Stay & Staring At The Sun

zooroper · 02-04-2005, 04:49 AM

Ok...I really don't get these ones...call me stoopid anytime.

about starin at the sun - he's probably thinking on about lying on the beach, looking at he girls blah blah blah...but what is the true meaning?

and stay - is it really about an angel who falls in love with a mortal...like in that wim wenders movie?

Ellay · 02-04-2005, 06:29 AM

I think it's about people who're so entrenched in their beliefs, or way of life, that they refuse to even consider alternatives, and suffer as a result.

I've always taken it to be based upon the conflict in Northern Ireland. There are people on both sides that are so stubborn that they refuse to compromise, even though the outcome would be beneficial. And they're quite happy leaving it that way. ie Happy to go blind.

zooroper · 02-04-2005, 08:15 AM

mmm...interesting. never tought of that way.

thx

what about stay?

BVS · 02-04-2005, 09:14 AM

I always saw Stay as a man who's in love with a woman who's in an abusive relationship. She's a victim in her relationship but she takes the man who's actually in love with her for granted and she's the vampire in that relationship.

zooroper · 02-04-2005, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BonoVoxSupastar
I always saw Stay as a man who's in love with a woman who's in an abusive relationship. She's a victim in her relationship but she takes the man who's actually in love with her for granted and she's the vampire in that relationship.

Interesting!

Same with me.

Since it was a soundtrack for that Wim Wenders movie, I tought of it as a woman who is not in love with that Angel who is willing to stop his angelhood. So he stops beein an Angel because of her, but she leaves him.

Sad.

OnFire · 02-17-2005, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by zooroper
and stay - is it really about an angel who falls in love with a mortal...like in that wim wenders movie?

Maybe, or maybe not. The subject of the song is never referred to by gender although it is presumed to me female because of the movie and there is a "he" that's doing the hitting and hurting .

An alternate theory though could be that the subject is a he, namely The Wanderer, voiced by Johnny Cash and depicted as the poorly drawn astronaut circled by stars on the album cover. In this theory, all the songs on Zooropa are related somehow to the Wanderer and the good and evil spirits that are struggling for his soul. So Stay would have the angel feeling sorry for the Wanderer and pondering giving up his divinity to directly intervene in his life.

Just a theory, and no I'm not stoned.

thousandfold · 02-17-2005, 09:18 AM

In the book U2 At the End of the World, Bono specifically says "Stay" is talking about a woman (being hit, etc.). I've always stuck with the angel backstory for that song.

As for "Staring at the Sun," I like #2 on this page: http://hem.bredband.net/steverud/U2MoL/Pop/staring.html

Lynz778 · 02-18-2005, 11:26 PM

This might be wrong but to me staring at the sun was about all the people in Africa who were starving and all.

Marusa · 02-19-2005, 04:17 AM

I prefer that Angel story, too

prisz25 · 03-14-2005, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by thousandfold
As for "Staring at the Sun," I like #2 on this page: http://hem.bredband.net/steverud/U2MoL/Pop/staring.html

I totally agree with that one too!! I have recently rediscovered this song on the slane DVD It is such an amazing SONG! I love it and all the underlying meanings make it even better!!!

Ifeelnumb84 · 03-23-2005, 01:48 PM

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/drugs/lsdsun.htm

This is probably unrelated, but you never know...

pookersmom · 03-24-2005, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by thousandfold
In the book U2 At the End of the World, Bono specifically says "Stay" is talking about a woman (being hit, etc.). I've always stuck with the angel backstory for that song.

Ah, thank you -- so that's where I read that. I remember thinking that was what the song was about, and then reading about Bono saying that and feeling vindicated, but couldn't remember where I read it.

Meghan · 04-24-2005, 10:06 PM

i always thought SATS was about peoples tendency to look away when there are problems in faraway places. they always only look at the bright side of the world (the sun) and go blind to the catastrophies that are happening to less fortunate people.
He seems to talk about how tempting it is to ignore problems you can't see, sometimes arguing with someone who is trying to tell him to care about these things. "I'm not the only one, who'd rather go blind"
This, to me makes so much sense, at least in the chorus of the song, but that doesn't mean this is the true meaning, it's just how i like to look at it.

If you figure an interpretation that means something to YOU, then go with it, it doesn't really matter what Bono was thinking at the time, in the end, a song is just a personal thing.
If you reckon its about cottage cheese, and that means something to you, then just keep thinking that. Don't ruin a song by letting someone else interpret it for you.

(This doesn't mean i never read interpretations (i own Into the Heart) it just means you have to keep an open mind when you're reading them, don't assume you're wrong or right -- everyone's opinion is valid)

shmu · 09-23-2006, 05:29 PM

Apparently there was a myth going around in the 60s that university students were so tripped out on acid that they burnt part of their corneas by staring at the sun and became blind. I think what bono is saying is that he rather dig deep inside and risk going blind than not knowing about himself.

