ɪn ɐnˈʌðɚɹ ˈɪntɚvjˌuː, bˈoʊnoʊ ᵻlˈæbɚɹˌeɪɾᵻd fˈɜːðɚɹ ɔnðə sˈɔŋz θˈiːm ʌv "mˈɪdlˈaɪf kɹˈaɪsɪs": "ðɛɹ jˈuːzd təbi ɐ vˈɜːs æt ðɪ ˈɛnd ɐbˌaʊt fɹˈæŋk sɪnˈɑːtɹə, bɪkˈʌz ɪf aɪ wʌz ɡˌoʊɪŋ təbi sˈɪŋɪŋ ɐbˌaʊt nˈuː jˈɔːɹk, nˈuː jˈɔːɹk, aɪ fˈɛlt lˈaɪk aɪ ʃˈʊd.
In another interview, Bono elaborated further on the song's theme of "mid-life crisis": "There used to be a verse at the end about Frank Sinatra, because if I was going to be singing about New York, New York, I felt like I should.