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Native Son Lyrics

Yeah, it’s on the street, it’s under your feet
It’s everywhere but if you’re looking for free
Don’t look at me
My enemy became my country

On the run
Officer put down the gun
Native son
I never wanted to own one
Native son
Both of us want to be someone
It’s so hard
Is it so hard for a native son to be free

Tears falling from the sky, falling to the ground
Bullets start to fly
He’s hurt, he’s in the dirt
On my word

Don’t want to run away
I’m safer in my father’s place
I know that I can’t stay
But if I stay, I know what’s next

On the run
Officer put down the gun
Native son
I never wanted to own one
Native son
Both of us want to be someone
It’s so hard
Is it so hard for a native son to be free
Free

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Free

On the run
Officer put down the gun
Native son
I never wanted to own one
Native son
Both of us want to be someone
It’s so hard
Is it so hard for a native son to be free
Free, free
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Cover art for Native Son lyrics by U2

This is an early version of Vertigo, not a rip-off.

Cover art for Native Son lyrics by U2

As dragonflyeyes said, this the early version of "Vertigo", before U2 and their producer decided to change the song to make it more "radio friendly", in a way.

Cover art for Native Son lyrics by U2

this song is sooooo much better than vertigo i mean vertigo rocks but this is a million times better the lyrics are so much deeper much better lyrical content and the solo is a lot cooler also

Cover art for Native Son lyrics by U2

Your all wrong. The song is about Leonard Peltier. In the 1970s Leonard Pelier, an American Indian Movement (AIM) acitivist, was arrested and tried for the murder of 3 FBI and BIA agents. Most of the evidence leading to his innocence was burned or shredded and witnesses were secretly tied to chair and forced to admit thing that were not true. U2 never publicly announced why they did not release the song.

Was it due to the corporate greed of Apple? I think not. It was caused by the totalitarian government of America.

Song Meaning
Cover art for Native Son lyrics by U2

hmm i wonder what this sound like w/ the music

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Cover art for Native Son lyrics by U2

did they really release this?

Cover art for Native Son lyrics by U2

The music is obviously a variant of "Vertigo." This is most likely and early version that was dramatically changed by lyrics.

the lyrics were later changed because Bono didn't feel comfortable singing them in front of a U.S. crowd at the time. They are about Leonard Peltier, a politically controversial Native American doing hard time.

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Cover art for Native Son lyrics by U2

This sounds soo much like Vertigo that the first time i heard it i just thought it was a Vertigo remix. Its interesting though, I wounder why they decided to change write different lyrics for the Vertigo music. Vertigo is a good song but this song definately has more meaning to it. More expect of u2, which is probably why the would choose to use Vertigo to try and be different, or atleast somewhat different.

This song is imo about gun control, like they've decided they want bullet the blue sky to be about now, it kinda feels like a soft version of bullet the blue sky to me, which is probably why they canned it. If anyone wants to hear it it can be downloaded off of itunes under the complete u2.

Native Son got changed to Vertigo because the lyrics are about a politically controversial Native American doing hard time known as Leonard Peltier

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Cover art for Native Son lyrics by U2

Native Son>>Vertigo.

Cover art for Native Son lyrics by U2

First off, apparently there is a book called Native Son, about a black man in 1930's Chicago that accidentally kills a white woman. This may have had an influence on the song.

The lyrics are about someone who is wrongly accused of murder (maybe an associate of a gangmember?):

Bullets start to fly He’s hurt, he’s in the dirt On my word I did not take his life

The protaganist tries to run away, but is cornered by the law and tries to explain or talk his way out of being killed or arrested:

On the run Officer put down the gun I never wanted to own one All of us want to be someone Is it so hard for a native son to be free

When I hear Bono singing this song, I feel like he's writing a companion to Creedence Clearwater Revival's Fortunate Son, which U2 covered as a B-side to Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses.

Whereas Fortunate Son is about a kid avoiding Vietnam because of his rich dad's influence, Native Son could be about a kid forced into combat and then accused of killing a fellow soldier or a civilian.

Also note that the original working title of this song was Full Metal Jacket, which lends credence (no pun intended) to the military scenario.

Pretty close, the lyrics are about Leonard Peltier. A Native American convicted of murdering 2 FBI agents in the 70s. He was there protecting some elders with other members of AIM (American Indian Movement) when a huge shootout erupted on the reservation. Peltier was not given a fair trial and much of the evidence was fabricated by FBI.

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