Synopsis
U2 perform in stark, shadowy close-ups while surreal road footage unfolds around them. Green and purple skies, a moving car, a tunnel, an American flag and other distorted images create a disorienting journey that matches the song's apocalyptic mood. The band members appear separately, often half-lit and bare-chested, while The Edge is seen encased in plastic wrap. The video closes with Bono blowing kisses toward the camera, adding an unexpectedly playful note to the dark imagery.
Factoids & Trivia
- Much of the road footage came from Wim Wenders' film "Until the End of the World." U2 had contributed the song to the film, and Wenders supplied footage for the promotional video.
- The band footage was filmed at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, with the members recorded separately over the course of a week.
- The Edge's plastic-wrapped appearance was not entirely comfortable. During filming, the crew briefly had trouble freeing him after wrapping him completely, and his rapid breathing was retained in the finished edit.
- Although the song received a promotional CD release in the United States, it was not issued as a standard commercial single. The video was also not released for regular airplay.
- The video later appeared on the 1992 compilation "Achtung Baby: The Videos, The Cameos, and a Whole Lot of Interference from Zoo TV."