Bono described the song, written about a home movie taken of his late mother, in 2006’s U2 by U2:
I have very few memories of my mother because my father never talked about her after she died. So it was a very strange experience to receive, in the post, from a very distant relative, early Super 8 f...
[Verse 1]
Lemon, see-through in the sunlight
She wore lemon but never in the daylight
She's gonna make you cry
She's gonna make you whisper and moan
When you're dry she draws her water from the stone
I feel like I'm slowly, slowly, slowly slippin' under
I feel like I'm holding on to nothing
[Verse 2]
She wore lemon to colour in the cold grey night
She had heaven and she held on so tight
A man makes a picture
A moving picture
Through the light projected
He can see himself up close
A man captures colour
A man likes to stare
He turns his money into light
To look for her
And I feel like I'm drifting, drifting, drifting from the shore
And I feel like I'm swimming out to her
[Chorus]
Midnight is where the day begins
Midnight is where the day begins
Midnight is where the day begins
[Verse 3]
Lemon, see-through in the sunlight
A man builds a city
With banks and cathedrals
A man melts the sand
So he can see the world outside (You're gonna meet her there)
A man makes a car (She's your destination)
And builds a road to run them on (You gotta get to her)
A man dreams of leaving (She's imagination)
But he always stays behind
And these are the days when our work has come asunder
And these are the days when we look for something other
[Chorus]
Midnight is where the day begins
Midnight is where the day begins
Midnight is where the day begins
Midnight is where the day begins
[Instrumental Break]
[Chorus]
Midnight is where the day begins
Midnight is where the day begins
Midnight is where the day begins
Midnight is where the day begins
[Verse 4]
A man makes a picture
A moving picture
Through the light projected
He can see himself up close (You're gonna meet her there)
A man captures colour (She's your destination)
A man likes to stare (There's no sleeping there)
He turns his money into light (She's imagination)
To look for her
[Outro]
(Lemon) She is the dreamer
She's imagination (She had heaven)
Through the light projected
He can see himself up close
(She wore lemon)
Lemon was written by Bono & The Edge (Guitarist) & Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen Jr..
Lemon was produced by Flood & Brian Eno & The Edge (Guitarist).