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From: Scott A. Yanoff
U2 A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel
(A Rattle & Hum outtake)
(Organ -> Slide guitar -> drums -> electric guitar)
(Note: Organ plays: Eb->Ab Ab->Eb, Slide guitar slides high on 2nd string)
Capo on 3rd fret!
>From where I stand
Eb
I can see through you
Ab
And well ya said pretty woman
Eb
"I know it got to you"
Ab
I see the stars in your eyes
Eb
I want the truth but you want the lies
Ab
I dream you come, I run to you
Eb
You gave your life for rock 'n roll a-ha
Ab Eb Ab
Stay, we're on the dark side of love
Eb Ab
You've got everything you wanted
Eb
But what you needed you gave away
Ab
For primitive love
Eb
And we're riding the mystery train
Ab
For primitive love
Eb Ab
A room at the heart
B
Hearbreak hotel
Ab
A room at the heartbreak
Eb
Heartbreak hotel
Ab
A room at the heartbreak
Eb
Heartbreak hotel
Ab
(Rest of song continues as above)
You say it's love, it's not the money
You let them suck your life out like honey
Full of tricks
You're on the street
Selling your kisses so very sweet
(I'm back. And I'm gonna make it
I'm gonna make it
Oh the prize is to hold you back)
A primitive love
And we're riding the mystery train
A primitive love
A room at the heart
Heartbreak hotel.
(Guitar fills, etc.)
CHORD formations:
Eb 3 6 5 3 4 3 (Like a C chord formation)
Ab 3 3 6 5 4 4 (Like a F chord formation)
B 6 5 3 3 6 6 (Like a G/D chord formation)
Brought to you by the GUITARMASTA - http://www.guitarmasta.net
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No Picture
GRIM Professional |
#1 by GRIM at Jun 1, 1981 at 5:53 AM EST |
| I had always understood it to be about Elvis Presley, Could the lyrics it be from the POV of someone talking to Elvis, maybe Priscilla? This song is a b-side on Angel Of Harlem, which has a picture of Billy Holiday (the Angel of Harlem) on the back of the 7", 12" and CD-single sleeves. I seem to remember Elvis' picture also included on the 12" somewhere, maybe the disc label? | |
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No Picture
PJVILL Professional Badass |
#2 by PJVILL at Jan 15, 1986 at 9:43 AM EST |
| I absolutely love this song. It's just so full of soul and it really shows off Bono's incredible vocal talent. Like everyone else, I think it's about a prostitute, but I also think it has a deeper meaning than just that the same way most other U2 songs do. I think it's about a woman who mistakes sex for love. She associates the attention she recieves for her *services* as a sort of love because clearly it's all she's ever known. I think the underlying story is that the main character of the story is in love with her, but as the line goes: "You've got everything you want but what you need you give away" meaning she actually has real love in the form of this man (the lyricist) but she doesn't really see it or understand it because she thinks love just comes with her profession. The lyricist is basically saying that she gives up every chance she gets at something meaningful and true for *a primitive love* (lust) and a ride on the mystery train* and she's headed for heartbreak because she's too naive to differentiate between real love and lust. | |
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No Picture
FUCK Rhythm Player |
#3 by FUCK OFF at Apr 28, 1986 at 1:52 AM EST |
| hm... i thought the song was about a hooker. | |
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No Picture
Shay Average |
#4 by Shay at Sep 4, 1994 at 2:04 AM EST |
| I thought it was about a hooker too. Heartbreak Hotel = Brothel. Anyway, this song is great, i like the choir singing at the end. | |
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No Picture
David Average |
#5 by David Turner at Mar 7, 1997 at 3:38 AM EST |
| I think this song is about U2's fascination with Elvis Presley & his themes of love & lust. | |
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No Picture
Luke Professional |
#6 by Luke Goudreault at Dec 6, 2005 at 2:09 PM EST |
| "I think this song is about U2's fascination with Elvis Presley & his themes of love & lust." I agree w/ this statement. I'm not sure where I heard that from but it sounds like the song is more of a fascination with a public figure than with an ordinary encounter or meeting with a prostitute. Its obvious to me that a prostitute does know the difference between lust and real love. They do not choose to be prostitutes, they become one out of unfortunate circumstances. So it wouldn't make much sense to say this song is U2's take on a prostitute. Bono's lyrics are almost always to be taken symbolicly. | |