White As Snow
U2 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
U2's song “White as Snow” from their 2009 album No Line on the Horizon is a reflection on the fragility of human relationships in the context of war, specifically the war in Afghanistan. The lyrics paint a stark contrast between the flat and endless landscape of the American midwest where the singer grew up and the snowy, mountainous terrain of Afghanistan. The song's title is a reference to a psalm that speaks of God's power to wash away human sins and make them “white as snow”. The singer's journey from flat American fields to the rugged mountains of Afghanistan reflects his own search for redemption and forgiveness.
The song starts by describing the singer's early life in the American midwest where there were no hills and the land was flat. He talks about spending hours driving with his brother, but their faces looked as pale as dirty snow. This is a metaphor for their empty lives, without meaning or purpose. He then describes a time when he believed in divine love, but eventually began to question whether it was real or not. The lyrics then turn to the landscape of Afghanistan, with the “water icy” and the road refusing strangers. Here the singer is searching for the lamb that could be as white as snow, seeking a symbol of purity and redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
Where I came from were no hills at all
The place where I grew up was completely flat with no hills or mountains.
The land was flat, the highway straight and wide
The land was absolutely flat, and the roads were built straight and wide.
My brother and I, we'd drive for hours, like we'd years instead of days
We used to drive for hours, but it felt like we had been driving for years instead of just days.
Our faces as pale as the dirty snow
We were so tired from driving that our faces looked as pale as the dirty snow on the side of the road.
Once I knew there was a love divine
There was a time when I used to believe that there was a powerful, divine love that existed in the world.
Then came a time I thought it knew me not
But later on, I started to feel like this divine love didn't really know or understand me anymore.
Who can forgive forgiveness when forgiveness is not?
It's difficult to forgive someone for something if they don't even acknowledge that they did anything wrong in the first place.
Only the land as white as snow
There's nothing that can forgive like a blank slate, or a completely pure and unmarked piece of land covered in white snow.
And the water it was icy
When I was going through a tough time, the water I encountered felt cold and uninviting.
As it washed over me
But even though the water felt freezing, I still allowed it to wash over and envelop me.
And the moon shined above me
As I faced my troubles, the moon was shining in the sky above me, offering a glimmer of hope.
Now this dry ground it bears no fruit at all
The landscape that surrounds me now is barren and dry, with no visible signs of life or growth.
Only poppies laugh under the crescent moon
The only sign of life in this desolate place is a field of poppies, which seem to be blooming and laughing under the light of the crescent moon.
The road refuses strangers
The path I'm on is narrow and unwelcoming, refusing to let anyone unfamiliar or different pass through.
The land the seeds we sow
The land we live on can only produce what we plant and nurture, and right now it seems like there's no hope for anything new to grow.
Where might we find the lamb as white as snow
Where can we find something or someone truly innocent and pure, like a lamb covered in white snow?
As boys we would go hunting in the woods
When my brother and I were young, we used to hunt in the nearby woods for fun.
To sleep, the night shun out the stars
We used to sleep outside in the woods, and the darkness was so complete that we couldn't even see the stars.
Now the wolves are every passing stranger
Unfortunately, now it seems like every new person we meet could be a potential threat, like a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Every face we cannot know
It's difficult to trust anyone when we can't be sure who they really are, or what they might be capable of.
For only a heart could be as white as snow
Ultimately, the only thing that can truly be pure and innocent is a person's heart or soul.
For only a heart could be as white as snow
This sentiment is so important that it's worth repeating again - it's only through our actions and the purity of our hearts that we can hope to find peace and forgiveness.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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