catapult magazine

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discussion

October - U2

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anton
Oct 08 2007
01:41 pm

A great song for this issue of catapult would be U2’s October. The lyrics are brief:

"October, and the trees are stripped bear of all they wear, what do I care?
October, and kingdoms rise and and kingdoms fall
But You go on…and on…"

I can’t put my finger on what it means exactly, but this song resonates deep in my soul. Very moving. I recommend listening to it. Does this song strike a chord in you? How so?

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Zanzibar
Oct 08 2007
04:36 pm

Interesting. I don’t remember if I’ve heard this or not. I believe October is the U2 album I’ve heard the least, though I’ve heard from others that much of it is overtly God-focused. Through that lens, I see this song as trying to see past the temporary and into the eternal.

October, and the trees are stripped bear of all they wear, what do I care?

Why be concerned when it’s temporary? Just wait until spring, and the leaves will return. A year from now, it will look just like it does now. There is nothing new under the sun.

October, and kingdoms rise and and kingdoms fall

Like the leaves of trees, the kingdoms of mankind (both literal and figurative) are temporary, and change with the seasons. There is a season for everything.

But You go on…and on…

God is eternal.

It seems to fit this issue of Catapult quite well. I’ll have to listen to it.

Here’s something else I noticed in the words. Despite the apparent world-weariness of the first line, I see in the whole song a stong vein of hope. Though fall is here and winter is approaching, spring is also on the way. Death, where is your victory? Grave, where is your sting? The knowledge of the coming spring should give us perspective on the life seasons of fall and winter.

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anton
Oct 09 2007
02:58 pm

Great comments! I encourage you to listen to the song as well. The music says as much, maybe more, than the lyrics.

Yeah, the one part that throws me off is when he says, "what do I care?" The music seems to suggest that he cares very much. The song is a lament about the way things are. Fall is a seasonal reminder of death in the world. There’s sadness and a yearning for the end, and the only hope, the only lasting thing is the Lord. Leaves fall, kingdoms come and go, but the Lord goes on. Death affects all, but the Lord is life. He is stronger than death.

But why does he say he doesn’t care?

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Zanzibar
Oct 12 2007
04:47 pm

I don’t know exactly why (and like you said, I’m sure I’d grasp and feel it better if I actually heard the song). That said, my guess is that either he’s lying to himself or he’s numb.

If he’s lying, he’s trying to trying to guard his heart and emotions from sorrow by being distant from it (and probably failing to do so). If I say I don’t care and if I choose not to be vulnerable, then maybe I can become as tough and non-caring as I wish I was. That’s one possibility.

Another idea could be that he’s so tired and world-weary of seeing the seasons (including the metephorical ones) change over and over that he’s grown numb to it and truly has distanced himself from it enough to not care. I referenced Ecclesiastes a few times in my other post, linking the speaker here to that kind of world-weary "been-there, done-that" attitude, though I’m just guessing of course. But if it’s anything like that, it could just be that he’s gotten to the point where he really doesn’t care, and he doesn’t think it’s worth dredging up enough emotion to care.

But if the music gives away how much he really does care (as you hinted), then it’s probably closer to the first possibility. It’s not that he doesn’t care. It’s that he wishes he doesn’t care, and he’d rather not admit how much he really does care.

Ok, now I really have to hear this song. :-)

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grant
Oct 30 2007
12:29 pm

An artist should have the liberty to be ambiguous about his/her feelings. This is the same believer who wrote "Gave me the keys to His Kingdom coming…but I left by the back door…and I threw away the key". There’s always an element of playing a character in songwriting. But…when listening to October, it’s helpful to remember that U2 thought it might be their last album. There were some in their biblestudy group "Shalom" that "prophesied" U2 should stop playing music and some of the members took this seriously. I think Bono’s lyrics reveal a giving up of their work to God, as a last offering to their Creator, and letting God do with it what God will.

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anton
Nov 17 2007
05:33 pm

Grant, I agree that an artist should have the liberty to be ambiguous. In fact, I would argue that, to some extent, it is necessary. There’s more going on than our finite minds/languages can express. "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, Horatio." Many of life’s experiences just can’t be nailed down and put in a box. But we do know (or ought to know) why: God truly exists.

Anyway, I kind of see your point, Grant. There is a sense in which the singer is coming to an end of self and coming alive to God. Human kingdoms rise and fall, but God endures forever. It’s a sad, soulful truth, and a crying out for God. But why does he say, ‘What do I care?" If giving up their musical "kingdom" is the background, why doesn’t Bono care? I would think he cares very much. OR, with Paul is he saying has learned to be content whatever the circumstance, because life’s ultimately not about many things but about God. Even should his music making end, God would nonetheless go on. It would be sad but after all, there’s more happiness to be found in God than even in music. Hmmm…