Eshtine

No literal reference for "lady with the spinning head"? Try A ROULETTE WHEEL, genius!! (note also references to red and blank,the colours you bet on etc....)

Last post was refering to My Fan Year #2, this one is about #3:

Gloria - I try to sing this song/I try to stand up/but I cant find my feet
Thats about melody & harmony??
OMG, another point brillantly missed - as is par the course for the little fellah, hes talking about life and spiritual guidance from God - only in you/I'm coooomplete/Gloria excelsis dei ?
Without god, life is tough etc (I cant find my feet?)

On your recent Fan Year piece:
I too am the guy who pops into peoples minds when they see/hear/read U2. Upon experiencing a U2 impression, they think "Jeff" if only for a fleeting moment, usually right before "hmm, I'm hungry for Doritos" or "ten minutes til SportsCenter."

Anyway it's great to read your work. I've been an @u2 home-pager for a number of years now (1999? -- wow, time flies). If only I had the time to wax poetic like you do on the foursome who has made such a lasting impression on my emotional, psychological, social and spiritual growth.

It's great to see somebody doing it in my stead. And so well too. As for me, dreaming outloud has been being the best dad I can be to three beautiful kids -- and ONLY allowing U2 in the minivan cd changer -- six years running. Hey, I never said being dad doesn't have it's perks.

Keep feeding me the laughing gas!

From the U2-themed giant corn Christmas card guy.

As an American (and former St. Louis resident) living overseas (in Togo, West Africa), I appreciated your fan year article and the interpretation of U2's line, "Outside its America." There's no doubt that, even in the age of African independence, much of American influence washes up on the shores of this tiny and poor country. Without trying to sound arrogant, or self-righteous, however, I have to ask (against the grain of popular globalist thought) if that is such a bad thing. Two days ago 7 young people were killed and scores of others injured when there were demonstrations for the upcoming presidential election. Even when the USA got a black eye for the scandal that erupted between Bush and Gore over the hanging chads, at least no one went to the hospital or the morgue. Yes, American movies, music, and fast food are all exports (although we have no McDonalds here). But in a country where you are as likely to see people wearing t-shirts with the face of Osama bin Laden (Togo has a growing Muslim population) as the latest hot sports star, I hope that dreams of freedom, religious liberty, equality, justice, and respect might also be considered part of the U.S. influence on the world.