I have never understood that "magical" deer that runs across the screen in the YouTube video of Electrical Storm. Is that part of the real video? What does it mean?

If by real video you mean did a magical deer happen to walk across the room at the exact moment they were filming, the simple answer is yes 

Okay, that's a total lie.

I was just watching the "Electrical Storm" video. Awesome song, steamy (especially by U2 standards) video, but WTFreak is the deer doing there?? It's really weird to me. If someone told me what was up with it, I'd be okay with it, but I've wondered about that for years...

If we did a thread about Odd Appearances in U2 Videos, this one would lead the pack.

If we did a thread about Odd Appearances in U2 Videos, this one would lead the pack.

Amen!! I mean, I've heard people mention the canaries in Red Hill Mining Town before... But that actually makes sense! The deer? Not sure what was being said with that... I'm going to Google and report back.

In the behind the scenes look for the ES video on the Best of '90-'00 vid, Anton Corbijn (the director of the video) says the deer symbolizes "innocence, sexuality, and foreboding".

In the behind the scenes look for the ES video on the Best of '90-'00 vid, Anton Corbijn (the director of the video) says the deer symbolizes "innocence, sexuality, and foreboding".

In that particular order?

In the behind the scenes look for the ES video on the Best of '90-'00 vid, Anton Corbijn (the director of the video) says the deer symbolizes "innocence, sexuality, and foreboding".

In that particular order?

Well, in how the story in the song and video develops, I'd say yes. 

In the behind the scenes look for the ES video on the Best of '90-'00 vid, Anton Corbijn (the director of the video) says the deer symbolizes "innocence, sexuality, and foreboding".

In that particular order?

Well, in how the story in the song and video develops, I'd say yes. 

I hate to be ignorant to the creative muse or whatever, but I really didn't get that from the video. That being said, it's good to know. Thank you!

Really? I totally do. These two people love each other, but then the storm comes. They fight, but stay together in the end.

Really? I totally do. These two people love each other, but then the storm comes. They fight, but stay together in the end.

Oh I feel I totally understand the story development of the video  It's just that I didn't see how the deer fit into it until you mentioned it.

Well, Anton is Dutch. Maybe that has something to do with it.

I'm not trying to be prejudiced or anything, I'm just saying maybe it has something to do with their culture or something.

I have never understood that "magical" deer that runs across the screen in the YouTube video of Electrical Storm. Is that part of the real video? What does it mean?

The deer IS part of the original video. It's an Anton "treatment", the meaning is anyones guess, but he put it in there.

It's discussed briefly in the making of the "Electrical Storm" video.  I think it's on the short film "U2 Sur Mer" on the Best Of DVD 1990 to 2000. Even Bono doesen;t know what the meaning of the deer is, so theres no chance for us to know the reason with 100% certainty!! Allthough, some of the reasons given here make some sense.

Anton is known for throwing in unusual items into music videos. Another example where he did this is on the Nirvana video "Heart Shaped Box", the large women was his idea, he didn't even tell Kobain(who had all the ideas for the video), he just put her in there.

lmao - all I can think of is the "Closed Captioned" narration I did for Hawk a couple years back - I feel the need to post it, in light of this discussion:

Note: All of the video is in black and white so you know it’s art.

Gently moving ocean water.

Woman with very short blonde hair running by some bushes, looking over her shoulder. Who is chasing her? Her sparkle bra which sort of looks like disco leaches have attached themselves to her does not offer much in the way of support.

Back to the water, still calm. Something emerges from the water. At first it looks like those fuzzy pictures of the Loch Ness Monster. No wait, it’s a box with a head – and it’s coming towards us out of the water!!! No wait, it’s just Larry, carrying a TV. Switch to full body side shot as he emerges from the water, soaking wet (der) still carrying the TV.

Cut to long shot of some kind of hallway, maybe underground. A girl, backlit coming towards us. What is flopping at her sides? Suspenders? Seaweed? Scarves? Brr.. she’s cold and crosses her arms.

Back to Larry, hauling what must be a very heavy suitcase out of the ocean now. There’s a shot of his feet. He’s wearing flip-flops?! No wonder he’s having trouble.

Back to the alley type shot, the girl is getting closer but we’re nowhere closer to understanding the things hanging from her pants.

Back to the beach. This time Larry (we’re assuming) is carrying a mermaid, bride over the threshold style, out of the water. She leans her head on his shoulder.

Close up of the same. Dang, she’s skinny.

Alley shot. POV is from behind Larry. Girl is still backlit but I’m assuming it’s the same girl with the leach bikini. She crosses her arms, takes two baby steps forward and stops again. Man, Larry plays a mean game of “Mother May I”.

