This development reaches a climax during the first chorus at the line " burning down love " ( A – G – F ♯ – D ) ; the melody progresses through a series of scale degrees that lead to the highest note in the song , the A4 at " burning " . In later choruses , Bono sings " blown by the wind " with the same melody , stretching the same note even longer . After the third chorus , the song 's outro is played , the instrumentation reverting to the same state as it was in the introduction , with a six @-@ note guitar arpeggio played against sustained synthesiser notes .