It is a great song it does have a certain divine grandeur about it, wonderful chord progressions, and Bono really hits those high notes brilliantly with a nice tremolo on them. As to the meaning it seems to me to be about lust (the least serious of the 7 deadly sins apparently), and a one night stand. It is really these words that make me think that :
"Stay this time, stay tonight in a lie.
Ever after is a long time."
(Lyrics taken from https://www.u2.com/music/lyrics/107)
and similarly
"So sad to besiege your love so hang on."
Beseige meaning "bombard and harrass with eager requests".
It is about love (or lust) addiction and there are metaphors to addiction in the song - there is alcohol making the "colours spin" and the spinning wheels "fly" to reach up to a high and it is heroin that "punctures the skin" but Red Wine sounds better and has the imagery of the bloodstream. There is a "dry and waterless place" - a spiritual desertland maybe, the glistening silver and gold luring you inwards under the bright dazzling lights of the city. Beautiful metaphor "Dug from the night, your eyes as black as coal". Really quite majestic lyrics : "And if the mountains should crumble, Or disappear into the sea, Not a tear, no not I". The "Fire" is the sexual experience maybe, well it certainly would be unforgettable. But of course there is the Hiroshima metaphor there too. But if its lust it is kind of a disaster, sin always must be repaid one way or another. But I really can appreciate the beauty of the song since Bono puts in the confessionals "Ever after is a long time", it is "love" for one night only, and "stay tonight in a lie" where he straight up admits the lie, he is not going to love her forever. But the fact is love is by its nature forever. Humans are made to love and love creates the human soul and brings it into the world. Lust generally wastes away a person's energies with fruitless chasing of the wind, as I'm sure Bono is smart enough to know. The line "For here I am" stands out, it doesn't really fit with the rest of the poem, it doesn't sound like the narrator - it is maybe an interjection, it sounds kind of biblical sounding, maybe it is God speaking. Overall it is a beautiful song without doubt.
It is a great song it does have a certain divine grandeur about it, wonderful chord progressions, and Bono really hits those high notes brilliantly with a nice tremolo on them. As to the meaning it seems to me to be about lust (the least serious of the 7 deadly sins apparently), and a one night stand. It is really these words that make me think that : "Stay this time, stay tonight in a lie. Ever after is a long time." (Lyrics taken from https://www.u2.com/music/lyrics/107) and similarly "So sad to besiege your love so hang on." Beseige meaning "bombard and harrass with eager requests". It is about love (or lust) addiction and there are metaphors to addiction in the song - there is alcohol making the "colours spin" and the spinning wheels "fly" to reach up to a high and it is heroin that "punctures the skin" but Red Wine sounds better and has the imagery of the bloodstream. There is a "dry and waterless place" - a spiritual desertland maybe, the glistening silver and gold luring you inwards under the bright dazzling lights of the city. Beautiful metaphor "Dug from the night, your eyes as black as coal". Really quite majestic lyrics : "And if the mountains should crumble, Or disappear into the sea, Not a tear, no not I". The "Fire" is the sexual experience maybe, well it certainly would be unforgettable. But of course there is the Hiroshima metaphor there too. But if its lust it is kind of a disaster, sin always must be repaid one way or another. But I really can appreciate the beauty of the song since Bono puts in the confessionals "Ever after is a long time", it is "love" for one night only, and "stay tonight in a lie" where he straight up admits the lie, he is not going to love her forever. But the fact is love is by its nature forever. Humans are made to love and love creates the human soul and brings it into the world. Lust generally wastes away a person's energies with fruitless chasing of the wind, as I'm sure Bono is smart enough to know. The line "For here I am" stands out, it doesn't really fit with the rest of the poem, it doesn't sound like the narrator - it is maybe an interjection, it sounds kind of biblical sounding, maybe it is God speaking. Overall it is a beautiful song without doubt.
[Edit: "For here I am" comment. ]