The Unforgettable Fire

wow..... I thought I was the only person on this planet moved by this song. I'm grateful to stumble across such eloquent commentary expressed by kindred spirits.

I was bowled over by this song the first time I heard it. I was living in Eugene Oregon at the time, and prone to blissful feverish 2am bicycle rides winding along the endless miles of serpentine bicycle trails that snaked their way through parks, along rivers, down deserted alleyways...... my walk-man crazy-glued to my ears, howling full volume along with Bono, not giving a shit about who might be overhearing my feeble attempts to momentarily become the 5th member of U2.

Funny thing is, for as much emotion as this song invokes in me, I've never understood what it was about. I was aware of the hiroshima reference, but wasn't able to reconcile that concept with the lyrics I was hearing. I promised myself that if I ever got the chance to ask Bono ONE question, it would relate to the meaning behind this song.

I believe that Bono's lyrics, while possibly inspired by specific events, gravitate towards a larger somewhat universal scope and tend to operate on several levels of consciousness simultaneously. It makes sense to me to take into account the kind of lifestyle Bono and his bandmates experience. Life on the road ends up blurring into a repeating decimal of random fleeting experiences that eventually distill down into broader symbolic beliefs and overviews. So, rather than speaking about one specific experience (a one night stand), my best guess is that he's talking about larger picture issues here, the universal sub-text that underlies the reality of rotating faces on a daily basis, short term hook ups, one night stands, fleeting connections that blur into one another, inspiration, passion, letting go..... etc. For my money, both Seda and EatingPie came the closest to expressing my beliefs regarding these lyrics: temptation, inspiration, desire, passion, immediacy, letting go....... etc..... but I don't believe it's about a specific "someone" as cold as ice...... but rather the redundant reality of connecting with, then leaving behind a rotating turnstyle of people places, experiences, revelations, passions, sexual or otherwise.

Bono is a brilliant lyricist. It makes sense that he would consider bigger, broader universal concepts when he writes. In his book (Conversations with Bono, a great read if you haven't yet) he mentions that the most important lesson he learned regarding the writing of worthwhile lyrics was that the writer needed to be willing to eviscerate themselves to find the truths buried beneath. And that sounds pretty damn BIG to me.............

Thanks to T D Phoenix for mentioning that specific spot in the song....... one of my top 3 favorite Bono moments. Melts my sprockets every damn time. Another is in Don't Have to Go it Alone, where he tells his father "You're the reason I sing......" Imagine one of the greatest voices in rock and roll history singing those words to you........