U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name
Bono muses about a plethora of different topics in this incoherent bible of a song.
I want to run
I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I want to reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name
Bono is not happy with his general situation - be it a more overall perspective on where he is in life or perhaps the neighbourhood where he currently resided. It would seem as though he is perilously trapped somewhere with shoddy structuring; he is seriously contemplating tearing down the walls, implying that he is stuck in a portable cabin as opposed to anywhere with solid foundations.
It would also appear that wherever he is there is trouble brewing in the form of fire outside! This must present quite a dilemma for Bono; would he rather be burned alive in a portakabin or would he rather go outside and immerse himself in the flames? Either way the manner in which Bono describes the events going on (nonchalantly; almost with a hint of enthusiasm) could imply that he has sadomasochistic tendencies.
This is all happening in a settlement with poor town planning; perhaps this is a postmodern settlement where the planners got a bit drunk and thought it would be quite amusing to have a town where no-one knew where they were, where they were going or where they wanted to be. Perhaps Bono is one of these sadistic and silly town planners and this is his bizarre little joke on the world.
I want to feel, sunlight on my face
See that dust cloud disappear without a trace
I want to take shelter from the poison rain
Where the streets have no name
Bono quite likes the idea of feeling the warm light on his face; something which is A Good Thing seeing as the small temporary structure he has taken up residence in is currently being threatened by a local blaze. Bono also appears to believe that you can feel UV Rays penetrating the skin on your face; this is not a very nice thing to talk about in lyrics and I think that all of Bono's worries and fears could be allayed by simply applying a stronger UV protection cream.
Just as it appears as though we're in the middle of a fire in the middle of a city that is quite literally in the middle of nowhere and everywhere, there is lots of dust and even more rain; and it appears that this rain is poisonous. It's almost as though this isn't a fire at all but actually some incredible combination of geological conditions that Bono has concocted through his lyrics. Indeed this is a deep and interesting song it would seem, dealing with issues of architecture, town planning and now geology. Fascinating stuff.
Bono continues here to eulogise about this town where the streets have no name. Another potential theory here is that perhaps vandals stole the street signs? With the youth of today this really wouldn't surprise me.
Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love, burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you...
(its all I can do)
It seems as though Bono is likening love to a physical structure! A structure which can be found in this town where all the street signs have been stolen by local vandals; this is an unfortunate coincidence as even if this building did exist (and I for one doubt this inherently) Bono would only be able to tell us where it was with great difficulty - via the form of gestured directions. Though knowing Bono he would try and do it via song form...
Either way Bono then reveals his arsonistic elements by saying that if this building representing the emotion of love did exist, he would do his upmost to ensure it was burned down. Probably some Christian thing or something...
The cities a flood
And our love turns to rust
Were beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled into dust
Ill show you a place
High on ta desert plain
Where the streets have no name
And so it would appear as though this land of nameless streets is underwater (despite five minutes ago being, er, on fire) and that the building that had been constructed has, well, not been constructed with flood prevention in mind and as such has turned rusty. This is not a good thing and it would seem as though Bono is slightly sour about everything that has gone on in these verses.
To sum up, this piece by U2 perhaps doesn't deserve classic status, but it is nevertheless an interesting collection of muses on a variety of subjects courtesy of Bono.
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