If You Wear That Velvet Dress

This has got to be one of the sexiest songs of all time...

this is what this song means to me. The main person (Bono i guess) is in a new relationship. Hes comfortable likes it but he still has thoughts about memories about his last relationship. To me his previous relationship was not purely, but mostly sexual. Now he thinks about her a lot and maybe be put in a situation where he could be with her again:

"we've been here before... last time you scratched at my door the moon was naked and cold I was like a two year old who just wanted more if you wear that velvet dress"

the velvet dress must be something that is the proverbial 'straw that broke the camels back' Its the one thing that would put him over the edge if he saw her in it. then he cheats on whoever he is with:

"tonight the moon has drawn its curtains it's a private show no one else going to know I'm wanting"

Then the next day or whenever, hes back with the current girlfriend. He compares one as the sun and one as the moon. The old girl is the moon and the new girl the sun:

"sunlight sunlight fills my room it's sharp and it's clear but nothing at all like the moon... "

wow what an amazing song. i love it. without a doube the sexiest U2 song to date. any one agree with all of this?

i'm pretty sure this song was written about bono's wife, as is a good portion of his music. either way, this song is fucking amazing. very sensual, very sexy... i love it.

I think this song is definitely about temptation and infidelity. As others have said, the "sun" is his stable current relationship, and the "moon" is his fling, his other woman. In that context, I see the song as sort of a conversation between him and the other woman, except we are only hearing his side of it, and we sort of have to fill in the blanks for her side. Here's my take:

"I want to sink in"

This isn't noted in the lyrics above, but it's whispered at the very beginning of the song. He wants her so much, he just wants to let go and "sink in," to lose himself in her.

"Tonight the moon is playing tricks again Yeah, I'm feeling seasick again The whole world could just dissolve Into a glass of water"

She intoxicates him so much that it's disorienting, almost.

"I've been good 'Cause I know you don't want me to"

This is the beginning of their conversation. He's "been good," he's refrained from straying from his current relationship, even though the other woman doesn't want him to be good - she wants him to be bad with her, I'm guessing. Either that, or by some weird self justification, he considers "being good" to be that she's his only woman on the side, he's staying "faithful" to her by not cheating with multiple women, only that doesn't matter to her, she doesn't care if he has more on the side than her. I can't decide which scenario is most apt. In light of the next part, I'd say the former is most likely, though.

"Do you really want me to Be blue as you It's her daylight that gets me through"

Maybe here, she wants him to leave his stable relationship and be with her exclusively, and he's telling her that losing that stability in his life would be bad for him, it'd make him as "blue" as her, as alone, and that the "light," the stability of that stable relationship is what keeps him going. However...

"We've been here before Last time you scratched at my door The moon was naked and cold I was like a two year old Who just wanted more"

This is an ongoing thing, he can't resist her. She sought him out ("last time you scratched at my door"), but when faced with her, he wants her just as much as she wants him ("I was like a two year old who just wanted more").

"If you wear that velvet dress If you wear that velvet dress If you wear that velvet dress If you wear that velvet dress"

Like others have said, the velvet dress could be literal, but it could also be any number of things about her that pushes him over the edge and seals his fate, makes him lose control.

"Tonight the moon has drawn its curtains It's a private show No one else going to know I'm wanting"

He's given in to her, it's a done deal. Sexytime! The "private show" and the drawing of curtains seem to confirm the illicitness of this encounter.

Further, I've listened to this song a bajillion times in the past, and even though all published versions of the lyrics I can find say "I'm wanting," it sounds an awful lot to me like he's saying "I want you." Well, sort of like "I'm want you," which makes no sense at all, I realize. I'm almost positive I've heard him sing "I want you" live, at the very least. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part. ;)

"Does it feel good Sure it's okay 'Cause I dance with you"

This part isn't noted in the lyrics above, but they're whispered over Edge's guitar solo, you can hear it better with headphones. In this part, it's ON, and I think it's a mix of sexy pillow talk, and maybe trying to rationalize their encounter. Whatever the case, freakin' HOT.

"Sunlight, sunlight fills my room It's sharp and it's clear But nothing at all like the moon"

The encounter is over, and "sunlight fills my room" perhaps literally, maybe it's morning, but also figuratively, when he's thinking about his stable partner again. The line "it's sharp and it's clear" is very evocative, and shows us what the stable partner brings to his life - clarity. Probably peace and contentment, too. "But nothing at all like the moon," because the moon is dark and alluring and forbidden and irresistible. She brings him something that his stable partner can't, something he doesn't seem able to give up.

"It's okay The struggle for things not to say"

There are some things that are unspoken between them. Maybe they can't bring themselves to talk about what they're doing. Maybe they love each other but know it's better left unsaid. In any case, he's saying that it's okay that it's difficult to not say these things, to not bring them out into the open.

"I never listened to you anyway I got my own hands to pray"

In these lines, it strikes me that maybe she is attempting to take the blame for what they're doing, trying to assuage his guilt, and he's telling her that he will deal with the guilt himself, that if he wants forgiveness or redemption, he's "got [his] own hands to pray" for that.

"If you wear that velvet dress If you wear that velvet dress If you wear that velvet dress If you wear that velvet dress"

"Tonight the moon is a mirrorball Light flickers from across the hall Who'll catch the star when it falls If you wear that velvet dress"

"Tonight the moon is a mirrorball," especially beckoning to him, "light flickers from across the hall," calling him, reminding him of her. "Who'll catch the star when it falls," says to me that he knows he's in for a fall if he continues this, but he's helpless to stop, because "If you wear that velvet dress," she'll always be wearing that "velvet dress," possessing the qualities he needs so desperately, so he'll be back, and he knows it.

If you listen closely to the line "who'll catch the star when it falls," I'm almost positive it's not "when IT falls," it's "when HE falls." Again, I know he's sung it like this live.

The original version of this song is great, but i was really moved by the version done live in Mexico City. The band was just hyped after performing Discotheque so it was an awesome transition into Velvet Dress. The live recording of it is great. Search it out or go buy the Mexico City concert video.

driving at night, the whole album is great to listen to driving at night. This might be my favorite u2 song. call me loco

I think aayers may be pretty close to the real meaning of this song, it's surely about temptation and evaluating true relationships and fake ones

I think Aayers really nailed it. That wasn't my original impression of the song, but it certainly makes a great deal of sense and I must say, that interpretation makes the already sexy song ten degrees sexier!

The line that intrigues me the most about this song is the very last one..."Who'll catch the star when it falls?" The whole song is pretty much summed up in that one final line. Throughout POP, Bono deals a lot with his fame and stardom and all that comes with it, and I think that's what he refers to here. Going along with Aayers' interpretation, which I wholeheartedly agree with, I think that in the last line he's asking the question that the whole song has been leading up to...If he gives in to one night of incredible temptation, where will he end up? Who'll catch the star when it falls = Would he ever be forgiven and would he ever be able to forgive himself if he did it? Who will be there to catch his fall?

Amazing song. I love it. I love listening to it alone in the dark of my living room with a glass of wine. Beautiful imagery in this one. You can just imagine that's what Bono's doing as he writes these lyrics....the only difference being that he's in a hotel far away from his home.

it is amazing song, i'm hipnotised with its mood, its lyrics, for me it is about love and illusion...which part of love it is a play of our imagination, of this what we want to believe, how we want to see...on our interior stage of soul, with the memories and desires

Have you heard the live version of this song? Its on the Beautiful Day Pt. 2 single. It was recorded live from Mexico City and it just sounds awsome!! Great song to listen to at night when your alone.