The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Vertigo" by the artist "U2"

U2's "Vertigo" is a song about sensuality, about being swept away by the moment and surrendering to pure sensation.

The count-in, "One, two, three, fourteen," immediately sets a tone of chaotic disorientation, amplified by the demand, "Turn it up, maestro!", urging the music's power to escalate.

The speaker finds themself in a club or concert setting where "The lights go down," creating an atmosphere of mystery and heightened sensuality. They confess, "I can't stand my own ground," because "This is far beyond me." This is the state of "Vertigo" - a dizzying loss of control.

"Your eyes are wide," the speaker addresses someone, perhaps a lover. "Your mind is moving all the time," because in this state of vertigo, reason takes a backseat, and instinct and emotion take over.

"Hello, hello!" echoes the surrounding crowd, a greeting lost in the throng. The speaker doesn't need to know where they are ("Where are you?"), they're caught up in the feeling ("You give me something I can feel").

Images of violence and passion follow ("bullets rip the sky," "indigo skies with gold stars"), creating a sense of danger and allure. The juxtaposition of the "girl with crimson nails" and "Jesus on the mainline" further heightens the contrast between the sacred and the profane, suggesting a blurring of religious ecstasy and sensual pleasure.

"Shot to the heart," "And you're to blame," become metaphors for the overwhelming power of the sensations consuming the speaker. "All of this, all of this can be yours," they offer, surrendering to the pursuit of these feelings.

"The lights go down and all I know is that you give me something... I feel your love teaching me how to..." In the song's climax, the speaker finds solace and release in love, a love that teaches them to "go down on my knees," to surrender completely.

The repeated "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeahs" at the end emphasize the utter surrender to this overwhelming feeling.