Vertigo

Vertigo is a sensation of dizziness or a feeling of disorientation. It can be a serious medical condition, but in the context of this song, it's about opening your mind and looking at things in a different way.

The song was used in commercials as part of a big promotional deal with Apple. The spots, where many people first heard the song, promoted Apple's iPod, which was introduced in 2001 and on its fourth generation. Apple released a special-edition iPod as part of the promotion that was the first of its kind that wasn't white - the U2 version had a red wheel and was black. A later edition came with the signatures of the band members engraved on the back and made the entire U2 catalog along with special bonus tracks available for download at iTunes for $150.

This song is instantly identifiable by its intro, where Bono says "Uno, dos, tres, catorce," which is "1, 2, 3, 14" in Spanish. One theory is that Bono was directing listeners to The Bible: 1st Testament, 2nd Book, 3rd Chapter, 14th verse - "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." Another theory is that he did it because How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb was U2's 14th album. The unconventional count-in certainly jells with the vertiginous nature of the song, which seems to be the point.