Bullet The Blue Sky Lyrics
See it driving nails
Into the souls on the tree of pain
From the firefly, a red orange glow
See the face of fear
Running scared in the valley below
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue
Bullet the blue
Jacob wrestled the angel
And the angel was overcome
You plant a demon seed
You raise a flower of fire
See them burning crosses
See the flames higher and higher
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue
Bullet the blue
His face red like a rose on a thorn bush
Like all the colors of a royal flush
And he's peeling off those dollar bills
Slapping them down
One hundred, two hundred
And I can see those fighter planes
And I can see those fighter planes
Across the mud huts where the children sleep
Through the alleys of a quiet city street
You take the staircase to the first floor
Turn the key and slowly unlock the door
As a man breathes into a saxophone
And through the walls you hear the city groan
Outside is America
Outside is America
See the rain through a gaping wound
Pounding on the women and children
Who run
Into the arms
Of America
This song to me has 2 meanings:
1) It is really about an actual experience that Bono had while visiting El Salvador. There he saw Madres, women whose children had been imprisoned or murdered by the military regime there. He was inspired by it and immediately wrote the lyrics for the song. It is a song about a struggle.
2) On the Elevation DVD (live from Boston), this is played while images of guns and killings by guns are shown on a screen behind the band. I believe this song can also have something to do with the negative points of guns and how badly they hurt the United States. U2 may be using it to show something they dislike about our country.
This is about the US military's treatment of El Salvador in the 1980s. This song is way better live than on the Joshua Tree. u2elevation made a good point about the Boston video, Bono was saying how experts predict guns will kill 676,000 people in America in the next twenty years. Yes, I agree with U2 how guns are one of the main things I dislike about the your country.
"Yes, I agree with U2 how guns are one of the main things I dislike about the your country."
"Yes, I agree with U2 how guns are one of the main things I dislike about the your country."
It's been over 7 years since this was posted, but what the hell.
It's been over 7 years since this was posted, but what the hell.
Disregard all of the good the US has done in the past, and focus on the fact that YOU don't like that guns are legal here. Open-mindedness is one of the main things I like about your country...
Disregard all of the good the US has done in the past, and focus on the fact that YOU don't like that guns are legal here. Open-mindedness is one of the main things I like about your country...
@IanoDublin I'm an American and Republicans are still an embarrassment and shame to my country. Same as they were in 2010 and 2000 and in the 1980's.
@IanoDublin I'm an American and Republicans are still an embarrassment and shame to my country. Same as they were in 2010 and 2000 and in the 1980's.
This song is only partly about the war in El Salvador. Bono said in an interview that he wrote it about Ronald Reagan's support of the Contra rebels, who were tearing El Salvador apart.
So it's not really anti-American, but it is anti-Reagan.
@beau99 and others: Too bad most of the people from USA can't differenciate being anti-USA-government from being "anti-american". Too bad, also, that frequently USA governments are anti-USA, anti-USA-people, and anti-World-people.
@beau99 and others: Too bad most of the people from USA can't differenciate being anti-USA-government from being "anti-american". Too bad, also, that frequently USA governments are anti-USA, anti-USA-people, and anti-World-people.
to me the tree of pain sounds like a cross...and nails meaning someone gettin nailed to the cross - so it could be about Christ too....most U2 songs have religious meanings.....
I like the song I thought it really hit home with a lot of people around the USA who heard it. Bono Edge Adam an Larry Jr are all great an talented artist. I like this song best on the Rattle an Hum DVD the best elevation was a good vertion of it I also agree on what U2elevation said.
yeah i see it now. i'd always thought this was an anti-american song and when bono sings it, even the studio version, he just sounds evil and posessed in parts. on the rattle and hum film i think U2 did really well to pull off playing the US national anthem before they played this coz that could have really backfired at them. anyway its a great song from a great band.
"Anti-America" and "Anti-American" are NOT the same thing, the former is a criticism against the country, it's policies and/or, at times, their culture; the second is a direct genophobia against a group of people. I am not totally sure if this song is Anti-America but I am near sure it is not Anti-American.
"Anti-America" and "Anti-American" are NOT the same thing, the former is a criticism against the country, it's policies and/or, at times, their culture; the second is a direct genophobia against a group of people. I am not totally sure if this song is Anti-America but I am near sure it is not Anti-American.
American people has been said that the World hates them, and this is not totally true, most people who have things against America are people who is being affected by the US government or some of their policies or victims of the...
American people has been said that the World hates them, and this is not totally true, most people who have things against America are people who is being affected by the US government or some of their policies or victims of the US interests. Many times the intentions are good but the results are disastrous and in general, it is of the best interest of both America and the World if the US would stop messing with other countries both for helping and blocking, to stop being a country with a so exaggerated nationalism and bellicose tradition (military), and be more open-minded, peaceful and harmonious country as it was intended by the very founders (most of).
If this song is trying to say something, I think it is precisely that.
Cheers.
Whether live or recorded, this song is fantastic. And of course it's anti-American. The line "Who run into the arms of America" prove this. Clearly these women and children are not running into the military arms of America.
I was particularly impressed with how Bono turned it round to get at America's domestic policy as well as foreign policy on the Elevation tour. I've had a problem with the gun laws in America for quite a while but the images of the little girl holding a gun made me feel physically sick. And whoever that guy is who said "There are no good guns, there are no bad guns. A gun in the hands of a bad man is a bad thing. A gun in the hands of a good man is no threat to anyone but bad people." He's an idiot. So that little girl is a bad person? I think not.
Only if she's a bad man, moron.
Only if she's a bad man, moron.
Let's see...the worst massacre by a gun-wielding maniac...maybe 30, 40 victims? The worst massacre by a gun-banning government...6-10 million victims?
Let's see...the worst massacre by a gun-wielding maniac...maybe 30, 40 victims? The worst massacre by a gun-banning government...6-10 million victims?
FYI, U2 aren't playing the "Star Spangled Banner" in "Rattle and Hum". It's the Jimi Hendrix rendition of the song.
..right... anyway... yeah, it's about bono's experiences in el salvador, but i believe that it is more about gun control (or lack of) than anything
NO. the song was written about El Salvador, but they used it to battle guns