U2: With Or Without You Meaning
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With Or Without You Lyrics
see the thorn twist in your side
i wait for you
Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait
And I wait without you
With or without you
With or without you
Through the storm we...
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anonymous May 30th 2010, 02:54 report
Music is very much about interpretation and even those who wrote it may see a different meaning to it at different times in their life. It may still be what they originally felt but as life and time pass they see their own sub-consciousness come out in their own lyrics. This is why writing music for a lot of people is a spiritual catharsis. The song may very well mean all of these things people have said. My own interpretation ( and with music we are free to have are our interpretation) is that the song is about the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ and the forgiveness of our sins through Christ.
"See the stone set in your eyes
see the thorn twist in your side
i wait for you"
-stone & thorn symbolize Christ on the cross and in Christ's crucifixion "I wait for you" is an illusion of Christians waiting for the resurrection of Christ
"Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait
And I wait without you"
-as a couple of people said before, sleight of hand and twist of fate is in reference to trickery, hence, Judas' betrayal of Jesus and "the twist of fate" that lead to his crucifixion. I also do believe that "she" is sometimes in place of God because it's more "marketable" and does not alienate non-believers. But I think "she" is God... God makes us sinners wait on a bed of nails for the resurrection of Christ for our sins to be forgiven. As the crucifixion of Christ was to take away our sins.
"With or without you
With or without you"
-we can not live with Jesus walking among us because he had to die for our sins but we could not be here without him had he not died for our sins, hence, "I can't live with or without you"
"Through the storm we reach the shore
You give it all but I want more
And I'm waiting for you"
-The storm I think is an illusion to the great flood, and those who survived on the ark even after reaching the shore and being saved by God, we still want more, God gives us all and we still want more. And then the coming of the messiah, Jesus, who will bring our salvation through his death.
"And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away"
-Jesus giving his life for our sins on the cross
"My hands are tied
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose"
-If we believe that Jesus lives in us, then I feel this is man's way of realizing that we too were on the cross with Jesus, our sins were on the cross with him, just as Jesus' hands are tied so too are our hands tied & our bodies bruised, "she's"/God's got us with Jesus.... when you have nothing to win and nothing left to lose, than you give everything, just as Jesus gave everything with his crucifixion.
Also if folks remember the video for the song there is a point in the video when Bono puts his arms and crosses his hands above this head like being crucified on the cross(as historians have said that Christ may have been crucified on a stake and would have had his arms and hands nailed to the stake above his head).... He does this in the video during the lyrics "my hands are tied, my body bruised" which always lead me to believe is was about the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ and the forgiveness or our sins.... NOW... That's just MY interpretation.... and for me ....I love the song either way. -
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anonymous Apr 25th 2010, 20:12 report
wtf is this interperation.... this is obviously wrong...Okay the song is not about someone proposing..its about unrequitted love... to me its about two people who love each other more than anything in the world. But there is some complication so they cant be together. They cant be with eachother but they cant live without each other... the lyrics explain how painful it is for them see the thorn twist in your side, bed of nails to be apart and to be together they have to give a little bit of themselves away.
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WillDISTW Mar 30th 2010, 20:58 report
Okay, well in my mind this song clearly is a referance to relationship, (of course!)However this is a relationship that has interweaved him to this person in a way that keeps him with her, even though it hurts him, because she does not appreciate him "On a bed of nails she makes me wait".
It's a song of his acceptance that he has become depandant of her, in a way so one sided but stong that he "can't live with, or without her"
Basicily he's completly head over heels in love with her, but she can't give him what he needs.
The "You give yourself away" lines really hit home with me especially given my personal experiances with this song;
You love someone, give them everything, you love them TOO much, they cheat and (or) take you for granted, you forgive them and still love them and stay with them, but they continue to be unfaithful and take advantage of you.
It takes a very long, dificult period of your life to finally realize that they won't change, and that you need to, for once, stand up for yourself. -
aj420 Mar 23rd 2010, 07:34 report
See the stone set in your eyes- means he's looking into her eyes as he is killing her
see the thorn twist in your side- he is stabbing her
i wait for you- stalking her
sleight of hand and twist of fate- her life is in his hands
on a bed of nails she makes me wait- he can anticipate how its going to feel to take her life
through the storm we reach the shore you give it all but I want more- means he finally got her and he wants her to put up a bigger struggle against him
my hands are tied my body bruised she got me with nothing to win and nothing left to lose- his hands are tied he can't let her go his body is bruised from the fight she put up aginst him he's not gaining anything by killing but whats he got to lose now the deed is done.
thats my interpretation take it or leave it -
anonymous Feb 9th 2010, 16:20 report
I think the song is about a breakup...breakups are hard (we all know that). I think that he refers to a couple who are very much in love, but have been fighting a lot, and decided that to stop hurting each other, the best thing to do was to breakup. Maybe they tried to make it work, but sometimes you can't. Somehow he didn't forget about her, he can't move on, it's too painful, he's still in love with her. But he realizes that no matter what, he's no longer going to be with her. I mean, that he knows, that if they come back together, they won't make it work, because of all the fighting and resentment. And he can't be without her, because he loves her and misses her.