I am not saying bono did acid. Maybe he did maybe he did not. If he did it would not surprise me. His lyrics definitely tap into a deeper level of consciousness. Regardless, this song may not be autobiographical but of a feeling that a certain group of students had (which was reflective of a certain time and feeling in the usa) that he was able to tap into. He may not condone their use of drugs but he could understand what they were feeling. For more information about the "staring at the sun" story you can find it at

erowid.org/chemicals/lsd/lsd_myth6.shtml

02-04-2005, 04:49 AM	#1
zooroper The Fly Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Split, Croatia Posts: 167 Local Time: 03:11 PM	Stay & Staring At The Sun Ok...I really don't get these ones...call me stoopid anytime. about starin at the sun - he's probably thinking on about lying on the beach, looking at he girls blah blah blah...but what is the true meaning? and stay - is it really about an angel who falls in love with a mortal...like in that wim wenders movie?

02-17-2005, 09:18 AM	#7
thousandfold The Fly Premium Silver Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: a basement on the hill Posts: 250 Local Time: 07:11 AM	In the book U2 At the End of the World, Bono specifically says "Stay" is talking about a woman (being hit, etc.). I've always stuck with the angel backstory for that song. As for "Staring at the Sun," I like #2 on this page: http://hem.bredband.net/steverud/U2MoL/Pop/staring.html __________________ "everybody knows you only live a day but it's brilliant anyway" - "Independence Day," Elliott Smith

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02-04-2005, 06:29 AM	#2
Ellay Refugee Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: England Posts: 2,015 Local Time: 03:11 PM	I think it's about people who're so entrenched in their beliefs, or way of life, that they refuse to even consider alternatives, and suffer as a result. I've always taken it to be based upon the conflict in Northern Ireland. There are people on both sides that are so stubborn that they refuse to compromise, even though the outcome would be beneficial. And they're quite happy leaving it that way. ie Happy to go blind.

02-04-2005, 08:15 AM	#3
zooroper The Fly Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Split, Croatia Posts: 167 Local Time: 03:11 PM	mmm...interesting. never tought of that way. thx what about stay?

02-18-2005, 11:26 PM	#8
Lynz778 The Fly Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Australia...Canberra (unfortunatly :P) Posts: 226 Local Time: 02:11 AM	This might be wrong but to me staring at the sun was about all the people in Africa who were starving and all.

02-19-2005, 04:17 AM	#9
Marusa Acrobat Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Slovenia Posts: 383 Local Time: 04:11 PM	I prefer that Angel story, too

03-23-2005, 01:48 PM	#11
Ifeelnumb84 War Child Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Lexington/Marlborough, MA Posts: 655 Local Time: 10:11 AM	http://www.snopes.com/horrors/drugs/lsdsun.htm This is probably unrelated, but you never know...

04-24-2005, 10:06 PM	#13
Meghan Refugee Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: A scatter of light Posts: 1,489 Local Time: 02:11 AM	i always thought SATS was about peoples tendency to look away when there are problems in faraway places. they always only look at the bright side of the world (the sun) and go blind to the catastrophies that are happening to less fortunate people. He seems to talk about how tempting it is to ignore problems you can't see, sometimes arguing with someone who is trying to tell him to care about these things. "I'm not the only one, who'd rather go blind" This, to me makes so much sense, at least in the chorus of the song, but that doesn't mean this is the true meaning, it's just how i like to look at it. If you figure an interpretation that means something to YOU, then go with it, it doesn't really matter what Bono was thinking at the time, in the end, a song is just a personal thing. If you reckon its about cottage cheese, and that means something to you, then just keep thinking that. Don't ruin a song by letting someone else interpret it for you. (This doesn't mean i never read interpretations (i own Into the Heart) it just means you have to keep an open mind when you're reading them, don't assume you're wrong or right -- everyone's opinion is valid)

09-23-2006, 05:29 PM	#14
shmu Babyface Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1 Local Time: 03:11 PM	Apparently there was a myth going around in the 60s that university students were so tripped out on acid that they burnt part of their corneas by staring at the sun and became blind. I think what bono is saying is that he rather dig deep inside and risk going blind than not knowing about himself. I am not saying bono did acid. Maybe he did maybe he did not. If he did it would not surprise me. His lyrics definitely tap into a deeper level of consciousness. Regardless, this song may not be autobiographical but of a feeling that a certain group of students had (which was reflective of a certain time and feeling in the usa) that he was able to tap into. He may not condone their use of drugs but he could understand what they were feeling. For more information about the "staring at the sun" story you can find it at erowid.org/chemicals/lsd/lsd_myth6.shtml