U2: Pride (in The Name Of Love) Meaning

Song Released: 1984

Pride (in The Name Of Love) Lyrics

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...

1. anonymous

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   Nov 17th 2011 !⃝

   I was reading "The Letter from the Birmingham Jail" and watched "Elizabeth Town" ( the part he visits the Lorraine Motel at the end on his way home) when I heard this song from my youth. Until I saw the scene, I never realized the depth of meaning; inspite of having loved this song for two decades. This dialogue has helped me immensely as I will lead a discussion in high school about it.
   Tom Robinson is probably not the reference; after all, he's a fictious character while the others are historical, but I could be wrong.
   
   The lines in a loose sense seem to be couplets, so could the third line "justify" be reference to Christ- he justified us- His believers.
   The fourth line "overthrow" could be King, who led a peaceful, loving revolt and "overthrew" hate. Of course, Jesus did the same for the Pharisees and Sadducees, and King justified the "humanity" of Blacks and other minorities.
   
   The beach and barbed wire fence- I don't know. I'm not really a history buff, but I would think that he is referring to some great or well known historic events that would, in a sense, parallel the recognition of the betrayed kiss and Memphis shots.
2. anonymous

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   Aug 29th 2011 !⃝

   Its about both MLK and Jesus. A song about the love these two men had for mankind and the sacrifice they made all "in the name of love".
3. anonymous

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   Jun 22nd 2011 !⃝

   "they took your life they could not take your pride"
   
   You must stand for what you believe in, and if you fail, if you are defeated, be still and know that you did the right thing, you did what you believed was right, and if your enemies take your life, it's fine, because even if they take your life they can never, they will, never, take your pride, they will never triumph over you...No one who is pure in their belief and who stands by those who cannot stand for themselves can ever fail...If you stand for those who cannot stand...The angels of God will support you, and those who cannot stand for themselves will, by your sacrifice be justified.
4. anonymous

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   Jun 1st 2011 !⃝

   I believe "What more in the name of love?" is a way of saying "What more could they have given?" (The answer being nothing.)
5. anonymous

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   Apr 4th 2011 !⃝

   I was reading this site to see what others felt about the song. I am deeply disturbed by the way crutchead or erinandKyla use the word obviously; if it were that obvious there would be no need to have a discussion forum.
   The band wrote this song after a visit to the Chicago Peace Museum where there was an exibit on Martin. There was also an exhibit there about the bombing of Hiroshima called 'The Unforgettable Fire'. They wrote the song about MLK, and used the exhibit name as the album title.
   Next point, the lyrics use so many images whose power comes from the fact that they can be applied to so many different people; to Christ, to Martin, to Matthew. to Roger, and to you and I. Each one of can and should act in the name of love, should take pride in acting in the name of love. The sad fact is that others may try to break us down, to attack us for acting out of love; it has happened to so many throughout time, and it may happen to us. That possibility of attack is the 'what more' of the chorus. Who will the next victim, the next martyr be? A powerful song with a powerful question.
6. anonymous

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   Apr 1st 2011 !⃝

   I think just guessing but is
   
   One man to overthrow
   
   maybe Lincoln? he did make the Proclamation thing or could it be Kennedy? he did help MLK jr with some convincing.
   they were both assasinated tho so it might be that.
7. anonymous

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   Mar 23rd 2011 !⃝

   I always thought the song was about MLK mainly with references to Jesus. The line about a man washed up on a beach I thought was about The Phantoms ancestor-killed by pirates in the 16th century.
8. anonymous

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   Jan 31st 2011 !⃝

   I agree that the "One man caught on a barbed wire fence" is talking about Tom Robinson in To Kill A Mockingbird.
9. anonymous

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   Jan 17th 2011 !⃝

   IMO, even though this incident happened after the song was written, the line "one man caught on a barbed wire fence," now conveys what happened to Matthew Shepherd.
10. anonymous

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    Jul 7th 2010 !⃝

    Could the 'caught on a barbed wire fence' refer to Tom Robinson in 'To Kill a Mockingbid' who was shot while trying to escape prison that he was unjustly put it?
11. anonymous

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    Apr 9th 2010 !⃝

    its about martin luther king, its no mystery bono has even said it himself. He is paying his respect to the man, by saying they took your life but they could not take your pride.Because even after the mans death is dream and "pride" still ilved on. anyone who thinks anything different is and idiot.
12. anonymous

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    Feb 20th 2010 !⃝

    Actually you both are right... Its both one more in the name of love and what more in the name of live.
13. anonymous

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    Feb 3rd 2010 !⃝

    It is all about martin Luther King and Christ

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
14. ny7yankee

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    Nov 20th 2008 !⃝

    The great things about art is that you get to interpret work in different ways.
    
    I agree with a lot of other posters here on their interpretations.
    
    One man come in the name of love
    One man come and go
    One come he to justify
    One man to overthrow
    
    This appears to be an accumulation representing the versus that come after.
    
    In the name of love
    What more in the name of love
    In the name of love
    What more in the name of love
    
    Some other poster perceived this similar to my thoughts. Many people have died fighting for love, or their god, religion. Believing what they were killing for was for all the right reasons. What more in the future has to happen in the name of love?
    
    One man caught on a barbed wire fence
    One man he resist
    One man washed on an empty beach.
    One man betrayed with a kiss
    
    Ln 1 appears to be a war reference. Not clear which one.
    Ln 2 a person resiting something, possibly war
    Ln 3 a dead person washing up onto a beach
    Ln 4 Jesus being betrayed by Judas
    
    Early morning, April 4
    Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
    Free at last, they took your life
    They could not take your pride
    
    Dr. Martin Luther King
    
    This is just my interpretation. The great thing about art, it can mean different things to different people.
15. tamcy

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    Nov 8th 2008 !⃝

    Actually MLK's Gravestone reads,"Free at Last, Free at Last. Thank God Almighty I'm Free at Last.

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