Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World
by U2

Album: Achtung Baby (1991)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • On the liner notes to Achtung Baby, they dedicate this to The Flaming Colossus, a popular celebrity hangout in Hollywood.
  • "It was a drinking song," Bono explained in the band bio U2 by U2, "and, of course, we weren't a band known for our imbibement of alcohol, although that was changing fast. Things other people had done at 18 or 19, like getting loaded and being irresponsible, I didn't get around to till I was in my late twenties living in LA... It's a song about drunk ambition but in the funniest sense, not so much megalomania but just the ambition to get home in one piece."

Comments: 3

  • Acrobat from Adelaide, AustraliaThis song IS about a hangover.
  • Marius from LüneburgI always relate this to a hangover ;)
  • Dawson from Draper, UtThis song is awesome. I love the line 'A women needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle'.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Frankie Valli

Frankie ValliSong Writing

An interview with Frankie Valli, who talks about why his songs - both solo and with The Four Seasons - have endured, and reflects on his time as Rusty Millio on The Sopranos.

Charles Fox

Charles FoxSongwriter Interviews

After studying in Paris with a famous composition teacher, Charles became the most successful writer of TV theme songs.

Gary Louris of The Jayhawks

Gary Louris of The JayhawksSongwriter Interviews

The Jayhawks' song "Big Star" has special meaning to Gary, who explains how longevity and inspiration have trumped adulation.

Concert Disasters

Concert DisastersFact or Fiction

Ozzy biting a dove? Alice Cooper causing mayhem with a chicken? Creed so bad they were sued? See if you can spot the real concert mishaps.

Francesca Battistelli

Francesca BattistelliSongwriter Interviews

The 2011 Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards isn't your typical gospel diva, and she thinks that's a good thing.