Zooropa
U2 Lyrics


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(What do you want?)
(What do you want?)

Zooropa vorsprung durch technik
Zooropa be all that you can be
Be a winner
Eat to get slimmer
Zooropa bluer kind of white
Zooropa it could be yours tonight
We're mild and green
And squeaky clean

(What do you want?)
(What do you want?)
(What do you want?)
(What do you want?)

Zooropa better by design
Zooropa fly the friendly skies
Through appliance of science
We've got that ring of confidence

And I have no compass
And I have no map
And I have no reasons
No reasons to get back

And I have no religion
And I don't know what's what
And I don't know the limit
The limit of what we've got

Don't worry baby, it'll be alright
You got the right shoes
To get you through the night
It's cold outside, but brightly lit
Skip the subway
Let's go to the overground
Get your head out of the mud baby
Put flowers in the mud baby
Overground

No particular place names
No particular song
I've been hiding
What am I hiding from

Don't worry baby, it's gonna be alright
Uncertainty can be a guiding light
I hear voices, ridiculous voices
Out in the slipstream
Let's go, let's go overground
Take your head out of the mud baby

She's gonna dream up
The world she wants to live in
She's gonna dream out loud




She's gonna dream out loud
Dream out loud

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of U2’s “Zooropa” seem to be a reflection on society and our obsession with technology, consumerism, and success at any cost. The opening lines, “What do you want?”, can be interpreted as a challenge to the listener to examine their desires and motivations. The references to “vorsprung durch technik” (advancement through technology), eating to get slimmer, and the ring of confidence all speak to the idea of using science and material possessions to improve and promote ourselves.


However, the chorus also seems to criticize this mindset, using the imagery of “mild and green” and “squeaky clean” to suggest a superficial and sterile existence. The third verse adds to this critique with the lines “And I have no religion / And I don’t know what’s what / And I don’t know the limit / The limit of what we’ve got”, highlighting the emptiness of a world focused solely on individual success and technological progress.


The song’s bridge, “Don’t worry baby, it’ll be alright / Uncertainty can be a guiding light”, seems to be a message of hope and an encouragement to embrace the unknown rather than relying on material possessions and societal norms for happiness. The final lines, “She’s gonna dream up / The world she wants to live in / She’s gonna dream out loud / Dream out loud”, are a call to action for the listener to imagine and work towards a better world beyond the limitations of our current societal structures.


Overall, “Zooropa” is a complex critique of modern society that encourages listeners to question their values and consider what truly matters in life.


Line by Line Meaning

Zooropa vorsprung durch technik
Zooropa - an imaginary place, vorsprung durch technik - being ahead through technology.


Zooropa be all that you can be
In Zooropa, you can be whoever you want to be and achieve everything you can.


Be a winner
In Zooropa, you must be a winner.


Eat to get slimmer
In Zooropa, to be a winner, you must eat healthy and stay fit.


Zooropa bluer kind of white
In Zooropa, everything is blue and white with a shade of green.


Zooropa it could be yours tonight
Zooropa is attainable tonight.


We're mild and green
In Zooropa, everything is peaceful and eco-friendly.


And squeaky clean
In Zooropa, everything is clean and spotless.


Zooropa better by design
In Zooropa, everything is designed to be better.


Zooropa fly the friendly skies
In Zooropa, traveling is easy and friendly.


Through appliance of science
Zooropa relies heavily on advances in science and technology.


We've got that ring of confidence
In Zooropa, people have confidence in their abilities due to the advancements in science and technology.


And I have no compass
The singer is lost and directionless.


And I have no map
The singer has no plan or direction.


And I have no reasons
The singer has no motivation or purpose.


No reasons to get back
The artist has nothing to go back to, no sense of home or stability.


And I have no religion
The artist lacks faith or belief.


And I don't know what's what
The singer is lost and confused.


And I don't know the limit
The singer is unsure of what their potential is.


The limit of what we've got
There is a limit to what we can achieve without direction or purpose.


Don't worry baby, it'll be alright
Things will be okay in the end.


You got the right shoes
The artist is equipped with what they need to get through this.


To get you through the night
The singer needs these shoes to keep going through the night, or this difficult moment.


It's cold outside, but brightly lit
The world might be harsh, but it's still beautiful.


Skip the subway
Don't settle for the standard, try something new.


Let's go to the overground
Let's look for something higher or greater.


Get your head out of the mud baby
Don't be stuck in a rut, look up and forward.


Put flowers in the mud baby
Try to make the best out of bad situations.


No particular place names
The artist isn't tied to any specific places or things.


No particular song
The singer isn't tied to any specific songs or sounds.


I've been hiding
The singer has been hiding something.


What am I hiding from
The artist isn't sure why they're hiding.


Uncertainty can be a guiding light
Not knowing can sometimes help guide you to where you need to go.


I hear voices, ridiculous voices
The artist hears voices, maybe mockingly telling them what to do.


Out in the slipstream
The singer is lost and confused.


Let's go, let's go overground
The artist wants to explore and move forward.


Take your head out of the mud baby
The singer is telling us to shake off our distractions and look forward.


She's gonna dream up
Someone (likely a young girl, given the use of 'she/her') is going to imagine a better future.


The world she wants to live in
The girl is imagining a world that's better than the one we live in now.


She's gonna dream out loud
She's going to tell everyone what she imagines.


Dream out loud
It's important to speak our imaginings out loud and not keep them to ourselves.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adam Clayton, Dave Evans, Larry Mullen, Paul Hewson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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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
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

There's a part of me in chaos that's quiet
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

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