“Until the End of the World” by U2

Achtung Baby
Island Records
1991

Sung from Judas’ perspective, this song explores his betrayal of Christ. The sexual images employed throughout the song signify an intimate relationship between Jesus and Judas and imply that Judas’ motive in betrayal is more complex than greed. We are led to consider whether Judas betrayed Jesus for money, love, or religion.

Haven't seen you in quite a while

I was down the hold just passing time

Last time we met was a low-lit room

We were as close together

As a bride and groom

We ate the food, we drank the wine

Everybody having a good time

Except you

You were talking

About the end of the world

I took the money, I spiked your drink

You miss too much these days

If you stop to think

You lead me on with those innocent eyes

You know I love the element of surprise

In the garden

I was playing the tart

I kissed your lips and broke your heart

You, you were acting

Like it was the end of the world

Love

In my dream I was drowning my sorrows

But my sorrows, they learned to swim

Surrounding me, going down on me

Spilling over the brim

Waves of regret and waves of joy

I reached out for the one

I tried to destroy

You, you said you'd wait

Till the end of the world

Interpretation

Haven't seen you in quite a while

I was down the hold just passing time

Last time we met was a low-lit room

We were as close together

As a bride and groom

The opening scene finds Judas greeting Jesus in the garden prior to betraying him. Judas hasn’t seen Jesus recently because he was secretly plotting with the chief priests. He brushes off his absence by saying we was “down the hold just passing time” or simply twiddling his thumbs. Judas reminds him the last time they were together was during the last supper where Judas was seated near Jesus (“close together as a bride and groom”).

We ate the food, we drank the wine

Everybody having a good time

Except you

You were talking

About the end of the world

Judas recalls the last supper where everyone was feeling pretty good about things. Most still had wrong ideas about Jesus and were probably expecting armed rebellion until Jesus started talking about his impending death. Maybe Jesus’ words led Judas to take the route he did. “The end of the world” refers to the disciple’s perception that if Jesus died their hopes for an earthly Jewish kingdom would die as well. Maybe Judas wanted to force Jesus into action or maybe he was furious at the idea of Jesus leaving them.

I took the money, I spiked your drink

You miss too much these days

If you stop to think

You lead me on with those innocent eyes

You know I love the element of surprise

Spiking Jesus’ drink (stealing money from the treasury and/or the betrayal) is retaliation for Judas’ disappointment with Jesus as Messiah. Jesus enticed Judas with “innocent eyes”, like a lover playing hard to get. Messiah was to establish God’s kingdom on earth and Judas avidly believed Jesus could be that person so he followed him like a lover enjoying being flirted with. Judas ultimately felt disillusioned and deceived as if Jesus used his power of attraction to lure Judas into a foolhardy cause.

In the garden

I was playing the tart

I kissed your lips and broke your heart

You, you were acting

Like it was the end of the world

Back in the garden, Judas proceeds with the betrayal. Judas describes himself as a “tart”, or prostitute, in that he approaches Jesus as a friend but had ulterior motives. We aren’t told what that motive could be. There are two possibilities. The first is that Judas is a Zealot who expects Messiah to be a military conqueror. Judas hands Jesus over to the authorities to force this violence to a head. The second possibility is that Judas loves Jesus beyond the normal devotion of a disciple. Judas then went crazy when Jesus started talking about his own death (the “end of the world”) and betrayed him in a fit of anger.

Love

This single word suggests that Judas loved Jesus and didn’t intend for him to be executed. Judas either wanted Jesus to fight or he wanted to get back at him for scorning his love.

In my dream I was drowning my sorrows

But my sorrows, they learned to swim

Surrounding me, going down on me

Spilling over the brim

After the betrayal, Judas regrets his actions. The nightmare he created is overwhelming him; his “sorrows” are crushing him, they’ve “learned to swim”. Judas is highly distressed and once again sexual imagery describes this tremendous agony. The scene depicts a chaotic sort of demonic orgy within Judas.

Waves of regret and waves of joy

I reached out for the one

I tried to destroy

You, you said you'd wait

Till the end of the world

Even in his grief—leading to suicide—Judas realizes that Jesus was more than even he imagined hence the “waves of joy”. At the end of his rope (no pun intended), Judas reaches out for the redemption Jesus offers implying that it’s available even to the person who betrayed Jesus.