To me i see this song as Bono turnign away from God or at least Christianity, kind of a losing faith.
My major reasion for thinking that is the miss quote of Ps 23:4 Ps 23:4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
NKJV
And Bono sings:
"Yea, though I walk
In the valley of the shadow
Yea, I will fear no evil
I have cursed thy rod and staff
They no longer comfort me"
That seems pretty clear to me.
It is only fitting that he sings it with Dylan (who has rumored to have done very little toward 'co writing' this song), seem Dylan also went throug a stage of writting 'Christian' songs then turnd away from it.
From this alburm on almost all of Bono's refrences to God or the bible are in a sort of sarcastic or at least questioning way.
For example take 'Staring at the sun' - "God is great but will he listen' or from 'If God would send his angles' - "God has got his phone off the hook baby, would he even pick up if he could".
From 'Acrobat' - "I would break bread and wine if there was a church i could recieve in"
And from 'For the first time' - "My father is a rich man
He wears a rich man's cloak
Gave me the key to his kingdom coming
Gave me a cup of gold
He said: I have many mansions
And there are many rooms to see
But I left by the back door
And I threw away the key"
Which is a clear refrence to God and is a quote from the Bible. In this song the character is offerd a place in heaven (for want of a better way to discribe it) but he rejects as he 'left by they back door and threw away the key'
There are many other examples but i think people are board with it by now lol
It's more a rejection of the Old Testament concept of God as a vengeful, petty patriarch, in favor of a redemptive, forgiving being - "the ruins to the right of me, will soon have lost sight of me".
It's more a rejection of the Old Testament concept of God as a vengeful, petty patriarch, in favor of a redemptive, forgiving being - "the ruins to the right of me, will soon have lost sight of me".
@Uncle Chop Chop Another explanation for this is not necessarily turning away but realising our prayers are n't necessarily answered in the way we want and if they are answered it is in Gods timing not ours.
The Psalm 23 reference could also be saying I know I am saved by Grace and noth the law, (thy rod & thy staff).. Galatians 5:14 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself".
@Uncle Chop Chop Another explanation for this is not necessarily turning away but realising our prayers are n't necessarily answered in the way we want and if they are answered it is in Gods timing not ours.
The Psalm 23 reference could also be saying I know I am saved by Grace and noth the law, (thy rod & thy staff).. Galatians 5:14 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself".
To me i see this song as Bono turnign away from God or at least Christianity, kind of a losing faith.
My major reasion for thinking that is the miss quote of Ps 23:4 Ps 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. NKJV
And Bono sings: "Yea, though I walk In the valley of the shadow Yea, I will fear no evil I have cursed thy rod and staff They no longer comfort me"
That seems pretty clear to me.
It is only fitting that he sings it with Dylan (who has rumored to have done very little toward 'co writing' this song), seem Dylan also went throug a stage of writting 'Christian' songs then turnd away from it.
From this alburm on almost all of Bono's refrences to God or the bible are in a sort of sarcastic or at least questioning way. For example take 'Staring at the sun' - "God is great but will he listen' or from 'If God would send his angles' - "God has got his phone off the hook baby, would he even pick up if he could". From 'Acrobat' - "I would break bread and wine if there was a church i could recieve in" And from 'For the first time' - "My father is a rich man He wears a rich man's cloak Gave me the key to his kingdom coming Gave me a cup of gold He said: I have many mansions And there are many rooms to see But I left by the back door And I threw away the key" Which is a clear refrence to God and is a quote from the Bible. In this song the character is offerd a place in heaven (for want of a better way to discribe it) but he rejects as he 'left by they back door and threw away the key'
There are many other examples but i think people are board with it by now lol
Cheers,
UCC
It's more a rejection of the Old Testament concept of God as a vengeful, petty patriarch, in favor of a redemptive, forgiving being - "the ruins to the right of me, will soon have lost sight of me".
It's more a rejection of the Old Testament concept of God as a vengeful, petty patriarch, in favor of a redemptive, forgiving being - "the ruins to the right of me, will soon have lost sight of me".
@Uncle Chop Chop Another explanation for this is not necessarily turning away but realising our prayers are n't necessarily answered in the way we want and if they are answered it is in Gods timing not ours. The Psalm 23 reference could also be saying I know I am saved by Grace and noth the law, (thy rod & thy staff).. Galatians 5:14 New King James Version (NKJV) 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself".
@Uncle Chop Chop Another explanation for this is not necessarily turning away but realising our prayers are n't necessarily answered in the way we want and if they are answered it is in Gods timing not ours. The Psalm 23 reference could also be saying I know I am saved by Grace and noth the law, (thy rod & thy staff).. Galatians 5:14 New King James Version (NKJV) 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself".