"UNOS, DOS, TRES, CATORCE!": DOES THIS STRANGE COUNTING AT THE BEGINNING OF U2'S SINGLE "VERTIGO" MEAN SOMETHING?
And now for something completely different. Well, o.k. not completely different, but it is pop culture, so it’s a bit different. U2’s new single Vertigo, off their album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb starts with, as do many songs, a count. And, like Wooly Bully, it's in Spanish. But Bono doesn’t say “Uno, dos, tres, cuatro.” He says, "UNOS dos, tres, CATORCE", meaning "Some two, three, fourteen".
So why does he do that? What, if anything, does it mean? Here, along with my analysis of the entire song, with pertinent lyrics in boldface, is my educated guess.
From what I can gather, the song is about a guy, a believer, maybe Bono, in the setting of a meat market nightclub. And the subtext is about darkness - temptation, grace and therefore redemption through prayer:
The song begins, after the counting, and a request for the “Captain” to “turn it up loud” "The lights go down, it’s dark"..."at a place called Vertigo"... “And though your soul it can’t be bought, your mind can wander.”
“Hello, hello. Hola.” Addressing, calling out for someone in the dark. That someone I would say is God. “Donde estas?” “Where are you?” God cannot always be seen in the darkness.
“Except you give me something I can feel.” Sometimes we can fell God’s presence.
“The night is full of holes, Those bullets rip the sky, Of ink with gold.” Light shines through the darkness.
“All of this can be yours" - an allusion to Satan's temptation of Christ – “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’” Mt. 4:8-9. One has the high mountain, giving the sense of vertigo along with the temptation. The next line alludes to the same chapter of Matthew: “Just give me what I want and no one gets hurt” which is also a temptation from a high place. “Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will give his angels charge of you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'’” Mt. 4:5-6.
Then we are introduced to "A girl with crimson nails” who “has Jesus 'round her neck" – A girl with crimson nails “swinging to the music” – temptation again. But crimson nails – are they not the nails of the cross stained with blood? And then there is her crucifix neckless, which serves as light in the darkness, a gift, a bestowal of grace, and a reminder to this guy in the club. "You give me something I can feel" - its not just about thoughts, which are not as strong as feelings. "...teaching me how to kneel" - obviously to pray, to worship.
So what is the "some 2:3-14"? My guess: John 2:3-14 which fits the subtext of the song:
"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the DARKNESS is passing away, and the true LIGHT is already shining. 9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. 13 I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, BECAUSE YOU HAVE OVERCOME THE WICKED ONE. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one."
I could be wrong, but its the best explanation I've seen yet.
So why does he do that? What, if anything, does it mean? Here, along with my analysis of the entire song, with pertinent lyrics in boldface, is my educated guess.
From what I can gather, the song is about a guy, a believer, maybe Bono, in the setting of a meat market nightclub. And the subtext is about darkness - temptation, grace and therefore redemption through prayer:
The song begins, after the counting, and a request for the “Captain” to “turn it up loud” "The lights go down, it’s dark"..."at a place called Vertigo"... “And though your soul it can’t be bought, your mind can wander.”
“Hello, hello. Hola.” Addressing, calling out for someone in the dark. That someone I would say is God. “Donde estas?” “Where are you?” God cannot always be seen in the darkness.
“Except you give me something I can feel.” Sometimes we can fell God’s presence.
“The night is full of holes, Those bullets rip the sky, Of ink with gold.” Light shines through the darkness.
“All of this can be yours" - an allusion to Satan's temptation of Christ – “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’” Mt. 4:8-9. One has the high mountain, giving the sense of vertigo along with the temptation. The next line alludes to the same chapter of Matthew: “Just give me what I want and no one gets hurt” which is also a temptation from a high place. “Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will give his angels charge of you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'’” Mt. 4:5-6.
Then we are introduced to "A girl with crimson nails” who “has Jesus 'round her neck" – A girl with crimson nails “swinging to the music” – temptation again. But crimson nails – are they not the nails of the cross stained with blood? And then there is her crucifix neckless, which serves as light in the darkness, a gift, a bestowal of grace, and a reminder to this guy in the club. "You give me something I can feel" - its not just about thoughts, which are not as strong as feelings. "...teaching me how to kneel" - obviously to pray, to worship.
So what is the "some 2:3-14"? My guess: John 2:3-14 which fits the subtext of the song:
"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the DARKNESS is passing away, and the true LIGHT is already shining. 9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. 13 I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, BECAUSE YOU HAVE OVERCOME THE WICKED ONE. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one."
I could be wrong, but its the best explanation I've seen yet.
posted by BarbariansAtBay at
5:22 PM
