Until the End of the World
U2 Lyrics
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I was down the hold just passing time
Last time we met was a low-lit room
We were as close together as a bride and groom
We ate the food, we drank the wine
Everybody having a good time
Except you
You were talking about the end of the world
I took the money
I spiked your drink
You miss too much these days if you stop to think
You lead me on with those innocent eyes
You know I love the element of surprise
In the garden I was playing the tart
I kissed your lips and broke your heart
You
You were acting like it was the end of the world
Love, love, love
Love
Love, love
Love, love, love
Love (love)
Love, love
In my dream I was drowning my sorrows
But my sorrows, they learned to swim
Surrounding me, going down on me
Spilling over the brim
Waves of regret and waves of joy
I reached out for the one I tried to destroy
You, you said you'd wait
'Til the end of the world
The song "Until the End of the World" by U2 is a story of betrayal and regret. The first verse sets the scene of two people who haven't seen each other for a while meeting in a room with others, having food, drinks, and fun. However, one of them is not enjoying themselves and is instead talking about the end of the world. The second verse reveals that the other person had spiked their drink and took their money, while also hinting at a romantic relationship between them. The chorus of "love, love, love" serves almost as a distraction, a smokescreen in the midst of the treacherous acts taking place.
The third verse takes on a more surreal tone, with the singer drowning their sorrows in a dream only to find that their sorrows have learned to swim and are now engulfing them. In their desperation, they reach out for the one they had wronged, hoping for forgiveness or redemption. The final line of the chorus, "you said you'd wait 'til the end of the world," takes on a new meaning in this context - perhaps the singer is haunted by the thought that even at the end of everything, they will never be able to make things right.
The song has been interpreted by many as a metaphor for Judas' betrayal of Jesus, with the line "I kissed your lips and broke your heart" referring to the kiss of Judas. However, lead singer Bono has stated that the song is actually about someone who had an affair with his friend's wife - a theme that is certainly present in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Haven't seen you in quite a while
It's been a long time since we've seen each other.
I was down the hold just passing time
I was in a dark place, just killing time.
Last time we met was a low-lit room
The last time we met, it was in a dimly lit room.
We were as close together as a bride and groom
We were close, like newlyweds.
We ate the food, we drank the wine
We had a good time, enjoying food and wine.
Everybody having a good time
Everyone was happy and enjoying themselves.
Except you
But you weren't.
You were talking about the end of the world
You were talking about something dark and catastrophic.
I took the money
I stole from you.
I spiked your drink
I drugged you, to take advantage of you.
You miss too much these days if you stop to think
You lose out on a lot, if you overthink things.
You lead me on with those innocent eyes
You charmed me with your innocent looks.
You know I love the element of surprise
You know I like surprises.
In the garden I was playing the tart
I was playing around, acting promiscuous.
I kissed your lips and broke your heart
I betrayed your trust by kissing you, even though I had bad intentions.
You, you were acting like it was the end of the world
You were acting like something terrible was about to happen.
Love, love, love
The power of love.
Love
Love.
Love, love
Love.
Love, love, love
The strength of love.
Love (love)
Love.
Love, love
Affection.
In my dream I was drowning my sorrows
In my dream, I was overwhelmed by sadness.
But my sorrows, they learned to swim
But my sadness didn't drown, it persisted and multiplied.
Surrounding me, going down on me
I was being engulfed by my struggles.
Spilling over the brim
Overflowing with emotion.
Waves of regret and waves of joy
Experiencing mixed emotions.
I reached out for the one I tried to destroy
I sought comfort from someone I had hurt before.
You, you said you'd wait
You said you'll wait for me.
'Til the end of the world
Until the very end of everything, you'll wait for me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adam Clayton, Dave Evans, Larry Mullen, Paul David Hewson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Martinez
First time I heard this song was in 92', I was on the highway with the top down, heading to partytown. When the guitar solo came up, it sent tingling down my spine, still does to this day.
redshift
And some haters say Edge is a crap guitarist.
Nikola Jelinčić
@redshift They'll have to wait until the end of the world...
Sylvain Laurence
Same for me ,when im working Alone no radio,no distraction on my head looking for a song to sing this on is my best 👑👑
Cindylouwho's
Frisson. Same here!
Benson Hedges
It's the build up atmospheric sounds behind the guitar....amazing!
Richie Aleman
The Fall '91 was the last truly great era of Rock. The breakthrough of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, RHCP, GnR, Alice, REM, NIN, the rise of all/college rock...But Achtung was the best of all the albums that year. No let down and no filler, every song hitting their mark.
Neuquén Max
Oh yeah !!
Stacy Dale Barendse
Seen the concert at the Georgia Dome. Most incredible show ever!
Thomas Fitzsimmons
Probably my FAVORITE U2 song ever