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Cedarwood Road
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The fear was all I knew
I was looking for a soul that's real
Then I ran into you
And that cherry blossom tree
Was a gateway to the sun
And friendship, once it's won
It's won, it's one
Northside
Just across the river to the Southside
That's a long way here
All the green and all the gold
The hurt you hide
The joy you hold
The foolish pride
That gets you out the door
Up on Cedarwood, Cedarwood Road
Sleepwalking down the road
And not waking from these dreams
'Cause it's never dead
It's still my head
It was a war zone in my teens
I'm still standing on that street
Still need an enemy
The worst ones I can't see
You can, you can
Northside
Just across the river from the Southside
That's a long way here
All the green and all the gold
The hurt you hide
And the joy you hold
The foolish pride
That sends you back for more
Up on Cedarwood, Cedarwood Road
If the door is open it isn't theft
You can't return to where you've never left
Blossoms falling from a tree
They cover you and cover me
Symbols clashing, bibles smashing
Paint the world you need to see
And sometimes fear is the only place
That we can call our home
Cedarwood Road
And a heart that is broken
Is a heart that is open
Open, open
The song "Cedarwood Road" by U2 is a reflection of the lead singer Bono's childhood in a working-class area of Dublin, Ireland. The song is named after the street Bono grew up on, and the lyrics describe his experiences, both good and bad. The song begins with Bono running down the road, filled with fear and searching for something real. He then encounters someone - possibly a friend, lover, or mentor - and a cherry blossom tree that opens him up to the possibility of friendship and love. The song then explores themes of isolation and division, with Bono singing about the differences between the wealthy Northside and the poorer Southside areas of Dublin, and how those differences can create barriers between people.
The lyrics also touch on the pain and joy that we all experience in life, particularly in our youth. Bono sings about the "hurt you hide" and the "foolish pride" that can motivate us to keep going even when things are tough. He acknowledges that life can be a war zone, particularly for teenagers, but that we can still find hope and positivity in the world around us. The idea that sometimes "fear is the only place that we can call our home" is a poignant reminder that even when things are difficult, we can still find comfort in our own vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
I was running down the road
I was running in search of something.
The fear was all I knew
I was filled with fear.
I was looking for a soul that's real
I was in search of a genuine connection with someone.
Then I ran into you
Then I met you and something changed.
And that cherry blossom tree
That cherry blossom tree was significant.
Was a gateway to the sun
It was a way for me to see the light.
And friendship, once it's won
A true friendship is hard to find, but once found, it's forever.
It's won, it's one
It's been won and it's now a part of my life.
All the green and all the gold
The beauty in life and the preciousness of it all.
The hurt you hide
The pain that we keep hidden from others.
The joy you hold
The happiness we hold onto in life.
The foolish pride
The arrogance that we sometimes possess.
That gets you out the door
That drives us to take action and move forward in life.
Up on Cedarwood, Cedarwood Road
On this street where I grew up.
Sleepwalking down the road
The state of being lost and unaware.
And not waking from these dreams
Being unable to face reality.
'Cause it's never dead
The past is never truly gone.
It's still my head
It's still in my mind.
It was a war zone in my teens
It was a difficult and tumultuous time for me as a teenager.
I'm still standing on that street
I'm still in the same place where I grew up.
Still need an enemy
I still need to find someone or something to blame for my problems.
The worst ones I can't see
The biggest problems are the ones that are hidden.
You can, you can
But you have a clearer vision than I do.
If the door is open it isn't theft
If something is given willingly, it isn't stealing to take it.
You can't return to where you've never left
You can't go back to something that never existed.
Blossoms falling from a tree
The fleeting nature of life and beauty.
They cover you and cover me
We are all connected by life.
Symbols clashing, bibles smashing
The disagreements and conflicts that exist between different belief systems.
Paint the world you need to see
You have the power to shape the world around you.
And sometimes fear is the only place
Sometimes fear is all we have left.
That we can call our home
A place of familiarity and safety, even if it's not healthy.
And a heart that is broken
A heart that is hurting and damaged.
Is a heart that is open
A heart that is vulnerable and willing to heal and love again.
Open, open
Open to the possibilities of life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adam Clayton, Dave Evans, Paul David Hewson, Larry Mullen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
A me
on eleven o' clock tick tock
And girls can make children but not like this one...so will just have to walk around with a painted face then...
LMewdowlark
on One
Baby, baby, baby, I know I'm not alone
Ha, ha, ha
Oh, it's not a hill it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
You see, for me, I've been shouting
Let's shout into the darkness, squeeze out sparks of light
You know we're gonna go crazy, you know we'll go crazy
You know we'll go crazy, if we don't go crazy tonight
Oh, slowly
Oh
Hold me slow
Again, these are the wrong lyrics. They are not the lyrics for 'One' but a different song. I pasted the correct lyrics in my other comment.
LMewdowlark
on One
And there's a part of you that wants me to riot
Everybody needs to cry or needs to spit
Every sweet-tooth needs just a little hit
Every beauty needs to go out with an idiot
How can you stand next to the truth and not see it?
Oh, change of heart comes slow
It's not a hill, it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
Do you believe me or are you doubting?
We're gonna make it all the way to the light
But I know I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight
Every generation gets a chance to change the world
Pity the nation that won't listen to you boys and girls
Is the sweetest melody the one we haven't heard?
Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear?
The right to be ridiculous is something I hold dear
Oh, but change of heart comes slow
It's not a hill, it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
You see, for me, I've been shouting
But we're gonna make it all the way to the light
But I know I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight
Is it getting better
Or do you feel the same?
Will it make it easier on you now
You got someone to blame?
You say, one love, one life
When it's one need in the night
One love, we get to share it
Leaves you, baby, if you don't care for it
Did I disappoint you
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth?
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go without
Well, it's too late tonight
To drag the past out into the light
We're one, but we're not the same
We get to carry each other, carry each other
One
Have you come here for forgiveness?
Have you come to raise the dead?
Have you come here to play Jesus?
To the lepers in your head
Did I ask too much? More than a lot
You gave me nothing, now it's all I got
We're one but we're not the same
Well, we hurt each other then we do it again
You say love is a temple, love a higher law
Love is a temple, love the higher law
You ask me to enter but then you make me crawl
And I can't be holdin' on to what you got
When all you got is hurt
One love, one blood
One life, you got to do what you should
One life with each other
Sisters, brothers
One life but we're not the same
We get to carry each other, carry each other
One
One