PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE) LYRICS

U2
One man come in the name of love
One man come and go
One man come here to justify
One man to overthrow
In the name of love!
One man in the name of love
In the name of love!
What more? In the name of love!
One man caught on a barbed wire fence
One man he resists
One man washed on an empty beach
One man betrayed with a kiss
In the name of love!
What more in the name of love?
In the name of love!
What more? In the name of love!
...nobody like you...there's nobody like you...
Mmm...mmm...mmm...
Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride
In the name of love!
What more in the name of love?
In the name of love!
What more in the name of love?
In the name of love!
What more in the name of love...
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Pride-In-the-Name-of-Love-lyricsU2/2A51C639C81DB26B48256896002FA47D

I just all teary eyed every time I listen to this song! Very powerful and very spiritual. My
favourite U2 song of all time and they are many- Beautiful day, Helter skelter, elevation,
stuck in a moment ....all of them!

It may have been inspired by CR Movement but... | Reviewer: Anonymous | 9/21/10

It may have been inspired by the civil rights movement, but there are so many parallels
to Jesus. If one man came in the name of love it was Him. Being a believer I will always
hold that view. I also love Where the Streets have No Name ;)

Not Jonah ( I think), but such the christ - Jesus | Reviewer: Tegenes | 6/10/10
I think U2 Bono Vox tells about such the christ, instead Jonah - see Mathew 12:40
"`Cause as Jonah had been in the stomach of the big fish for three days, so will be the
son of the Man in the core of earth". I think they use a metaphore changing Jonah to
Jesus.I think they still refer to Jesus

One man washed on an empty beach... | Reviewer: Kenny Magee | 3/16/10

I beleive this is in reference to the biblical character Jonah, and the fact that God spared
him in the name of love by washing him up on an empty beach by the whale that had
swallowed him due to Jonah ignoring God's instruction in the name of pride...
Just a thought. I still think this was and is the best U2 album of all time.

I was 13 April 4th 1968. | Reviewer: Anonymous | 12/13/09

I remember this day. Whenever I hear this song I can recall how I and my family felt.
Growing up Latino in South Texas, Reverend King was much respected and loved. This
song was a tribute to Reverend King and all those who sacrificed themselves and fought
for others.

Laura S is right on the money | Reviewer: Brian | 5/2/09

"This song is not just about those such as MLK and Jesus 'H.' Christ and Gandhi and the
Normandy soldiers who die in the name of love.
It is also about those who killed them, who believed they were also acting in 'the name of
love,' but in actuality, they were acting out of pride. Hence, the title of the song, (Pride)
In the Name of Love. James Earl Ray thought he was acting out of love for his white
race, but he was really acting out of pride. You can make the same argument for the
idealogues who made these folsk into martyrs." -Laura S.
This is the truest interpretation. I do believe that everyone is entitled to their personal
interpretation because that is exactly what a medium such as music is for. It's an art, but
Laura's analysis serves the correct and more holistic point of the song and such a
magnificent song it is!!!!

Not just about those who die in the name of love... | Reviewer: Laura S | 1/23/09
This song is not just about those such as MLK and Jesus "H." Christ and Gandhi and the
Normandy soldiers who die in the name of love.
It is also about those who killed them, who believed they were also acting in "the name
of love," but in actuality, they were acting out of pride. Hence, the title of the song,
(Pride) In the Name of Love. James Earl Ray thought he was acting out of love for his
white race, but he was really acting out of pride. You can make the same argument for
the idealogues who made these folsk into martyrs.

Martin Luther King Jr. | Reviewer: blessed | 1/19/09

this song was dedicated and written in honor of the great Martin Luther King Jr. who's
heart stood for justice as the measuring line and righteousness as the plummet. here is
to honoring a humble servant of the Most High God who in his humility, like the God he
served, gave his all, in the name of love.

Again, Bono Inspired by MLK to Write This!! | Reviewer: Anonymous | 1/19/09

What's with this debate? Yesterday, Bono sang this as the Obama Pre-Inaugural "We
Are One" Celebration. He again clearly said King inspired him to write it. He even
quoted from the "I Have A Dream" speech. Inspiration doesn't mean that every single
thing he says is literally about Dr. King. Of course, King was inspired by Jesus Christ
("betrayed with a kiss" by Judas) and by Ghandi ("one man he resists" British
colonization of India). And, yes, the Berlin Wall was barbed, but if you miss the
possibility of a reference to Jews in Nazi death camps, well then you are really missing
something indeed ("One man caught on a barbed wire fence"). And then there is the
"One man washed on an empty beach." Most likely a reference to battle at Normandy
since, as noted below, this song was originally to be about the misguided pride in
military power.
But, Bono was was really inspired by King and thinking about the differences in tactics
between King ("One man come in the name of love/One man come and go") and
Malcolm X ("One man come here to justify/One man to overthrow").
Here's a good summary of the history of the song from Wikipedia:
The melody and the chords came out of a 1983 War Tour sound check in Hawaii. The
song was originally intended to be about Ronald Reagan's pride in America's military
power but writer Bono had been influenced by Stephen B. Oates's book "Let The
Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr." as well as by a biography of Malcolm
X. These caused Bono to ponder the different sides of the civil rights campaigns, the
violent and the non-violent. In subsequent years, Bono has expressed his dissatisfaction
with the lyrics, which he describes, along with another Unforgettable Fire song "Bad", as
being "left as simple sketches". He blames this on being swayed by The Edge and
producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, who played down the need to develop the lyrics
as they thought the impressionistic nature was more important to the songs' feeling,
particularly when heard by non-English speakers.
"I looked at how glorious that song was and thought: 'What the fuck is that all about?'
It's just a load of vowel sounds ganging up on a great man. It is emotionally very
articulate - if you didn't speak English."
Bono , U2 by U2
The last line of the middle verse refers to Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, "One

man betrayed with a kiss"

The first line of the last verse erroneously refers to King's shooting as "Early morning,
April 4", when it was actually after 6 p.m. Bono admits the error and in live
performances he occasionally changes the lyric to "Early evening..."

The Civil Rights Movement | Reviewer: Mya | 12/28/08

I LOVE this song SO much!!! =D
Believe it or not, but I looked up the meaning behind the song and IT IS about the
struggles and pains of the Civil Rights Movement. Everyone above me who said other
wise is VERY wrong! They wrote it about the movement. I took an American Diversity
class in high school and this song REALLY does speek about the movement.