Back to the water. NOW what’s he got? Whatever it is it’s not budging. Next frame – OH it’s a bathtub. He’s in the shallow surf, trying to pull a bathtub out of the ocean. Try pushing it Lar! He does, but it doesn’t help much. Typist is distracted by the thrusting motions LMJ is making…

Back to that underground alley thing – where the heck is that? The Larry swagger is unmistakable even backlit, as he walks towards us, one hand in pocket. As he walks under an overhead light, we see that his shirt is unbuttoned, as it usually is, half way down his chest… typist is distracted again.

Over the shoulder shot again. Girl has made it closer to him. WOW! That’s some eye makeup. She’s got a good ¾ of an inch of black gunk around her eyes.

New camera angle, directly over someone’s head. They’re bent over and we see their shoulders hunched, covered in sparkle leaches… oh, it’s her again. WOAH – quick cut to close up of her face with all the black gunk on here eyes. Seriously, who does that? She’s leaning back into what we can only assume is the tub that Larry pulled out of the water.

Cut to Bono in Fly shades (profile shot)on a train for one line of the song.

Then back to the bikini girl in the tub. She’s lowering herself into the tub up to her chin.

Back to Bono blah blah blah… where’s the drenched drummer? OOH there he is. Man, that soaking wet black button up doesn’t leave much to the imagination, thank god. No wait come back… aw…

Disco Leach Bikini girl is writhing around in the tub in what I can only imagine might be a sexy sort of way if you were into that sort of thing.

Back to the alley. She’s almost in his face now. She sort of angles her body around him and he leans back against the wall in a very passive way. Typical male.

Bono… train… yadda, yadda, yadda… whose video is this Bono?

Larry and Girl are now face to face, her hands grabbing his collar. BTW, both are dry in all of these shots.

Cut to her in the tub, pushing herself towards him. Is he in there with her?

Back to the alley,she’s rubbing his face, I’m not sure why, that’s kinda weird

Back to tub. No he’s not in there. He’s kneeling behind it and she’s leaning with her back against the side, his arm around her chest/shoulders. Very intimate. Wait, now he’s in there and she’s on top of him. If she’s got that tail, how the heck does she maneuver it in that teeny tiny tub, I mean Larry is not a small guy and probably takes up most of the room in there.

Alley, Her hands on his face again, forcing him to look at her. In the tub – forehead to forehead, both wet. This is pretty hot. Now they’re laying down in the tub again.. kissing… Alley, just a shot of Larry’s naked shoulder and pectoral muscle………..

I’m sorry we’re experiencing some technical difficulty. The drool on the keyboard has short circuited the machine….

Larry chest …. Makingout… Bono train… more chest.. more kissing… Tongue on Larry Neck…Um, we’ve got a flatliner here! MEDIC!!!!

Okay we’ve got her back. He’s shirtless… Folks, she’s gone again. WTF? Was that an Electrical Moose that just ran by? Non-sequitor moose seems to have shocked typist back to life. Is Larry’s shirt see-through? Is that a nipple? Oh, there she goes again…

Male typist resumes, Sorry for the inconvenience. The Mermaid Girl and Drummer guy give each other sad looks and alternately push each other away and grab at each other. Band performing on the beach with strobe light. Close up of Bono’s mouth – nobody needs that. Oh I get it, flashing light, electrical storm.

Mermaid chick in the tub with fireworks in the background. Aw man, is she crying?! What a chick!!!

Larry carries her into the ocean again (typical girl, making the guy carry her around. You have legs! Oh, wait, you have a tail. Nevermind). Video ends with her swimming away.

Dude, what was with the Electrical Moose? And we never did figure out what was coming off her pants.

lmao - all I can think of is the "Closed Captioned" narration I did for Hawk a couple years back - I feel the need to post it, in light of this discussion:

Note: All of the video is in black and white so you know it’s art.

Gently moving ocean water.

Woman with very short blonde hair running by some bushes, looking over her shoulder. Who is chasing her? Her sparkle bra which sort of looks like disco leaches have attached themselves to her does not offer much in the way of support.

Back to the water, still calm. Something emerges from the water. At first it looks like those fuzzy pictures of the Loch Ness Monster. No wait, it’s a box with a head – and it’s coming towards us out of the water!!! No wait, it’s just Larry, carrying a TV. Switch to full body side shot as he emerges from the water, soaking wet (der) still carrying the TV.

Cut to long shot of some kind of hallway, maybe underground. A girl, backlit coming towards us. What is flopping at her sides? Suspenders? Seaweed? Scarves? Brr.. she’s cold and crosses her arms.

