Trash, Trampoline, and the Party Girl

The blatant teenage sexuality in this song is unmistakable. While Bono rarely writes genuine love songs, he's never been a stranger to writing about sex, and this he's admitted numerous times by saying "U2 writes songs people can have sex to."

I've heard on numerous occasions that this song is about Adam Clayton and his hard-core party lifestyle. In the beginning, Adam was the only member of the band who associated himself with the partying scene, so that seems feasible.

I always think of a teenaged love triangle when I think of "Party Girl". The lyricist, obviously out of his element is at a party, observing a girl and her interaction with a guy Bono describes as a "trampoline" (a clear sexual reference to someone who sleeps around). The lyricist (presumably Bono) is mystified as he likes this girl and she won't really talk to him because she's interested in the "trampoline" guy.

This song is narrated by a guy who wants a chance to be with the party girl, but he knows she wants the guy who's only after her for sex.

Ha, well, I've been the narrator in this song and dance many times throughout my teenage years, and the story is unmistakable to me. It's classic. Being the brainy poetic soul in an environment where everyone else is just after sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Liking someone who likes someone else who is obviously just using them...we've all been there. Tell me that's not exactly what this song reminds you of! ;)

And yes, it does sound very much like a Police song, though I never noticed that until now.

Just for the record, the party girl is The Edge's ex-wife, and Trash is Adam Clayton.

This song is a bit of a joke. If you watch the video footage of U2 Live at Red Rocks, Bono announces that it is a silly song that they wrote for a bit of a laugh! I love this song.

I have absolutely no idea............

I like this song. Does anybody else think it sounds a bit like a Police song?

I think it's pretty obvious what this song is about.

It's about a girl, a girl called paartyy...paarrtyy giirrll!

"I know she wants more than a party" i think this song shows that it is immature to be selfish "When I was three I thought the world revolved around me " then again this song is very ambiguos "You know what I mean " i think that may be a joke because this song does not seem to be very literal or self expanatory. i don't have much idea on what this is about

It's actualy extremely self-explanatory, haha. It shouldn't take too big a stretch of the imagination to assume what the party girl wants, should it? And we certainly all know what he wants. And from that, we can conclude that the narrator does not want what they want to happen at all.

great song! i love the mullet era!

Agree with MiracleDrug!! Exactly likes Police sound! :D