"Stand Up Comedy" Song Lyrics by U2

On "Stand Up Comedy," U2’s Bono tackles his own celebrity and activism with a sharp edge of self-awareness and satirical bite, flipping the usual narrative of the rock star as savior on its head. The song's lyrics unravel the paradox of someone in a position of global influence, grappling with the weight of their own ego and the ethical complexity of wielding that power. 

Lines like “Stand up to rock stars” and “Beware of small men with big ideas” punch through the veneer of heroism often projected onto figures like Bono himself. There’s a biting irony here: Bono, often viewed as a moral figurehead in the fight against poverty, is reminding himself—and us—of the dangers of inflated self-importance. 

He mocks his own idealism while acknowledging its necessity, caught in the tension between wanting to change the world and the self-righteousness that can creep into such efforts.

This isn’t Bono preaching salvation from a pedestal, but rather tearing down the illusion of grandeur and inviting others to do the same. His lyrics point inward, confronting personal hypocrisy, a theme he introduces with visceral language. 

Phrases like “Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady” subvert the notion of divine duty, suggesting that Bono’s activism—though well-intentioned—sometimes flirts with hubris. The song’s core, however, is not just self-critique but a broader warning against messianic figures, urging listeners to reject blind adulation and, instead, question the motivations of any leader with “big ideas.” 

This is Bono taking his stand—not as a rock star, but as a flawed human, wary of the traps that fame and righteousness lay in the path of genuine progress.

"Stand Up Comedy" Song Lyrics by U2

Love love love love love
Love love love love love

I got to stand up and take a step
You and I have been asleep for hours
I got to stand up
The wire is stretched
In between our two towers
Stand up in this dizzy world
Where a lovesick eye can steal the view
I'm gonna fall down if I can't stand up
For your love

Love love love love love

Stand up, this is comedy
The DNA lotto may have left you smart
But can you stand up to beauty
Dictator of the heart
I can stand up for hope, faith, love
But while I'm getting over certainty
Stop helping God across the road
Like a little old lady

Oh, oh
Out from under your beds
C'mon, ye people
Stand up for your love

Love love love love love
Love love love love love

I gotta stand up to ego
But my ego's not really the enemy
It's like a small child
Crossing an eight lane highway
On a voyage of discovery

Stand up to rock stars
Napolean is in high heels
Josephine, be careful
Of small men with big ideas

Oh, oh
Out from under your beds
C'mon, ye people
Stand up for your love

Love love love love love
Love love love love love

God is love
And love is evolution's very best day

Soul rockin' people moving on
Soul rockin' people on and on
C'mon, ye people
We're made of stars
C'mon, ye people
Stand up then sit down for your love

Love love love love love
Love love love love love
Love love love love love
Love love love love love

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