"Electrical Storm" is the only single from U2's second compilation album, The Best of 1990–2000
, and one of the two new songs recorded for that album (the other one being the Oscar nominated "The Hands That Built America").
And the night, it is aching
Two lovers lie with no sheets on their bed
And the day, it is breaking
On rainy days we go swimming out
On rainy days swimming in the sound
On rainy days we go swimming out
You're in my mind all of the time
I know that's not enough
If the sky can crack
There must be some way back
For love and only love
Car alarm won't let you back to sleep
You're kept awake dreaming someone else's dream
Coffee's cold but it'll get you through
Compromise, that's nothing new to you
Let's see colours that have never been seen
Let's go to places no one else has been
You're in my mind all of the time
I know that's not enough
Well, if the sky can crack there must be some way back
To love and only love
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Baby, don't cry
It's hot as hell, honey, in this room
Sure hope the weather will break soon
The air is heavy, heavy as a truck
Need the rain to wash away our bad luck
Well, if the sky can crack there must be some way back
For love and only love
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Baby, don't cry
Baby, don't cry
Baby, don't cry
Baby, don't cry
, and one of the two new songs recorded for that album (the other one being the Oscar nominated "The Hands That Built America").The song’s central metaphor—an electrical storm—reflects the charged atmosphere of a relationship in turmoil, where underlying tensions threaten to erupt but also offer the possibility of renewal.
Bono sings, “You’re in my mind all of the time, I know that’s not enough,” suggesting a deep but restless connection, as though love alone can’t resolve the distance or dissonance between the couple. The lyrics paint a picture of a relationship at a crossroads, with the storm representing both the conflict and the potential cleansing that might come afterward.
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| Adam Clayton and Samantha Morton as The Mermaid from the video. |
There’s a sense of hope embedded in the chaos, with lines like “Let’s see colors that have never been seen” pointing toward a desire for transformation, a longing for something new to emerge from the emotional wreckage.
Electrical Storm Song Lyrics by U2
The sea, it swells like a sore headAnd the night, it is aching
Two lovers lie with no sheets on their bed
And the day, it is breaking
On rainy days we go swimming out
On rainy days swimming in the sound
On rainy days we go swimming out
You're in my mind all of the time
I know that's not enough
If the sky can crack
There must be some way back
For love and only love
Car alarm won't let you back to sleep
You're kept awake dreaming someone else's dream
Coffee's cold but it'll get you through
Compromise, that's nothing new to you
Let's see colours that have never been seen
Let's go to places no one else has been
You're in my mind all of the time
I know that's not enough
Well, if the sky can crack there must be some way back
To love and only love
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Baby, don't cry
It's hot as hell, honey, in this room
Sure hope the weather will break soon
The air is heavy, heavy as a truck
Need the rain to wash away our bad luck
Well, if the sky can crack there must be some way back
For love and only love
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Electrical storm
Baby, don't cry
Baby, don't cry
Baby, don't cry
Baby, don't cry
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At its core, "Electrical Storm" explores the cyclical nature of love and conflict, how periods of emotional turbulence can either fracture a bond or deepen it. Bono’s vocals—tender yet strained—convey the fragility of the situation, as he grapples with feelings of both frustration and hope. There’s an undercurrent of melancholy throughout, but also the acknowledgment that, just as with a literal storm, resolution is possible.
The recurring theme of water in the lyrics—“If the sky can crack, there must be some way back”—acts as both a destructive and cleansing force, symbolic of the emotional flooding that comes with intense conflict, yet also the potential for renewal. The imagery suggests that sometimes relationships must pass through the storm to reach clarity or healing, though the outcome remains uncertain.