groove October 31st, 2005 10:13PM  
This is pretty straightforward - April 4th, 1968 in Memphis Tennessee - the day and location of Martin Luther King Junior's assassination.

"Free at last, they took your life - they could not take your pride"

Rest In Peace, Martin.

anonymous January 31st, 2007 03:04PM  
The greatest aspect of this song is its ambiguity. Sure, Martin Luther King and Jesus are both obvious references here, but I think the unclear lines are meant to refer to others who have died 'in the name of love'. I like the idea that 'One man washed on an empty beach' refers to a soldier at Normandy on D-Day, but that's not the only possible interpretation. In fact, most of this song's lines do not have a clear interpretation one way or another. I think it spoils the song to say that particular lines ONLY refer to specific characters throughout history.

Contrary to what I presume the popular opinion is, I do not believe the song's theme is that Martin Luther King and Jesus died because of their love for society. I think the title, 'Pride (In The Name Of Love)', refers to the 'love' that the assassins strongly felt for their beliefs. As Bono repeats the line 'One More In The Name Of Love' over and over, I can't help but think of all the great leaders who have died or all the wars that have been fought for mistaken ideologies. 'One more' refers to another great leader dying and 'In The Name Of Love' refers to the foolish reasons a person might have for wanting them dead. In many cases such as Mark David Chapman (John Lennon's assassin), the assassin does not even hate their target, they are merely in love with the act of taking another life. Bono laments such an immense loss for misguided love, but proclaims that even the act of assassination cannot diminish the leader's pride or accomplishments.

sunshineflower February 27th, 2007 12:30AM  
mate, the lyrics are:
WHAT more in the name of love.
meaning... I don't know. This is purely a guess. meaning "what more will happen to those who stand for what is right in this world?" jesus and MLK loved people and stood for what is good for us all, and they both got killed for it.
i like what was said about many other people who have deid for what is right, all those who fought for our freedom in the two world wars etc... and deid in the fight. Thanks to them we have the rights and freedom we do today.
"pride" the title, could mean that at least these men (and women) died with their dignity, and left legecies never to be forgotten. "they took your life, they could not take your pride" my favourite part of the song :-)

crutchead July 30th, 2007 02:04AM  
I guess the refrain from this song =

'Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride'

- which are the only lines that (albeit all of a sudden) coined the song that refers it to MLK, might've been revised from some lines that could've went something like this originally:

"Early morning - April morn,
A shout cries out from the midst of the sky,
Free at last they took your life,
But they could not take your Life!"

or perhaps something more obvious within the last two lines:

"...Jesus Christ they crucified,
but they could not take your life!"

what more indeed.

anonymous October 25th, 2008 06:51AM  
"Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride" is on Martin Luther King's gravestone

tamcy November 8th, 2008 08:23PM  
Actually MLK's Gravestone reads,"Free at Last, Free at Last. Thank God Almighty I'm Free at Last.

ny7yankee November 20th, 2008 04:23PM  
The great things about art is that you get to interpret work in different ways. I agree with a lot of other posters here on their interpretations. One man come in the name of love One man come and go One come he to justify One man to overthrow This appears to be an accumulation representing the versus that come after. In the name of love What more in the name of love In the name of love What more in the name of love Some other poster perceived this similar to my thoughts. Many people have died fighting for love, or their god, religion. Believing what they were killing for was for all the right reasons. What more in the future has to happen in the name of love? One man caught on a barbed wire fence One man he resist One man washed on an empty beach. One man betrayed with a kiss Ln 1 appears to be a war reference. Not clear which one. Ln 2 a person resiting something, possibly war Ln 3 a dead person washing up onto a beach Ln 4 Jesus being betrayed by Judas Early morning, April 4 Shot rings out in the Memphis sky Free at last, they took your life They could not take your pride Dr. Martin Luther King This is just my interpretation. The great thing about art, it can mean different things to different people.

anonymous February 3rd, 2010 01:35PM  
It is all about martin Luther King and Christ

anonymous February 20th, 2010 05:36PM  
Actually you both are right... Its both one more in the name of love and what more in the name of live.