U2 - Magnificent

Now I will begin looking at my chosen song in more detail. Magnificent is a powerful song from U2's latest album, No Line On The Horizon. The song was composed in Fez, Morocco which is also the location used for the video. Despite receiving good reviews from most critics and becoming a new favourite with U2 fans, the song only made it to number 42 in the UK singles chart. However, the album itself took the number 1 spot, exceeding the platinum standard in many countries.

Q magazine featured a U2 special in their February 2009 issue, with 30 pages dedicated to the band and their new album. Q describes Magnificent as a "Slow-building anthem with the ambience of The Unforgettable Fire and laced with the wide eyed wonder of U2's earlier albums. Edge here is at his most dynamic."

Below are the lyrics of the song:

Magnificent
Magnificent

I was born
I was born to be with you
In this space and time
After that and ever after I haven't had a clue
Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

I was born
I was born to sing for you
I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice from the womb
My first cry, it was a joyful noise

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The magnificent
Magnificent

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent


I have read that the song is about "two lovers holding onto each other and trying to turn their life into worship." I have also read through some U2 fan bases and forums to see how people interpret the lyrics. There are two main interpretations of the song. Some people think that it is clearly religious as many of the lines of the song can be related to God. For example, "I give you back my voice" could mean giving the voice back to God, as people believe that we should give to God. "Joyful noise" could be another religious phrase, as this repeatedly comes up in the book of Psalms. There is also the subject of "magnifying the magnificent" which could mean magnifying God to the world. Others think that the song could be about the relationship between mother and child, with the references to the "womb" and "scars".

A questionable lyric in the song is who is referred to by the use of the word "you" in the lines "sing for you" and "lift you up" for example. It could be referring to God, as in lifting Him up to the world and magnifying His existence to all, but some people question whether you would need to lift God up, since He is almighty and all powerful. Plus, this would dismiss the Christian belief of having faith and trust in God, as if everyone knew He existed then we would all believe anyway. The "you" could maybe refer to U2 fans in general. Bono sings for us and lifts our spirits and moods. The music makes us feel good.

I think that it is okay to have different interpretations of the same song, as music can reflect different things depending on who you are and what you have experienced in life. It is quite a plausible theory that the song is about God and religion but it is also quite possible that it could be about a mother and child, or maybe it could be both. The song could be about love in general, be it love for a God, a child, a mother or a partner. When I hear the line "only love, only love can leave such a mark", I have always thought that it meant the love from a previous relationship. The love that you once had has left a mark and has had an impact on you. The next line, "but only love, only love can heal such a scar", could mean that only finding love again in someone else can heal the scar from your previous love. This suggests that we need love in order to be fully happy and complete.