The title refers to New York, one of Bono’s favourite places to stay: “neon heart dayglo eyes, A city lit by fireflies They’re advertising in the sky”. “Blinding lights” is an allusion to the constant lightening of big cities, where the night never is really dark. Here again, Bono talks about love, and we can wonder if some sentences are not directly addressed to his wife Ali: “you look so beautiful tonight in the city of blinding lights”, “I miss you when you’re not around”. In fact, Bono is known to spend time in his New York apartment with his wife, who recently started Edun, a fair trade clothes company (“I’ve seen you walk unafraid, I’ve seen you in the clothes you made”). We can find here a calm Bono, who also wonders about the passing
of time, the fact that he has become an old rock star as he often calls
himself: “what happened to the beauty I had inside of me?” But throughout this introspection, he still remains confident and ends the song with: “time won’t leave me as I am, But time won’t take the boy out of this man”.
Click here to download the guitar tab for City Of Blinding Lights
The more you see the less you know
The less you find out as you go
I knew much more then than I do now
Neon heart dayglo eyes
A city lit by fireflies
They’re advertising in the skies
For people like us
And I miss you when you’re not around
I’m getting ready to leave the ground….
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights
Don’t look before you laugh
Look ugly in a photograph
Flash bulbs purple irises
The camera can’t see
I’ve seen you walk unafraid
I’ve seen you in the clothes you made
Can you see the beauty inside of me?
What happened to the beauty I had inside of me?
And I miss you when you’re not around
I’m getting ready to leave the ground
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights
Time… time
Won’t leave me as I am
But time won’t take the boy out of this man
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights
The more you know the less you feel
Some pray for others steal
Blessings are not just for the ones who kneel… luckily
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