White As Snow
09. U2 Lyrics
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The land was flat, the highway straight and wide
My brother and I, we'd drive for hours, like we'd years instead of days
Our faces as pale as the dirty snow
Once I knew there was a love divine
Then came a time I thought it knew me not
Who can forgive forgiveness when forgiveness is not?
And the water it was icy
As it washed over me
And the moon shined above me
Now this dry ground it bears no fruit at all
Only poppies laugh under the crescent moon
The road refuses strangers
The land the seeds we sow
Where might we find the lamb as white as snow
As boys we would go hunting in the woods
To sleep, the night shun out the stars
Now the wolves are every passing stranger
Every face we cannot know
For only a heart could be as white as snow
For only a heart could be as white as snow
In the song "White as Snow", U2's lead singer Bono sings about his childhood memories of driving through the flatlands with his brother. He describes the landscape as having no hills, only long straight highways. Despite spending hours driving, the pair feels like they have been spending years traversing through the snow-covered land. Bono then transitions to his spiritual beliefs, stating that he used to believe in divine love until a time when he thought it had abandoned him. He questions the concept of forgiveness and wonders if it's possible to forgive someone when they don't offer forgiveness in return. The only refuge he finds from these dark thoughts is in the land as white as snow, and the icy waters that wash over him.
The song continues on to reflect on how the world has changed since those childhood days, with the dry ground bearing no fruit, only poppies, and the road refusing strangers. Bono's lyrics suggest that even the land has become unwelcoming to outsiders. The last verse speaks of the metaphorical wolves that roam every street and every face, strangers that are unknown to us. However, the final line offers hope in the form of a white lamb, suggestive of purity and salvation.
Line by Line Meaning
Where I came from were no hills at all
The place I came from was completely flat with no hills.
The land was flat, the highway straight and wide
The land was very flat and open, there weren't any curves in the road.
My brother and I, we'd drive for hours, like we'd years instead of days
When my brother and I would drive, it felt like we were driving for a long time, almost like years instead of just a few days.
Our faces as pale as the dirty snow
We looked very pale, almost like the color of dirty snow.
Once I knew there was a love divine
I used to believe in a love that felt pure and inspired by a higher power.
Then came a time I thought it knew me not
Later on, I started to doubt this love and felt like it didn't understand me.
Who can forgive forgiveness when forgiveness is not?
How can forgiveness be given if it was never asked for or given in the first place?
Only the land as white as snow
Perhaps only our surroundings, something natural and pure like white snow, can offer true forgiveness.
And the water it was icy
The water was extremely cold and freezing.
As it washed over me
As I was surrounded by this freezing water.
And the moon shined above me
The moon was shining brightly and illuminating everything around me.
Now this dry ground it bears no fruit at all
The land is so dry and barren that nothing can grow or be produced.
Only poppies laugh under the crescent moon
The only visible sign of life are the flowers that are illuminated by the moonlight.
The road refuses strangers
The road no longer welcomes outsiders or new people.
The land the seeds we sow
The land is the place where we sow our hopes and dreams.
Where might we find the lamb as white as snow
Where can we find pure innocence and perfection that can forgive without hesitation?
As boys we would go hunting in the woods
When we were young boys, we would go hunting in the forest.
To sleep, the night shun out the stars
At night when we went to bed, there were so many trees around that we couldn't see any stars.
Now the wolves are every passing stranger
Nowadays, every person passing by seems like a wolf, a potential danger or threat.
Every face we cannot know
Everyone we don't recognize or know feels like an unknown and unpredictable danger.
For only a heart could be as white as snow
Perhaps only our hearts can be pure, innocent and forgiving like white snow.
For only a heart could be as white as snow
Reinforcing the idea that true purity and forgiveness can only come from within ourselves, from our hearts.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BRIAN PETER GEORGE ENO, ADAM CLAYTON, DAVID EVANS, PAUL DAVID HEWSON, DANIEL ROLAND LANOIS, LAURENCE MULLEN JNR., Barry Gray
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind