Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car
by U2

Album: Zooropa (1993)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The flourish at the beginning is taken from the album Lenin's Favorite Songs, released by the Soviet Government-owned record label. Vladimir Lenin led the Bolshevik revolution in 1917 and became leader of Russia. The capital city of Petrograd was renamed Leningrad in his honor, but years later, when communism ended in Russia, the city was renamed St. Petersburg.
  • This is about a woman spoiled by a man who gives her anything.
  • The song contains a sample from "The City Sleeps" by MC 900ft Jesus.
  • That lettering on the Zooropa album cover is made up of words from songs that were discarded.

Comments: 6

  • Greg from Harrington Park, NjI had read where Bono stated in Rolling Stone that it is about God saving us from evils in the world - Heroin is one of the evils represented in the lyrics.
  • Brendan from Dublin, Irelandi think its about depression. the daddy is a metaphor for depression ''daddy gives you as much as you can take'' or ''daddy gives you keys to a flaming car'' meaning your going on a journey to hell,flaming meaning the fiery depths of hell. daddy really is a metaphor for your mind ''daddy'll hold your hand right up to the end'' meaning your sanity and mind is with you til death and the butterfly kisses line represents wrist slitting,if you look at a butterfly's body its a straight line,so like the lines on your wrists from slitting,i think that daddys gonna pay for your crashed car means daddy or depression will explain why you crashed your car,daddy can represent alot such as suicide sanity etc,i think all the interpretations are really intelligent and this is just mine,the daddys girl one did make sense because at that time i believe U2 were hanging out with alot of supermodels and adam clayton was dating naomi campbell
  • Rob from Los Angeles, CaI heard Bono say that this was the ultimate blues tune, saying that it's a metaphor of God (Jesus), saving us all from our sins. Grace, providence, faith, hope, love...whatever you call it, it's all from big daddy!
  • Shehryar from Islamabad, Pakistani personally think it might be about the kind of people U2 had been incresingly exposed to over the ZOOTV tour... 'you know everyone in the world... but you feel alone'... pop stars and paris hiltons, people whose 'daddies' (management, parents, whatever) always promise to keep them in the game... thats why they pay for the crashed cars... the non-stop party...
  • Ratboy from Ratville, NjI read somewhere it was about "the dark world of smack addiction", but I don't know if it was accurate.
  • Ale from Necochea, Argentina"About a woman spoiled by a man who gives her anything." <------ BOF!!! It's fairly possible to say it's about Russia!!! Mother is the so called "mother Russia". Daddy is Lenin, the "allmighty" government of comunism. And Russia's people are the "precious stone".
    It gets preety close to that if you get the lyrics as a sarcastic critic of whatever happend to comunism in Russia. DADDY is the big brother, the government, the "state".... (i don't think i'm too crazy).

    SALUT!!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Don Felder

Don FelderSongwriter Interviews

Don breaks down "Hotel California" and other songs he wrote as a member of the Eagles. Now we know where the "warm smell of colitas" came from.

Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.

Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell NdegeocelloSongwriter Interviews

Meshell Ndegeocello talks about recording "Wild Night" with John Mellencamp, and explains why she shied away from the spotlight.

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music Scene

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music SceneSong Writing

With $50 and a glue stick, Bruce Pavitt created Sub Pop, a fanzine-turned-label that gave the world Nirvana and grunge. He explains how motivated individuals can shift culture.

Eric Burdon

Eric BurdonSongwriter Interviews

The renown rock singer talks about "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.