![]() ![]() I was bowled over by this song the first time I heard it. I'm grateful to stumble across such eloquent commentary expressed by kindred spirits. I thought I was the only person on this planet moved by this song. When will he stop staying his hand of judgment for the sake of the believer? It's haunting. It's easy to think of a loving God, but no one wants to think of a God who's had enough and is ready to put an end to evil. It's the passion of God for his creation, and the hurt of God having been scorned by his creation and turning their backs on him. I think there is a lot of passion in the lyrics of this song, and it is the passion and hurt of a scorned lover. God's response is "Don't push me too far." And just as Abraham begged God to save the city, the believer in this song asks God, "If you save your love (meaning: the believer), then save it all (all of it)." But the believer also begs God to "Come on take me away, Come on take me home, home again" because of his weariness of trying to live for God in an ungodly word. The believer asks (just as Abraham begged God, for the sake of his nephew Lot) that he spare the city the fire judgment, to "stay" his hand of judgment. He tells the believer (as he told Lot) "walk on by, walk on through, walk 'til you run and don't look back". And later, "Carnival, the wheels fly and the colors spin through alcohol, red wine that punctures the skin". These city lights, they shine in silver and gold dug from the night. This song is a conversation between God and the believer about God's judgment of the world. The lines "Walk on by, walk on through, walk 'til you run and don't look back for here I am" sound like God's command to Lot when he told Lot to leave the city and not look back. The Unforgettable Fire was the name given the atomic blast at Hiroshima. I think this song is about the judgment of God. It's only recently I've come up with an idea, but it's vastly different from the other interpretations posted here. For years I've wondered what the lyrics meant in that context. I knew it was inspired by the bombing of Hiroshima. My InterpretationThis is my all-time favorite U2 song. ![]()
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