Unos, dos, tres, catorce
Turn it up loud, captain

Lights go down, it's dark
The jungle is your head, can't rule your heart
A feeling's so much stronger than a thought
Your eyes are wide and though your soul, it can't be bought
Your mind can wander

Hello, hello (hola)
I'm at a place called Vertigo (¿dónde está?)
It's everything I wish I didn't know
Except you give me something
I can feel, feel

The night is full of holes
'Cause bullets rip the 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't stand the beat, I'm asking for the check
Girl with crimson nails has Jesus around her neck
Swinging to the music, swinging to the music (whoa, whoa)
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)

Hello, hello (hola)
I'm at a place called Vertigo (¿dónde está?)
It's everything I wish I didn't know
But you give me something
I can feel, feel

Checkmated
Just fun
She made it in, yeah

All of this, all of this can be yours
All of this, all of this can be yours
All of this, all of this can be yours
Just give me what I want and no one gets hurt

Hello, hello (hola)
We're at a place called Vertigo (¿dónde está?)
Lights go down, and all I know
Is that you give me something
I can feel your love teaching me how
Your love is teaching me how
How to kneel
Kneel

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah


Lyrics submitted by Lyra

Vertigo Lyrics as written by Dave Evans Adam Clayton

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Word Collections Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Vertigo song meanings
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    General Comment

    The beauty of U2's songs to me is the fact that they are 'open': they leave room for one's own interpretation. That way songs get to grow on you. This applies to this song as well: the lyrics are as deep as you want them to be.

    But people saying the the content (lyrics) lacks depth and meaning shouldn't be misled by the form (music). U2 almost always combine these in a way that they strengthen each other. Because it's rock music, it might distract from the lyrics a bit. Especially since the lyrics seem to be on another 'level'. Actually, the message of the lyrics itself probably could have been conveyed much easier if they were sung to a more gloomy line of music.

    But they aren't and that's what takes the song to a higher level: the music serves as the background noise of 'a place called Vertigo' 'as the boys play rock and roll'. To the rythm of this rock and roll music, the 'soul' and 'mind' struggle with each other.

    To me, this struggle is made more 'tangible' by the struggle, or even clash, between the music and lyrics. But as I said: it's all open for your own interpretation of course.

    One last remark about lyrics and music enhancing each other: if you picture the girl with the 'Jesus 'round the neck' and listen to this line being repeated and flowing into the swelling 'whoa's', this sure paints a strong Vertigo image to me!

    donallieon October 02, 2004   Link

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