The song came out of a jam with the band during the All That You Can't Leave Behind sessions. Bono has noted that his voice was in terrible shape at the time of the recording of this song. The lyrics refer to a hangover, in the vein of their Achtung Baby track "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World," which describes a person trying to get home drunk. However, Bono has noted in live performances that it became a gospel song after he heard that Joey Ramone, the iconic front man of the legendary punk band, The Ramones, listened to this song as his final one on his deathbed.
In a Little While
U2 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Surely you'll be mine
In a little while, I'll be there
In a little while
This hurt will hurt no more
I'll be home, love
When the night takes a deep breath
If I crawl, if I come crawling home
Will you be there?
In a little while
I won't be blown by every breeze
Friday night running to Sunday on my knees
That girl, that girl she's mine
Well I've known her since
Since she was
A little girl with Spanish eyes
When I saw her first in a pram they pushed her by
Oh uh my, my how you've grown
Well it's been, it's been a little while
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Slow down my beating heart
A man dreams one day to fly
A man takes a rocket ship into the skies
He lives on a star that's dying in the night
And follows in the trail, the scatter of light
Turn it on
Turn it on, you turn me on
Slow down my beating heart
Slowly, slowly love
Slow down my beating heart
Slowly, slowly love
Slow down my beating heart
Slowly, slowly love
The song "In a Little While" by U2 is a love song filled with longing and desire. The lyrics describe a man who is waiting for a woman to be his, and promises that he will be there for her soon. The first verse sets the tone of the song, where the singer reassures his lover that the pain of being apart will come to an end and they will be together soon. The second verse describes the desperation of the singer - he asks if she will be there for him if he comes back crawling, indicating that he is willing to do anything to be with her. The third verse is nostalgic, as he remembers the first time he saw her as a girl with "Spanish eyes." He marvels at how she has grown and how they have come a long way since then.
The chorus of the song has the singer wishing for his heart to slow down, and for him to be with his lover slowly, gradually. This reflects the greater theme of the song, that love is not an instant, but something that takes time to fully realize. The use of rocket ships and dying stars in the bridge paint a picture of the grandiose and infinite that love can inspire, and perhaps hint at the idea that love can also be fleeting.
Overall, "In a Little While" is a song that speaks to the passionate yet deliberate nature of love, and is a testament to the enduring spirit of U2's music.
Line by Line Meaning
In a little while
Soon, at some point in the near future
Surely you'll be mine
I will have possession of you, we will be together
In a little while, I'll be there
I will be present and near to you soon
This hurt will hurt no more
The pain that is felt will subside eventually
I'll be home, love
I will be where I belong, with the one I love
When the night takes a deep breath
When darkness falls and the night becomes quiet
And the daylight has no air
When the sun rises, but there is no life or energy in the day
If I crawl, if I come crawling home
If I return on hands and knees, begging for another chance
Will you be there?
Will you still be present and available for me?
I won't be blown by every breeze
I will no longer be swayed or influenced easily
Friday night running to Sunday on my knees
Living life recklessly, from partying on Friday to repenting on Sunday
That girl, that girl she's mine
A girl that I am in love with, who belongs to me
Well I've known her since
I have been acquainted with her for some time
Since she was
From the time when she
A little girl with Spanish eyes
A young girl with eyes that resemble those of someone from Spain
When I saw her first in a pram they pushed her by
The first time I laid eyes on her, she was being pushed in a baby carriage
Oh uh my, my how you've grown
My, oh my, look at how much you have grown since then
Well it's been, it's been a little while
It has been some time since then
Slow down my beating heart
Calm my racing heart
A man dreams one day to fly
It is common for people to have aspirations of great achievement
A man takes a rocket ship into the skies
He may achieve this by using advanced technology like a rocket ship
He lives on a star that's dying in the night
He is achieving something great, but it may be fleeting
And follows in the trail, the scatter of light
He chases after and is motivated by the trail of success left by others
Turn it on
Switch on the light or the music, start something up
Turn it on, you turn me on
When you start something up, it motivates and excites me as well
Slowly, slowly love
Take things at a comfortable, measured pace when it comes to love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adam Clayton, Dave Evans, Larry Mullen, Paul Hewson
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