I would love to go with 'Wake up dead man' next. I think that that is one of my very favourite songs from this album. I'm sorry that I haven't posted my views yet on 'Gone'. It has taken me a long time to decide how to express myself on this song and the intention was to do it tonight, but I had problems with my computer earlier. I think it was just a temporary internet files overload. It's very late now so I will try to do it tomorrow. All I ask is that you give me til Tuesday and I'm sure that there will be no problem.
I would love to go with 'Wake up dead man' next. I think that that is one of my very favourite songs from this album. I'm sorry that I haven't posted my views yet on 'Gone'. It has taken me a long time to decide how to express myself on this song and the intention was to do it tonight, but I had problems with my computer earlier. I think it was just a temporary internet files overload. It's very late now so I will try to do it tomorrow. All I ask is that you give me til Tuesday and I'm sure that there will be no problem.
Cheers to all. Lady G
Tuesday's the official day Lady G, we aren't posting our views on Wake Up Dead Man till then, so, take your time
I’m really sorry that this has taken so long. I really didn’t mean to. But every time I intended to post my views there was something that just didn’t fall into place. It still doesn’t all really make sense. The song didn’t seem to fit in with the album’s theme. But now I can see that if you view it as perhaps a confirmation of faith then it does.
I think that this song is actually about a conversation between Bono and his friend Michael Hutchence and the topic of the conversation is how the pressures of stardom and the life that goes with it can lead to thoughts of suicide.
The song is often dedicated to ‘Hutch’ and on the Elevation, Boston DVD the song before Gone is Kite. I think it is well known that Kite was dedicated to his father Bob Hewson. But in this introduction he says that it is a song about letting go of someone you love, could be a father, a child or a friend. He then shouts ‘Hutch’ before beginning ‘Gone’.
You get to feel so guilty, got so much for so little
Then you find that feeling just won't go away
You're holding on to every little thing so tightly
'Til there's nothing left for you anyway
This, I’m sure explains the mixed up feeling of guilt experienced by Bono and I think also Michael Hutchence regarding the change of life and fortune brought on by the rise to stardom.
Goodbye...
You can keep this suit of lights
I'll be up with the sun
I'm not coming down
I'm not coming down
I'm not coming down
I think this a statement by Bono saying that he’s willing to give it all up if it’s going to change his life and bring him down. ‘I’ll be up with the sun’ I think means that he would rather keep his faith.
You wanted to get somewhere so badly
You had to lose yourself along the way
You change your name, well that's okay, it's necessary
And what you leave behind you don't miss anyway
These lines refer to the conflict going on inside him. He was always determined that he was going to be a success and has always said that he never had any doubt that he would be so. The next two lines are him convincing himself that what he has done to achieve that success was worth it.
Goodbye...
You can keep this suit of lights
I'll be up with the sun
I'm not coming down
I'm not coming down
I'm not coming down
Changed his mind again. He doesn’t want it.
You're taking steps that make you feel dizzy / (Gone)
Then you learn to like the way it feels / (Gone)
You hurt yourself you hurt your lover / (Gone)
Then you discover
What you thought was freedom is just greed / (Gone)
He looks at fame again and sees that the rise to the heights of stardom makes him feel dizzy and he hurts himself and lover on the way, but still likes what it brings. The freedom to rise from a mundane life now is seen as greed.
Goodbye...
And it's emotional
Good night...
I'll be up with the sun
Are you still holding on
I'm not coming down
I'm not coming down
I'm not coming down
I’m not at all sure, but this could possibly be directed to Michael Hutchence. Bono saying I’ll see this though and fight the demons within me. I think ‘the sun’ refers to his God and he may be asking Hutchence if he is still holding on. (getting through it).
I do know that a conversation took place between Bono and Michael Hutchence about suicide. Bono was devastated when suicide was given as a verdict for his death because apparently he had assured him that he would not do it. And I think that Bono firmly believed that suicide was not the case.
It is very interesting to also listen to the lyrics of ‘Slide away’, a duet by Bono and Michael Hutchence, which is obviously about thoughts of suicide and Bono helping out of it. It seems that Bono’s part was actually recorded after Hutchence’s death and dubbed on the recording afterwards. The sincerity of Bono’s voice shines through.
That’s it folks. Sorry it is once again so long. But it’s a tricky one. Looking forward to ‘Wake up dead man’ ‘cos I think I’ve got a clearer understanding of that one.
Jesus, Jesus help me
I'm alone in this world
And a fucked up world it is too
Tell me, tell me the story
The one about eternity
And the way it's all gonna be
Wake up, wake up dead man
Wake up, wake up dead man
Jesus, I'm waiting here boss
I know you're looking out for us
But maybe your hands aren't free
Your father, He made the world in seven
He's in charge of heaven
Will you put in a word in for me
Wake up, wake up dead man
Wake up, wake up dead man
Listen to your words they'll tell you what to do
Listen over the rhythm that's confusing you
Listen to the reed in the saxophone
Listen over the hum of the radio
Listen over sounds of blades in rotation
Listen through the traffic and circulation
Listen as hope and peace try to rhyme
Listen over marching bands playing out of time
Wake up, wake up dead man
Wake up, wake up dead man
Jesus, were you just around the corner
Did You think to try and warn her
Or are you working on something new
If there's an order in all of this disorder
Is it like a tape recorder
Can we rewind it just once more
Wake up, wake up dead man
Wake up, wake up dead man
Wake up, wake up dead man
This song has been played live 50 times, both Full and as Snippet.
It was played for the first time during the POP Mart Tour, at Nuremberg, Germany at the Zeppelinfield on August the 18th 1997.
The last time it was played full was during the Elevation Tour, at Dublin, Ireland, at Slane Castle on September the 1st 2001.
According to some research this song was not released as a single.
Belongs to the POP Album, released on March 1997.
Courious Fact: THIS SONG WAS CENSORED IN MALAYSIA!!!
Well mates, let’s loosen up those fingers and let the words flow through the keyboard….
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did you know? The song 'Scarlet' was inspired by a thought in Bono's mind: "does God need salesmen?". The band was also in a minimalist mood that day.
"I always wanted to be a rock star. When I got my first bass guitar at the age of fifteen, that was it for me. I didn't have a whole lot else going on in my life."
- Adam Clayton
