrorists and it's all fucking crazy!!!!!
The more I listen to it too the more clash-like tones it has...
Done in U2's more gorgeous style, of course!

(I'm sorry to post this *again* but there's also the 1 2 3 14 (=3+11; and as someone else noted the track is 3:11 long)

I must say I can't help but feel that the girls with crimson nails wearing jesus 'round their necks are also spain-associated images...

cheers all!

 

[rjhbonovox]

Interesting points made, I'm also wondering what the line means when he sings "Your love Teaching me how to kneel" in a prayer sense or a begging sense? Find the spanish speaking lines which are also included quite strange. "hola" etc in the chorus, and the count in at the start.

 

[mikal]

i think it's a message to americans to learn spanish because the hispanic population has risen so greatly in the U.S.

 

[UKTan]

I was thinking about this today and i have to say i agree with Chile's interpretation of it. I think it might have more of a band/fan reference...maybe vertigo is a reference to being such a huge celebrity and all the cons that go with that...and maybe what Bono is referring to is that the fans make it all worthwhile sometimes

Who knows for sure..i'm never any good at interpreting their songs anyway lol

 

[bonoed]

I am looking for a thread on here where people are interpreting what it means. Can't find it. I wish it was stickied at the top. Anyway, isn't it Satan/Devil talking at the end saying "all this can be yours" and who is he saying that to?

 

[Ody]

Anyway, isn't it Satan/Devil talking at the end saying "all this can be yours" and who is he saying that to?

I definately think that this is a Biblical reference to where Satan tempts Christ in a "high place," and basically tells Jesus "I can give you all of this if you worship me", which is easily restated as "just give me what I want and all of this can be yours."

To me, the song is about being afraid of power/wealth/fame (being in a high place-vertigo is a fear of heights). U2 certainly know about the dangers and temptatitions of all those things, and seem to be saying in this song (at least Bono), that it can be a very real struggle trying to follow Christ and also be so famous/wealthy/powerful. Because you can get so caught up in just the sort of things that Satan was offering to Christ on the "high place".

At least, that's what it seems like to me, and I think it's brilliant lyrically.