Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

I can't believe nobody gets this song.

1.) It's not about Batman.

2.) The Jesus reference is entirely intentional. U2 does that.

3.) It's about fame. During the POPMart tour they played this one in concert. On the giant screen they put up a lot of images of dead celebrities. Marilyn Monroe (Warhol-style), Janis Joplin, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, John Belushi, Kurt Cobain...

The message could not be clearer. The video, with the Batman: TAS style animation made a little story out of Bono being split into The Fly and Mr. Macphisto. Because metaphorically that is what the song is about. The Fly and Mac were Bono's satirical take on celebrity... The Fly being the obnoxious prick who thinks he rules the world because he sold a few records, and MacPhisto being the same guy old, fat, tired, and playing Vegas. Elvis in the sideburn, jumpsuit years, a few cheeseburgers too many. When it's become just a joke.

"It takes a crowd to cry."

And yes, there's the Screwtape angle, and Bono's conviction "Mock the devil, and he will flee from you."

So "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" is sort of the conundrum of being famous. A media darling, a pop-cultural icon, prostituted to the public and finally used up and cast aside, forgotten, or dead. The dead celebrities onscreen were meant to remind us just how lethal fame can be. Because that kind of life is not really what human beings are meant for. People need privacy, and the freedom to fuck up without being crucified by the media.

Fame can be a burden as much as a blessing, and if you don't believe that, ask Courtney Love and Frances Bean Cobain, because there's a husband and father missing from that equation on account of he couldn't handle the life he'd made for himself or the mess he'd made of it in trying to drown his problems in heroin.

The irony of course is that in death, Kurt Cobain remained an icon and the fans - and kids who hadn't even graduated from Sesame Street records before Kurt shot himself - tried to saint the man in the mid-90's.

And somewhere in the ether, Cobain screams at them to just let him go.

So, my point? They'll want their money back if you're alive at thirty-three. Because if you don't die young, you aren't a Christ figure any longer.

Yeah I laughed at the "orgasms to fade" part too! I feel for Bono's wife, if that's the noise he really makes ...

I love the last chorus with the strings ("Of course you're not shy"). It sounds really good, a bit sinister.

Joeytheboy, i just want to point out, "they'll want their money back if your alive at 33". This verse is saying that other people think u are jesus and jesus died at 33. if you are still alive at 33, it means your not jesus and they want your money back... understand?

doesn't matter if ya dont... i dont really myself...HA!

Orgasms to fade made me chuckle.... I don't know whats up with that 'OhohohohOH buisness... does it even add anything 2 the song?

This song is about Bono's character the Fly, a parody of himself.

First let's clear up what "kill me." It's the "little death," that is orgasm. So the entire thing of "hold me thrill me kiss me kill me" means "let's have sex and go all the way."

Of course there's a double meaning too. The double meaning is that being a rock star with all the celebrity, status, money, fame and glory is like sex but it destroys who you are and kills you. The final climax of rock star status is death- Holly, Valens, Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, Croce, Presley, Moon, Bonham, Lennon, Nelson, Wood, Cobain, Hoon, Hutchence, Staley. It's the very fan who give the adulation to the star (sex) who also destroy the star by either shooting them, driving them to drink/drugs to escape the madness or forcing them to fly in bad weather to make touring dates.

Now let's look at the verses.

A rock star, like the Fly, doesn't really create his own stuff, he steals it from others, who in turn stole it from others. That's the stealing from thieves. He's been caught but instead of getting in trouble he gets rich and famous- he's in the spotlight and it's a big limo coming to get him.

Rock stars like the Fly are as much about fashion as music and that means often dressing in glam and makeup like a girl, his sister. Tarting up. The music and show get confusing to some, they don't understand it. But if the rock star is big enough it doesn't matter, the more strange (like putting a big TV behind the stage and showing random things on it) it is, the more it gets labeled "art." But he's not really happy in all this. He's a headache and he's always on tour, so he's a headache in a suitcase- that's what a star.

This all happens fast once it happens, you go from being a serious musician trying to create meaningful music to some fabuluous celebrity at parties with hanger ons and all sorts of hype and the star doesn't really know how he got there, but he wants out of the fluff, hype, spotlight and back into something more real. But he's ambivalent he's not sure if really wants to give up or not. Plus he's not sure if he deserves it or not, after all he just stole it all from earlier artists. Part of him believes in himself, "I am a rock god." Part of his doesn't. He's a big smash but being a big smash isn't a good thing, it's more like a rash on the skin that itches and won't go away. He shouldn't scratch it, but he can't help it, it feels so good to scratch it.

With Bono, that is the Fly, there's more to this rock star status than with others because Bono began as a religious rock star, people even though U2 were a Christian Band and one of their first hits was a worship song called "Gloria." Bono was and is a serious humanitarian, almost preachy it times in his social concerns. In Rattle & Hum he is preaching about South Africa before "Silver and Gold" and realizes he's going to far and has to stop himself with "I didn't mean to bug ya." So that means that not only do the fans want him to be the star, they want him to be a religious figure. They want him to be like Jesus, they want him to go down on one knee and pray at concerts, like he used to do with "Help," slowing it down and making it a prayer to God for help. But religious folk can be just as fickle as anyone and they want their leaders to be martyrs. They turned on Jesus and killed, crucified, him at 33. But when they turn on rock stars they just want to leave the show and get their money back. In realizing all this, Bono admits that what's he does with his religiosity as a rock star is pimp it- he's turning tricks with his crucifix.

This song is very much a critical put down of his own persona, which he dubbed the Fly in Achtung Baby. In the video the cartoon Bono is often the Fly, he's also the Devil, who is both criticing him and at the same time seducing him into the excess of rock star status.

Batman? Well, is all this true of Bruce Wayne too? Is Bono the rock star a good guy or a bad guy? Is he a thieving tart or Jesus? Well, is Batman a noble figure trying to hold back the darkness or is he psychopath who created his villains when he donned a mask himself? The song seems to indicate he's both.

Lyrically, it's pretty good. Musically, it's even better. I enjoy this song, without having to enjoy everything U2 does.

My favorite line from this song is "They don't know what you're doing. Babe it must be art!" lol

I agree with the 'showbiz' theory to the song. Basically the 'you' in this song is a celebrity in the prime of their career. Imagine a britney spears (barf) or maybe a Jim Carrey. Just think of when those two were really hot and always in the limelight. "you're a star" you made it and you don't know exactly how or why, but 'you' are questioning the entire idea of fame. 'you' don't like it anymore. So Bono is like this, guardian angel/devil on you're shoulder talking to 'you' trying to make you keep buying into this celebrity life.

At least, well, i see it this way.

Batman Forever kinda sucked but it had a great soundtrack. This song proves that. ;)

This is the only U2 song I like (in fact I was shocked it was by them!!!). Its such a feel good song. Dirty but in a great way!!! I agree its about being famous, or maybe having a massive ego. Altho the chorus kinda sounds like hes trying to get laid. And of course the word orgasm in French literally means little death (kill me)