The song describes two characters in a setting with a dull and grey appeal, who emerge from blinking neon signs into a brightly lit modern city. The radio sound effects in the introduction were intended to create a mood and setting for the song. DJ Carter Alan noted that the sounds seemed to draw a connection from "Achtung Baby", but Bono stated that it was not intentional and that he didn't want it to have "anything to do with the past". The lyrics in "Zooropa" begin with the Audi advertising slogan "Vorsprung durch Technik" (""Advancement through technology"") and the first three verses feature references to slogans for other brands, including Colgate, Daz, Fairy, and Zanussi.