When Love Comes To Town

This song rocks.

It's obviously a song about his love for his wife. I could have written this song myself. She must be one hell of a good woman. Right on Bro!

I was a sailor, I was lost at sea

• He did a lot of crazy things looking for fulfillment in life I was under the waves before love rescued me
• Some of the things he did were probably dangerous, and it was a good thing she came along. I was a fighter, I could turn on a thread
• The words speak for themselves, he was a little dangerous. Now I stand accused of the things I've said
• These statements are factual. It's not an exageration.

When love comes to town, I'm gonna jump that train When love comes to town, I'm gonna catch that flame

• All the while he was living a wild/crazy life, he thought that if he could find a woman that could hold his heart, that he would straighten out. Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down
• Like his previous women, he probably mistreated her at first. But I did what I did before love came to town
• The poor treatment stopped, once he realized that he loved her.

I used to make love under a red sunset I was making promises I was soon to forget

• He used to say anything to get with a girl. It was a game. She was pale as the lace of her wedding gown But I left her standing before love came to town
• Now he's talking about a previous woman (not his wife). Physically, she was an excellant catch. However, with this one, he broke her heart and left her standing at the alter because there was no love.

I ran into a juke joint when I heard a guitar scream The notes were turning blue, I was dazing in a dream

• Unexpectedly, he meets his wife. She put a spell on him, a love spell. As the music played I saw my life turn around
• The effect she had on him, caused him to stop with his destructive lifestyle. That was the day before love came to town
• Pointing out again, that it was a surprise to him, the effect she would have.

When love comes to town, I'm gonna jump that train When love comes to town, I'm gonna catch that flame Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down But I did what I did before love came to town

• see above

When love comes to town, I'm gonna jump that train When love comes to town, I'm gonna catch that flame Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down But I did what I did before love came to town

• see above

I was there when they crucified my Lord I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword I threw the dice when they pierced his side

• He did all of the cardinal sins without guilt and with callousness, and he admits it. But I've seen love conquer the great divide
• She pulled his heart back from self-destruction and gave him a reason to be moral again.

When love comes to town, I'm gonna catch that train When love comes to town, I'm gonna catch that flame Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down But I did what I did before love came to town

• A second apology.

It really made me smile when BB King told Bono in the rattle and Hum dvd that he likes the lyrics a lot but that they are rather heavy for such a young person! That part of Rattle and Hum also shows a much more modest and anxious Bono. He obviously looks up to BB King and badly wants him appreciate his work. It shows he needs a lot of confirmation, that makes him look sweet and vulnarable.

I don't know about the religious stuff, I think it's most likely just used for metaphorical reasons.

This song is amazing. Personally, I think it's about the main character (the person the words would be coming from) having 'slept around' quite a bit during another relationship, possibly one that didn't mean too much to that person. Then, something came over the person and they realized their error and that they actually did love the person they had the relationship with, and this song would be the apology.

Just my $0.02.

For me, this one will always be about the time Jennifer 'Love' Hewitt came to my hometown of Downsview, Ontario, and appeared on a radio morning show hosted by Marilyn Denis. She talked about her upcoming film "I know what you did last summer" which was shock to me. I had no idea 'Love' was a psychic.

I have trouble understanding the literal meaning of the third line of the first verse "I was a fighter, I could turn on a thread" . Shouldn't it be "..I Could turn on a threat" ? I'd appreciate if you could clarify this for me.

"I was there when they crucified my Lord. I held the scabbard while the soldier drew the sword. I threw the dice when they pierced his side But I've seen love conquer the great divide."

It is because of our sins that Christ died on the cross. According to the old hymn, "It was my sin that held Him there." But love conquered the great divide between man and God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

What is this song about? In one word, "Redemption", or to be more precise, Christian Redemption. \n\nThis song is filled with Christian imagery, initially be implication, ultimately expressly referencing Christ\'s crucifixion in the last verse. The "love" that the song refers to that comes to town is the narrator-singer\'s arrival at or adoption of his Christian faith that saves him from being the flawed, selfish and hurtful person he was. It\'s referencing a Christian "rebirth" through salvation. \n\nBono was raised Catholic and was and is well-versed in such things, and so it\'s no surprise that he, even as part of an ostensibly secular band like U2, could pen such lyrics. BB King was reportedly impressed by Bono\'s writing of them, especially at the young age he was at the time. \n\nThe lyrics are powerful, and the emotion in Bono\'s and BB King\'s performance of them in the Rattle & Hum album both reflect and add to that.

This song is about God's amazing grace!
It's about a sinner who was "lost" but was saved by Christ and his sins were forgiven.

The train refers to the Ascension of Jesus "all the saints will be caught up in his train (as in a long robe)"

The flame is the Holy Spirit

The great divide is Sin that seperates us from God.

Oh yeah, and why the hell does BB King never get any real credit for this song? His vocals rule!