# Uno, dos, tres, catorce? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 14, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723 "2004-11-14T17:24:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/1 "2004-11-14T17:24:53Z")
In the new U2 song, _Vertigo_, Bono opens it by singing the above sequence. The sequnce is 1, 2, 3, 14. Is there some musical or symbolic meaning I’m missing or is this the result of Spanish not being a popular elective in the Irish school system? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/2 "2004-11-14T17:44:48Z")
They likely simply thought it sounded better than quatro. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/3 "2004-11-14T18:27:33Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > They likely simply thought it sounded better than quatro. Or even cuatro. ---
**Author:** ![zippyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/839c29/32.png) [@zippyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zippyh)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/4 "2004-11-14T18:30:41Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > In the new U2 song, _Vertigo_, Bono opens it by singing the above sequence. The sequnce is 1, 2, 3, 14. Is there some musical or symbolic meaning I’m missing or is this the result of Spanish not being a popular elective in the Irish school system? I read somewhere that it was in reference to Steve Lillywhite producing their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 14th albums. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/5 "2004-11-14T20:14:17Z")
I heard that it was because the new single is from their 14th album. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/6 "2004-11-14T20:16:49Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > Or even cuatro. No, I was referring specifically to Suzi Quatro. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/7 "2004-11-14T21:32:06Z")
Did anyone else just start humming _Wooly Bully?_ ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/8 "2004-11-14T21:39:44Z")
I heard on Irish radio the other day that Bono just screwed up. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/9 "2004-11-15T01:08:51Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Did anyone else just start humming _Wooly Bully?_ did! I Did! Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/10 "2004-11-15T01:16:01Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > No, I was referring specifically to Suzi Quatro. > > :smack: Hey, Leather Tuscedaro would have sung a GREAT duet with Bono! ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/11 "2004-11-15T02:52:10Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > They likely simply thought it sounded better than quatro. An Audi Quatro? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/12 "2004-11-15T03:32:00Z")
> [@zippyh](#): > > I read somewhere that it was in reference to Steve Lillywhite producing their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 14th albums. According to [this](http://www.macphisto.net/article591.html) link, Lillywhite has done more work with U2 than that. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/13 "2004-11-15T12:50:35Z")
I think it is simply considered “cool” to mess up count-ins, nothing more…especially in Spanish… **Peter Gabriel** , Games Without Frontiers - “a 1, 2 - 1, 2, 4” **The Offspring** , Pretty Fly - “Uno, Dos, Tres, Cuatro, Cinco Cinco, Seis…” Unless you’re the Ramones, in which a superfast “1-2-3-4!” starts most songs… ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/14 "2004-11-15T14:36:39Z")
It reminds me of a throwaway joke from the comic _Love and Rockets_. Jaime told the story of three brothers named Enero, Febrero and Miercoles (January, February and Wednesday). Well, I got a chuckle out of it… ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/15 "2004-11-15T14:39:03Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I think it is simply considered “cool” to mess up count-ins, nothing more…especially in Spanish… > **Peter Gabriel** , Games Without Frontiers - “a 1, 2 - 1, 2, 4” > > **The Offspring** , Pretty Fly - “Uno, Dos, Tres, Cuatro, Cinco Cinco, Seis…” > > Unless you’re the Ramones, in which a superfast “1-2-3-4!” starts most songs… I remember “1, 2, 3, _5_” from somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Mystery\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@Mystery\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mystery_Dog)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/16 "2004-11-15T18:24:02Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > I remember “1, 2, 3, _5_” from somewhere. That’s in “The Logical Song” by Supertramp. That song doesn’t start with a count, but the singer throws in the “1, 2, 3, 5” near the end. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/17 "2004-11-15T18:27:44Z")
Hey, thanks! Didn’t think it was a count-in. I work around the corner from a building that has 1235 for a street address. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/18 "2004-11-17T21:53:33Z")
He also says unos if you listen carefully. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/19 "2004-11-18T01:21:57Z")
The whole song reminds me of the Pixies, and the messed up counting is something the Pixies would totally do. So I just thought they were doing it to be weird. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723/20 "2004-11-18T15:32:47Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > An Audi Quatro? Clearly, the poster was referring to Borland’s **Quattro Pro** for Windows. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uno-dos-tres-catorce/274723.md?page=2)