The No Line on the Horizon sessions began with two weeks of recording in Fez, Morocco. Recording took place in rented the courtyard of a hotel Riad, which the band turned into a makeshift recording studio. "Unknown Caller" was recorded in a single take in this time, along with the songs "No Line on the Horizon", "Moment of Surrender", and "White as Snow". A few iterations of the track had previously been developed, but the "definitive version was only ever played once." Guitarist The Edge noted that they "were songs that pretty much came together in the space of a couple of hours, and therefore probably were played in the final incarnation maybe once or twice." Co-writer and producer Daniel Lanois noted that the song "pretty much had its personality intact from day one." The open-air Riad allowed the band to hear the overhead birdsong during their sessions; this was taped and included in the introduction of the song.
In an interview with The Guardian, lead singer Bono stated that he became tired of writing in the first-person, noting that "I'd just worn myself out as a subject matter"; as a result he created several characters, including a traffic cop, a drug addict, and a soldier serving in Afghanistan. The drug addict character appears in "Unknown Caller", as well as in "Moment of Surrender", when the character is having a crisis of faith and is suicidal. In an altered state, the character attempts to use his phone to buy drugs, when he begins receiving cryptic text messages with technology-inspired directions. Mojo noted that the drug addict was "not unusual in this record in being lost, spiritually broken." Some of the lyrics reference Jeremiah 33:3.
Unknown Caller
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sunshine, sunshine
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
I was lost between the midnight and the dawning
In a place of no consequence or company
Three-thirty-three when the numbers fell off the clock face
Go, shout it out, rise up
Oh, oh
Escape yourself, and gravity
Hear me, cease to speak that I may speak
Shush now
Oh, oh
Force quit and move to trash
I was right there at the top of the bottom
On the edge of the known universe where I wanted to be
I had driven to the scene of the accident
And I sat there waiting for me
Restart and re-boot yourself
You're free to go
Oh, oh
Shout for joy if you get the chance
Password, you enter here, right now
Oh, oh
You know your name so punch it in
Hear me, cease to speak that I may speak
Shush now
Oh, oh
Don't move or say a thing
The song "Unknown Caller" by U2 is a reflection on the human journey to find existential meaning and purpose in a disconnected world. The opening lines, "Sunshine, sunshine, Oh, oh" serve as a metaphor for the search for light and hope in a world that can be dark and cold. The singer describes being lost between the midnight and the dawning, struggling to find his place in a world that offers no companionship or comfort.
The line "Three-thirty-three when the numbers fell off the clock face" suggests a moment of crisis or breakdown of order, as if time itself is failing to provide structure or meaning. The lyrics "Escape yourself and gravity, Hear me cease to speak that I may speak, Shush now" suggest a desire to transcend mundane reality and connect with something deeper and more transcendent. The singer urges the listener to "Force quit and move to trash," a metaphor for letting go of old habits and patterns in order to find freedom and renewal.
The chorus "Shout it out, rise up, feel alive again" can be understood as an exhortation to reclaim a sense of purpose and joy in life, despite the challenges and obstacles that we all face. The lyrics "I was right there at the top of the bottom, on the edge of the known universe where I wanted to be" suggest a desire to push beyond conventional boundaries and explore new frontiers of knowledge and understanding.
Overall, "Unknown Caller" is a powerful anthem of hope and inspiration, urging us to embrace life fully and seek out the deeper meaning and purpose that lies beneath the surface of our everyday existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunshine, sunshine
Repetition of a phrase, perhaps to create a calming effect on the listener
Sunshine, sunshine
Repetition of a phrase, perhaps to create a calming effect on the listener
Oh, oh
Repetition of a phrase, possibly to express excitement or anticipation
Oh, oh
Repetition of a phrase, possibly to express excitement or anticipation
I was lost between the midnight and the dawning
The artist feels lost and uncertain during a time of transition
In a place of no consequence or company
The singer is alone and feels disconnected from their surroundings
Three-thirty-three when the numbers fell off the clock face
A specific moment in time when something unexpected happens
Speed dialing with no signal at all
Trying to contact someone without success or response
Go, shout it out, rise up
An encouragement to take action and overcome challenges
Escape yourself, and gravity
Emphasis on breaking free from burdensome or negative forces
Hear me, cease to speak that I may speak
An imperative for the listener to be quiet and pay attention to the singer
Shush now
A further suggestion to be quiet and listen
Force quit and move to trash
A computer-related phrase with a metaphorical meaning of getting rid of negative aspects or starting anew
I was right there at the top of the bottom
A paradoxical statement emphasizing the singer's low point but also highlights their potential for improvement
On the edge of the known universe where I wanted to be
A desire to push boundaries and explore new frontiers
I had driven to the scene of the accident
A figurative reference to going back to a difficult time or situation
And I sat there waiting for me
Waiting for something to change or for self-revelation
Restart and re-boot yourself
Another computer-related phrase of starting again or reinventing oneself
You're free to go
A statement of liberation and possibility
Shout for joy if you get the chance
An exhortation to be optimistic and happy when it's possible
Password, you enter here, right now
A metaphor of taking control of one's life by making choices
You know your name so punch it in
An emphasis on personal identity and taking action
Hear me, cease to speak that I may speak
An imperative for the listener to be quiet and pay attention to the singer
Shush now
A further suggestion to be quiet and listen
Don't move or say a thing
A desire for stillness and contemplation
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Adam Clayton, Dave Evans, Paul David Hewson, Larry Mullen, Daniel Roland Lanois, Brian Eno, Brian Peter George Eno
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