The refrain "Mother, am I still your son?" conveys a deep yearning for connection and maternal validation, juxtaposed with feelings of abandonment and the struggles of self-definition after loss.
The "God-shaped hole" imagery evokes existential longing, highlighting Bono's attempt to reconcile spiritual emptiness with his pursuit of meaning through music ("rock and roll") and his personal relationships.
The song also reflects on the tension between the sacred and the profane, with references to finding "baby Jesus under the trash" and seeking solace in chaotic or unconventional places. The line "Still looking for the face I had before the world was made" nods to a desire for innocence and a return to a prelapsarian state of being. T
hrough its intense energy and layered themes, "Mofo" becomes a meditation on the intersections of faith, familial loss, and the artist's role as both seeker and son.
Being the sixth single from Pop, it didn't chart too well around the world - U2 however totally believed in the song and they played it as the opening piece for every night on the very popular Popmart tour.
"Mofo" song lyrics by U2
Lookin' for to save my, save my soulLookin' in the places where no flowers grow
Lookin' for to fill that God shaped hole
Mother, mother sucking rock and roll
Mother
Holy dunc, spacejunk comin' in for the splash
Been around back, been around front
White dopes on punk staring into the flash
Been around back, been around front
Lookin' for baby Jesus under the trash
Been around back, been around front
Mother, mother sucking rock and roll
Mother
Mother hopping sugar popping dropping rock and roll
Happy
Mother
Mother, mother, mother
Mother, mother, mother
Mother, am I still your son
You know I've waited for so long to hear you say so
Mother, you left and made me someone
Now I'm still a child but no one tells me no
Lookin' for a sound that's gonna drown out the world
Been around back, been around front
Lookin' for the father of my two little girls
Been around back, been around front
Got the swing, got the sway, got my straw in lemonade
Been around back, been around front
Still looking for the face I had before the world was made
Been around back, been around front
Mother, mother sucking rock and roll
Mother
Bubble poppin', sugar droppin' rock and roll
Mother
Mother sucking, fucking rock and roll
Mother
Mother, mother, mother
Mother, mother, mother
Soothe me mother
Prove me father
Move me brother
Woo me sister
Soothe me mother
Move me father
Show me mother
Show me mother
Show me mother
Show me mother
Show me mother
Show me mother
Some other
The music of "Mofo" starkly contrasts its introspective and emotionally charged themes. The song's aggressive, electronic beats and frenetic energy create a chaotic, almost disorienting soundscape, which juxtaposes the deeply personal and mournful exploration of loss, identity, and longing in the lyrics. This sonic intensity reflects the tension and inner turmoil Bono expresses, with the harsh, industrial tones embodying the noise and confusion of seeking solace in an overwhelming and fractured world.
This contrast amplifies the thematic depth, as the pulsating rhythms and distorted production clash with the vulnerability of lines like "Mother, am I still your son?" and "Still looking for the face I had before the world was made." The relentless pace of the music mirrors a restless search for meaning, while its synthetic textures underscore the alienation and distance inherent in Bono’s grappling with both spiritual and maternal absence. This dichotomy highlights the song’s central struggle: the search for profound connection amid the distractions and noise of a fragmented existence.
Check out some more of the singles released from the Pop album, If God Will Send His Angels and the quirky Discotheque.
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