- "See the thorn twist in your side"- means that she started to have doubts about the relationship.
- "I wait for you"- he wants her back, and he'll wait for her to come back.
- "On a bed of nails she makes me wait"- it's painful, because he's not over her yet. It hurts when you breakup with someone, and you find yourself alone and everything reminds you about that someone.
- "Through the storm, we reach the shore"- after they fought, they came to the conclusion of breaking up.
- "You gave it all but I want more"- means that they tried, but gave up...he wants more, wants onether chance.
- "And you give yourself away"- you expose yourself, you become vulnerable with that person.
- "My hands are tied"- he can't do anything else...
------NV------ -
anonymous Nov 28th 2009, 09:47 report
Everyone can interpret songs in different ways and I don't think we should criticize the way that other people interpret them as songs mean different things to different people :)
So here's my very humble opinion on this song
I'm not saying this is what Bono thought when he wrote it this is just what it makes me think.
I think it's about a relationship that has turned bad over time and although it is killing both people to stay together they can't leave each other because there is still so much love there
"See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side"
The stone set in your eyes sounds angry, cold and unfeeling as if this person has just about had enough and has had too many fights to continue to defend themself anymore
Then the "thorn" twists in there side which suggests to me that they want to leave as they know things aren't right in there relationship anymore but they still have all this love and have spent all this time with this person that it holds them back and they can't leave
"Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait"
"Sleight of hand" is a term used to describe a clever trick in a game of cards or something like that (I had to look this up on google) and this suggests she has one over on him and twist of fate suggests that something unexpected has happened. To me I think that she has told him she needs time to think about whether she wants to be with him or not.
"On a bed of nails she makes me wait" suggests he is waiting for her answer and wants to know whether they will be together or not.
"Through the storm we reach the shore
You give it all but I want more"
This suggests that through all the arguments they do reach peaceful bits but maybe that he is possessive and that she is literally everything to her.
Then of course:
"With or without you
With or without you
I can't live with or without you"
Speaks for itself really; he can't cope with the arguing but he also needs her.
There are lots more lyrics I could analyse but this is already quite long so I'll do this bit hopefully quite quickly.
"My hands are tied" refers to the fact that she has the ability to control him as she is holding over his head whether or not they will be together.
Also I think "Nothing left to win and nothing left to loose" is another poignant line as the relationship has turned very bad so he'll be losing nothing by it ending but nothing left to win suggests nothing good can come of his life after losing her.
It's just how I see it :) sigh if only coursework was this fun :D -
anonymous Nov 26th 2009, 16:08 report
I really do think it's about the relationship with his wife.
Some might say he wouldn't use the "without you" part in the song referring to his wife but that would be wrong. I think the song is about relationships and how love keeps you with someone but as time runs and feuds and fights and differences emerge, compromises have to be set. He can't live with her because of all the differences and conflicts couples face but he can't live without her because he loves her truly. At least that's what this wonderful song means to me. -
anonymous Nov 24th 2009, 21:53 report
I think this song is about a guy who loves this girl. And he waits on her hand and foot. She uses him because she can get whatever she wants. He hates her for this but he is still so in love with her that he cant do anything about it. He cant live with her (cause she uses him) or without her (cause he loves her).
That's just what i get from it -
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ThatsJust_Me Oct 18th 2009, 16:49 report
well i think that this song is about a gitl who a guy likes and he really like her but he doesnt know if she feels the same way, and i think that the when he says @and you give yourself away' thats shes messing him around and going off with other guys and just playing around.
I thinkt hat therefroe the guy doesnt agree with what shes doing therefore cant live with her, but he cand live without her as he cant get enough 'you give it all but i want more'
and from the beginning verse 'See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side' shes tryng not to show any emotions through her eyes but he can see thats shes hurting inside.
So i think basically its about a girl fooling arounnd with guys and one guy really liking her and doesnt want to like her but he just cant help himself therefore cant live with or without her
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anonymous Sep 20th 2009, 22:02 report
I don't know the meaning of this song; But I do know that as a Christian I can't live without Christ in my heart but I also can't live with Him physically in this life.
