First, I don't think the 48th floor line is a suicide reference: Sadie has given up her "family life" and become a high-end escort, hence the "on the street" and "people she meets" lines in the big city, (e.g. a place like New York). She's in a high floor / penthouse of a hotel, having sex for money.
The amazing thing about this song is that Bono is not just saying "the big city doesn't have all the answers" he is also saying "traditional family life doesn't have all the answers" because he states that that wasn't good enough for Sadie.
So, in effect, Bono is rejecting the entire false dichotomy (so relevant to today, and the theme of so many songs throughout Rock n' Roll history) of "living a simple life" vs. "the excitement of the big city"
For Bono, the only solution for Sadie is to seek God, like he has done. She must surrender her entire life to Jesus, or there is no hope. Pretty powerful stuff.
PS Musically I think this the most underrated song in all of U2's catalog. The melody when Bono starts singing is so incredibly powerful and uplifting in contrast to the haunting almost scary chorus and high-pitched guitar chords throughout. The music itself is a metaphor for the entire message of the song: Bono's voice is the straight and narrow path to God coming through the glitzy sounds and distractions of everything else about the world.
First, I don't think the 48th floor line is a suicide reference: Sadie has given up her "family life" and become a high-end escort, hence the "on the street" and "people she meets" lines in the big city, (e.g. a place like New York). She's in a high floor / penthouse of a hotel, having sex for money.
The amazing thing about this song is that Bono is not just saying "the big city doesn't have all the answers" he is also saying "traditional family life doesn't have all the answers" because he states that that wasn't good enough for Sadie.
So, in effect, Bono is rejecting the entire false dichotomy (so relevant to today, and the theme of so many songs throughout Rock n' Roll history) of "living a simple life" vs. "the excitement of the big city"
For Bono, the only solution for Sadie is to seek God, like he has done. She must surrender her entire life to Jesus, or there is no hope. Pretty powerful stuff.
PS Musically I think this the most underrated song in all of U2's catalog. The melody when Bono starts singing is so incredibly powerful and uplifting in contrast to the haunting almost scary chorus and high-pitched guitar chords throughout. The music itself is a metaphor for the entire message of the song: Bono's voice is the straight and narrow path to God coming through the glitzy sounds and distractions of everything else about the world.