Interpretation of U2: Crumbs from Your Table

So now, let us continue with our U2 interpretation.

Album: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Song: Crumbs from Your Table
Primary Theme: Plea for Mercy from America and the Evangelical Church

This one will be less detailed with a more general interpretive theme presented. The interpretation of this song is by no means self-evident (although this is often the case with U2), but Bono has spoken about this freely on many occasions.

Like every song, the first and most important criteria in understanding its meaning is to understand who the subjects are. Bono has explicitly said that he had both America and the organized church in mind. It is no secret that Bono is a “fan of America” (most particularly, the “idea of America” as he would call it), but also has some troubles, frustrations, and, as this song clearly illustrates, anger toward America. Although this has changed some recently, it a not a secret that Bono hasn’t been a fan of the organized church (especially of the fundamentalist variety). He says in a song called “Acrobat” written in the early nineties, “I would break bread and wine if there was a church that I could receive in.” This evidences that Bono, while seeing the need to be part of a church, has not found fellowship in any existing institution. The antagonism toward these two entities, America and the church, is not wholesale, but focuses on one particular idea–mercy. 

Bono sees Christ as a figure who came to liberate people from bondage to many things, setting the example to follow. While not neglecting the idea of substitutionary atonement, Bono sees himself as one who’s purpose it is to draw people back to the various ways that we should follow Christ in showing mercy. From the outside looking in, Bono sees America as the richest nation in the world that is being corrupted in many ways by its vanity and greed.

From the brightest star
Comes the blackest hole
You had so much to offer
Why did you offer your soul?

The brightest star is America. The blackest whole is greed. One can get a sense of how serious this Irishman believes that Americas problem are by referring to it as the “blackest hole” and equating it to the offering of one’s soul. This is probably a symbolic offering of the soul to Satan as the phrase “offer your soul” so often implies in the English language. This would not be uncommon for Bono to say either as he uses Satan as a ploy in much of his communication.

Bono has been heavily involved in promoting dept relief to Africa. He also is a preacher of Aids awareness in Africa. This song is a prophets cry to America, “the brightest star,” to recognize their obligation to come to the aid of all those in need. About Africa Bono’s organization writes in a section entitled “Why Africa?”:

“Sub-Saharan Africa, the part of the continent south of the Sahara Desert, is also the world’s poorest place. Seventy percent of its people live on less than $2 a day. 200 million go hungry every day. This year at least a million Africans, most of them young children, will die of malaria and two million will die of AIDS.” (www.data.org)

Bono believes that allowing this to happen while American’s live in their luxury is tantamount to selling your soul in greed and vanity.

I was there for you baby
When you needed my help
Would you deny for others
What you demand for yourself?

It is hard to say who the referent is to the “I” in this stanza. It could be Bono himself, but more than likely it is the one who needs the “crumbs”–Africa or any other nation who, in Bono’s opinion, America fails to respond to in aid. Either way, Bono sees the “I” as one who came to America’s aid when they needed help. Now, it seems that the tables have turned and America is not returning the favor in kind. “Would you deny for others, what you demand for yourself” is a reference to the demands that America makes for its own people (life, liberty, freedom, food, health??). Here, Bono sees the obligation of humanity to have mercy on humanity. The implication is that America demands mercy for its own, but denies it to those who are outside.   

You speak of signs and wonders
I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I’m waiting on the crumbs from your table

Here, Bono is holding the organized church responsible for, what he perceives to be, their lack of mercy. This is one of the primary reasons that he does not join a church. He believes that the church (in America, the evangelical church) should be leading the way in relief efforts, sharing what he believes to be an essential element of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Speaking of “signs and wonders” is all he believes the church does, but does not put their money in a place where it can really create a “wonder.” While the evangelical church speaks about believing, those in Africa are dying. As a result the Gospel message of “belief” cannot be accomplished. Those in Africa, according to Bono “would believe if [they] were able.” Here occurs an obvious connection with the story of the Canaanite woman recorded in all three Synoptic Gospels (Matt. 15:27, et al). Bono, quite out of context, uses the argument of the woman who’s daughter was demon possessed. She asked the Lord to “have mercy on her.” In light of Christ’s statement that he came to the lost children of Israel (not the Canaanites) was her argument that even dogs get crumbs from the tables–isn’t she at least as worthy as a dog? Christ had mercy on her. Bono, in this plea, is making the same argument to America and the Church as the Canaanite women.

You were pretty as a picture
It was all there to see
Then your face caught up with your psychology
With a mouth full of teeth
You ate all your friends
And you broke every heart thinking every heart mends

It is hard to tell whether the subject of this stanza is America or the church. It would guess that it can have reference to either, but that America is the primary subject once again. If this is the case, Bono seems to be saying that America, or the “idea of America” is a beautiful thing, presenting great hope and potential. Maybe as Bono, in what he perceives to be a naive state as a young lad, thought about America he believed it to be the land of great hope having a heart of mercy and justice. Later in his life, this beauty that was “pretty as a picture” turned out to be something much different. America’s true heart, America’s “psychology,” was exposed and it changed his perception. Inevitably, the true face of America, according to Bono, was shown to be something much different.  He now saw a sort of monster “with a mouth full of teeth” devouring those who trusted them. Who these “friends” are is hard to tell. Is it Bono himself as his perception changed about America? Are they those in need whom he believes America ignores? Whatever the case, Bono sees their heart as being broken, while America justifies the infliction of this pain with a sort of “greater good” philosophy, believing that the pain will be short lived since they will “mend” in the end.

Where you live should not decide
Whether you live or whether you die
Three to a bed
Sister Ann, she said
Dignity passes by

The point of this stanza is clear. Bono sees the need for mercy for all people no matter where they live. Just because you were born and live in a economically deprived part of the world does not mean that you now inevitably must die, does it? “Sister Ann” is a nun who works with Aids orphans in Malawi with whom Bono has had contact in the past. It can only be assumed that when Bono references “three to a bed” that when he visited her she informed him that these orphans were living in conditions that made it necessary for three to share one bed. From Bono’s perspective, in this type of situation there can be found no dignity.

Whether you agree with Bono’s assessment of America and the church or not is a matter that is worthy of much discussion. At the very least, it should give you a vivid understanding of how many in the emerging church and the postmodern world are frustrated with what they believe to be hypocrisy and neglect of important matters such as mercy, in favor of their “signs and wonders.” This, at least, should cause us to pause and think. Bono’s enduring questions present themselves with much clarity: Is America a nation that can stand before God and say that they have done their part in coming to the aid of those in need? Is the church going to talk about signs and wonders or are they going to create a wonder from resources they already have, even if it is just the “crumbs from the table.”