In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Summer stretching on the grass
Summer dresses pass
In the shade of a willow tree
Creeps a crawling over me
Over me and over you
Stuck together with God's glue
It's going to get stickier too
It's been a long hot summer
Let's get undercover
Don't try too hard to think
Don't think at all
I'm not the only one
Starin' at the sun
Afraid of what you'd find
If you took a look inside
Not just deaf and dumb
Staring at the sun
Not the only one
Who's happy to go blind
There's an insect in your ear
If you scratch it won't disappear
It's gonna itch and burn and sting
Do you want to see what the scratching brings
Waves that leave me out of reach
Breaking on your back like a beach
Will we ever live in peace?
'Cause those that can't do often have to
And those that can't do often have to preach
To the ones staring at the sun
Afraid of what you'd find
If you took a look inside
Not just deaf and dumb
Staring at the sun
I'm not the only one
Who'd rather go blind
Intransigence is all around
Military still in town
Armour plated suits and ties
Daddy just won't say goodbye
Referee won't blow the whistle
God is good but will he listen
I'm nearly great
But there's something I'm missing
But I'm feeling like duty free, ah
You never really belonged to me
You're not the only one
Starin' at the sun
Afraid of what you'd find
If you stepped back inside
I'm not sucking on my thumb
I'm staring at the sun
Not the only one
Who's happy to go blind
Ah ah I
Ah ah I
Ah ah I
Ah ah I
Summer dresses pass
In the shade of a willow tree
Creeps a crawling over me
Over me and over you
Stuck together with God's glue
It's going to get stickier too
It's been a long hot summer
Let's get undercover
Don't try too hard to think
Don't think at all
I'm not the only one
Starin' at the sun
Afraid of what you'd find
If you took a look inside
Not just deaf and dumb
Staring at the sun
Not the only one
Who's happy to go blind
There's an insect in your ear
If you scratch it won't disappear
It's gonna itch and burn and sting
Do you want to see what the scratching brings
Waves that leave me out of reach
Breaking on your back like a beach
Will we ever live in peace?
'Cause those that can't do often have to
And those that can't do often have to preach
To the ones staring at the sun
Afraid of what you'd find
If you took a look inside
Not just deaf and dumb
Staring at the sun
I'm not the only one
Who'd rather go blind
Intransigence is all around
Military still in town
Armour plated suits and ties
Daddy just won't say goodbye
Referee won't blow the whistle
God is good but will he listen
I'm nearly great
But there's something I'm missing
But I'm feeling like duty free, ah
You never really belonged to me
You're not the only one
Starin' at the sun
Afraid of what you'd find
If you stepped back inside
I'm not sucking on my thumb
I'm staring at the sun
Not the only one
Who's happy to go blind
Ah ah I
Ah ah I
Ah ah I
Ah ah I
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Staring at the sun
There was a story going around in the 60's that a group of california university students were so high on LSD that they were staring at the sun while laying on a grassy hill for several hours that it didn't bother them but in fact burnt part of their retina and could not see anything closely. They also held religious conversations with god while under the influence.This story has never been proven and actual names were never given (check out Erowid for more on this myth).
Bono is probably relating his own trip with the students who were sprawled out on the grass for hours. His description is almost identical to the mythical articles on the california university students. I would take the the song quite literally. "Those who can't do" are the teachers or the people who set our morals in society who create these myths to scare people out of using drugs or to be introspective and question what is accepted as truth or right. Are they afraid of what they find when they look inside of themselves? Bono says these people (government/military state) is still in town or in control. Its not so obvious as they are disguised in suits and ties. Daddy (government) won't leave you alone. "I'm nearly great but there's something missing" = Grandiosity is a symptom of such trips. "I left it in the Duty free" = [airplane] "trips" may be taken literally. Its not really him as its an effect of the drug. He's not sucking on his thumb. He's not a baby he can do what he wants and if that means destroying his retina so be it. Could this be an anti-drug message?