Back to Larry, hauling what must be a very heavy suitcase out of the ocean now. There’s a shot of his feet. He’s wearing flip-flops?! No wonder he’s having trouble.

Back to the alley type shot, the girl is getting closer but we’re nowhere closer to understanding the things hanging from her pants.

Back to the beach. This time Larry (we’re assuming) is carrying a mermaid, bride over the threshold style, out of the water. She leans her head on his shoulder.

Close up of the same. Dang, she’s skinny.

Alley shot. POV is from behind Larry. Girl is still backlit but I’m assuming it’s the same girl with the leach bikini. She crosses her arms, takes two baby steps forward and stops again. Man, Larry plays a mean game of “Mother May I”.

Back to the water. NOW what’s he got? Whatever it is it’s not budging. Next frame – OH it’s a bathtub. He’s in the shallow surf, trying to pull a bathtub out of the ocean. Try pushing it Lar! He does, but it doesn’t help much. Typist is distracted by the thrusting motions LMJ is making…

Back to that underground alley thing – where the heck is that? The Larry swagger is unmistakable even backlit, as he walks towards us, one hand in pocket. As he walks under an overhead light, we see that his shirt is unbuttoned, as it usually is, half way down his chest… typist is distracted again.

Over the shoulder shot again. Girl has made it closer to him. WOW! That’s some eye makeup. She’s got a good ¾ of an inch of black gunk around her eyes.

New camera angle, directly over someone’s head. They’re bent over and we see their shoulders hunched, covered in sparkle leaches… oh, it’s her again. WOAH – quick cut to close up of her face with all the black gunk on here eyes. Seriously, who does that? She’s leaning back into what we can only assume is the tub that Larry pulled out of the water.

Cut to Bono in Fly shades (profile shot)on a train for one line of the song.

Then back to the bikini girl in the tub. She’s lowering herself into the tub up to her chin.

Back to Bono blah blah blah… where’s the drenched drummer? OOH there he is. Man, that soaking wet black button up doesn’t leave much to the imagination, thank god. No wait come back… aw…

Disco Leach Bikini girl is writhing around in the tub in what I can only imagine might be a sexy sort of way if you were into that sort of thing.

Back to the alley. She’s almost in his face now. She sort of angles her body around him and he leans back against the wall in a very passive way. Typical male.

Bono… train… yadda, yadda, yadda… whose video is this Bono?

Larry and Girl are now face to face, her hands grabbing his collar. BTW, both are dry in all of these shots.

Cut to her in the tub, pushing herself towards him. Is he in there with her?

Back to the alley,she’s rubbing his face, I’m not sure why, that’s kinda weird

Back to tub. No he’s not in there. He’s kneeling behind it and she’s leaning with her back against the side, his arm around her chest/shoulders. Very intimate. Wait, now he’s in there and she’s on top of him. If she’s got that tail, how the heck does she maneuver it in that teeny tiny tub, I mean Larry is not a small guy and probably takes up most of the room in there.

Alley, Her hands on his face again, forcing him to look at her. In the tub – forehead to forehead, both wet. This is pretty hot. Now they’re laying down in the tub again.. kissing… Alley, just a shot of Larry’s naked shoulder and pectoral muscle………..

I’m sorry we’re experiencing some technical difficulty. The drool on the keyboard has short circuited the machine….

Larry chest …. Makingout… Bono train… more chest.. more kissing… Tongue on Larry Neck…Um, we’ve got a flatliner here! MEDIC!!!!

Okay we’ve got her back. He’s shirtless… Folks, she’s gone again. WTF? Was that an Electrical Moose that just ran by? Non-sequitor moose seems to have shocked typist back to life. Is Larry’s shirt see-through? Is that a nipple? Oh, there she goes again…

Male typist resumes, Sorry for the inconvenience. The Mermaid Girl and Drummer guy give each other sad looks and alternately push each other away and grab at each other. Band performing on the beach with strobe light. Close up of Bono’s mouth – nobody needs that. Oh I get it, flashing light, electrical storm.

Mermaid chick in the tub with fireworks in the background. Aw man, is she crying?! What a chick!!!

Larry carries her into the ocean again (typical girl, making the guy carry her around. You have legs! Oh, wait, you have a tail. Nevermind). Video ends with her swimming away.

Dude, what was with the Electrical Moose? And we never did figure out what was coming off her pants.

I don't have anything to offer on the Electrical Moose, but I think the stuff coming off her pants were "streamers" off the side of her shirt.

Great captions, btw! I was alternately drooling/cracking up.

Funniest dissection of a video ever.

http://www.atu2.com/news/answer-guy-dissects-the-sexiest-video-u2-has-ever-released-electrical-storm.html