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yeah it sounds to me like a love gone bad, almost to the point killing himself or killing his former lover. maybe, who knows. bono is so ambiguous sometimes im not sure even he knows what he means.

i remember back when the album was just relelased my sister told me she read a bono interview and he said it was about drugs. i guess its how you can feel so crappy you might want to end it all.

Written from the perspective of the conscience of a heroin addict.

The good side pleads with the addict to clean himself up. The bad side tells the addict to commit suicide.

Opening with an allusion to Lou Reed's Perfect Day (such a nice day to throw your life away), this is the story of suicide. Of the clarity (or depravation) of mind prior to taking the final step. Seeing himself from the outside. Saying his final bedtime prayers, before the "longest sleep." Bargaining with himself, before hanging himself. Here's the rope - swing away!

yeah Im pretty sure most of the song is about someone talking about wanting his friend to get off a drug or something. "call me such a cold heart...watch you tear yourself apart" could be the the friedn saying you can call me anything u want but im not going to watch you kill yourself

i think the "drug doer" talks alittle too "innocent and in a sence i am/guilty of the crime thats now in hand"

I agree with some of the comments that it could be about drugs, but I think it's more about having a close friend or lover who's suicidal quite often.

"Innocent and in a sense I am/Guilty of the crime that's now in hand"-he wants to help his friend but is having a hard time doing it. "Such a nice day...let it go"-a sarcastic comment about how it's a nice day to die "Call me...Watch you tear yourself apart"-here he feels bad for trying to get help for his friend/lover since he/she doesn't want any, but he can't stand to lose him or her "Is this the time/The time to win or lose?"-are they going to survive this time, or will it be over? "Cold, this heart is slow"-his friend is still alive, but doesn't feel like they're not "Anytime...just keep me going"-Even if the person dies, he'll still be changed by what his friend had done over the years "Here's the rope, here's the rope, now swing away"-he is basically saying that he feels powerless to help his friend, but he doesn't want him to die

This is a very personal song for me, and this is just my interpretation. My best friend (ironically named Jack) has attempted suicide several times, and this song describes my feelings perfectly.

I've been listening to this song over and over again. It's very intense, frantic in mood. I see it as being related to a drug trip, drug addiction. In any case, it's a fantastic piece of music and lyrics combined.

All these years I might have gotten the lyrics wrong, but I'd like to offer them as a unique take.

I hear the opening as "innocent of innocence I am", which also means guilty. This part is a quibble but I hear "such a nice day to throw your life away".

At the end I always thought it was "I'm on dope. I give you hope. Use the rope. Use the rope. Give me my cigarette." Like he's a condemned man.

Owell just some right thoughts about wrong words :-P. It's so hard to unhear what goes in during youth!

I'm not really good at this, but could it be about wanting to die? Amazing song, anyway.

this is such an amazing song, yep, you guys have it spot on, bono has said it's about drugs. This is quite possibly my fave U2 song!