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U2 - City of Blinding Lights Song MeaningsLyrics:The more you see the less you know The less you find out as you grow I knew much more then than I do now Neon heart, day-glow eyes Submitted by: anonymous Added: 2005-11-20 13:10:36 Rating:  I think it's very clear that the City of Blinding Lights is talking about the US government saying "Look! Shiny things!", and most everybody looking away. When they say "They're advertising in the skys for people like us", they mean the people who don't look away only see the world being taken over by corporations.
Submitted by: anonymous I think it's a song that can be taken as happy or sad. On one hand, it's about being in a place so bright it hurts--I read this as a state of mind, i.e., being in love, being idealistic, etc. On the other hand, we see lines like "they're advertising in the skies for people like us" and "what happened to the beauty I had inside of me?" which, I believe, refer to a loss of innocence and childlike reverence in that which we once thought so pure, i.e., being in love, being idealistic, etc. Is it a statement about the government or a particular issue? Maybe, but I feel it's meant to examine the complexities of human emotions. Sadness rarely stems from pure desolation, and happiness is very nearly never not tinged with something less than desirable.
Submitted by: anonymous This song is about New York City after September 11th. In U2's first concert after 9/11, after the lights when on and Bono walked on stage, he saw the tears in the eyes of thier fans and the words that came out of his mouth were "You look so beautiful tonight."
Submitted by: anonymous Bono has always stated that a spiritual message lies beneath the surface of every u2 song. I believe the surface message is possibly talking about new york or being overwhelmed by the "magic" of a magnificent place/city similar to that. However, the spiritual message on this song is deeper. The "city of blinding lights" represents this world, there's so many mixed messages, so much confusion that we become "blind" when they sing "oh, you look so beautiful tonight..." bono is referring to god or jesus and saying that faith in him and his salvation is the only beautiful thing in this world. It is similar to "vertigo". As someone posted on it's meaning, bono has stated that "vertigo" was a club he dreampt about and wondered what it meant. He soon realized that it represents temptation and sin in the world, for this reason he states "it's everything I wish I didn't know". He wishes he could escape all this. He sees the "girl w/crimson nails (the same color as the blood of jesus) w/jesus (the cross) around her neck" he realizes that he must focus on that in order to escape these temptations and is lead to rely on god. "your love is teaching me how..To kneel." hope this helps!!!
Submitted by: anonymous In an interview on itv over here in the uk bono said that this was about a us gig (san fransisco?) where he walked on stage in front of 30,000 people and the lights came up illuminating the audience. He now always remembers that venue as the city of blinding lights.
Submitted by: MiracleDrug Bono is very romantic about new york and he has refered to ny as "the city of blinding lights" if anyone has been to ny, you would know that it is filled with lights so bright that when the sun goes down it still feels like day and it's overwhelmingly beautiful. Also, ny is filled with false advertisments and people who lose themselves "can you see the beauty inside of me" I think he also states that people in ny are strong and not afraid to be who they are because in a city like that, you have to be strong "i've seen you walk unafraid, I've seen you in the clothes you've made..." although, I do believe it has to do something with 9/11 and perhaps a higher power. This song could mean so many different things. I like all of the interpations on this song.
Submitted by: anonymous Bono performed this in Brooklyn, and it is most definitely about New York City. Millions of people, in and out of NYC, look at the city and fail to see the beauty. Often it takes the objectivity of an outsider to see how lovely NYC can be, how beautiful the people and how charming the culture really is.
Submitted by: anonymous Bono said in the Rolling Stone interview that the theme of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is a return to naivete--like being a boy all over again. How we all go out into the world to slough off our innocence but that we realize, around the age of 40, that we are most happy when we live like little kids. One must come to the spirit like little children. "The more you see the less you know, the less you find out as you go, I knew much more then than I do now." "Time won't leave me as I am but time won't take the boy out of this man." I'm 40 so I'm having that experience. I'm also a bit of a neophyte coming to terms with my Christianity. I love how they opened the tour with this gem.
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