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Invisiblewounds Sep 6th 2009, 07:41 report
I don't know the subtle meaning of this song but Its definitely not about a woman...If a woman abandons you then someone else will come in your life unless of course its mother were talking about I like christ's version better there have been refernces abt thorns,nails and torments...And to me it seems that the general meaning of this song is we can't deny God even if He seems nonexsistent
to us.Hence"with or without u" -
HowCouldYou Jun 29th 2009, 21:10 report
There is this scene where the guy says to the girl, 'I can't live without you.' and the girl replies, 'Then why aren't you dead?' and I just remember the feeling I got the first time I heard that. The shock of how harsh flirtation can be to show what a tough cookie or what standard is required.
I say things I think I do not intend to say without even knowing it all the time and it is not the words that matter not even the actions or the inactions in other words, it is the ongoing concern. The oneness of the lyrics is strong making the listener able to relate without gender or sexual preference distinctions, we are one, and we can all relate to the feelings and the music stirs us accentuating the tingling sensations we get when we think about the one we feel so close to, the spark so close to sadness that we could sob and yet so powerful when it is right that we can only wait in anticipation with bated breath laying ourselves on the table with threat of being stabbed a thousand times or more waiting for that one that we hope will reciprocate our hopes our desires our love by coming on top of us and being gentle enough respecting us enough not to be stabbed even by one single gouge.
Who will be next is the question this song askes the masses. I will take your pain away or let you take mine but be gentle because I can not move from this place seems to be the grander meaning. Is it a better explanation, no, just my feeling that there are worldly metaphors that could easily fit so many scenarios and in each there is a way to show our love.
Interesting that I just heard the words, 'Self serving or selfless' and I want to backspace that part but my trembling fingers want to erase the whole thing. -
luvlyrics Jun 29th 2009, 11:15 report
My feelings on the meaning of this song are as follows:
It is a song based on a one sided relationship where one wants more than the other and is willing to wait and see if the other can overcome thier confusion in dealing with things. While one is in pain waiting, the other gets involved with other people, is not sure what they want to do - a rollercoaster so to speak, being involved with someone who is up and down. In a relationship when one person loves and the other is in love. If you've been involved in this type of relationship from either side you can definitely see the meaning. -
everbrim Jun 20th 2009, 17:59 report
The lyrics here are indeed timeless and meant to be general, but so we can all connect. I guess I ain't sayin' nuthin'. Hold on; who's this about ?
Some Heroes of the War
Cry or smile on Memorial Day
Heroes and whores are just a smile away
And he was born on the 4th of July
His dreamlike horizon made him fly
But you know how she knows, and it's okay
It's only a generation where he lives away
And there's no doubt you can love more
Whether you be the hero, or the whore -
WebAntOfYouTube Jun 19th 2009, 12:51 report
Maybe the editors can include this with my previous submission? I did not cover these lines because the person I was responding to did not. That was a mistake. These are the lines:
And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away
( I think her indecision is very revealing. It gives her away in the sense of revealing that she is not really truly in love with him or does not love him quite enough. Most certainly not as much as he loves her.)
My hands are tied
(He is helpless. He can't make her love him if she don't,so to speak.)
My body bruised,
(sometimes emotional torment can manifest itself physically or cause a person physical problems)
she's got me with
Nothing to win
(if he cannot win her heart enough for her to marry him then he has nothing else to win concerning her)
and
Nothing left to lose
(he has already lost all his dignity,peace,and physical health after being humiliated and stressed out by her inability to give him an answer!!!! She can take nothing else from him. She has taken his love and is not hardly giving it back to him in return. He has nothing left. She has pillaged him. His love is unrequited.)
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WebAntOfYouTube Jun 19th 2009, 12:35 report
Anonymous
September 20th, 2006 04:11PM
Hi guys,
This song has always seemed to be about somebody proposing to his (possible future) wife. (I agree)
See the stone set in your eyes = he's looking at the reflection of the diamond (engagement) ring in here eyes.(She is looking at in the box) Also "setting a stone" refers to how a diamond is placed in/on the ring
See the thorn twist in your side = refers to the "bride" being unsure. You could also say it refers to twisting a ring to fit on a finger if the ring is too small. (I think she is so taken aback by his proposal that she literally looks like someone is twisting a thorn in her side. She is in great discomfort. He has not yet put the ring on her finger since she has not answered)
I wait for you = waiting for her to answer
Sleight of hand and twist of fate = another reference to holding her hand and twisting the ring onto a finger. (It means that he slickly brought out the ring after concealing it but it does not make sense that he would put the engagement ring on her finger before he got an answer. I think a guy would usually unexpectedly bring out a ring that he has been concealing,show it to the girl,and then ask her to marry him. If she said yes,then he would put the ring on her finger. Right?)
On a bed of nails she makes me wait = nails, another hand refence. Also on a bed of nails means he's nervous. ( I think he is yet waiting to twist the ring on her finger because she has not yet said yes. She is making him wait and it is like lying on nails for him. It is nervous torture.)
And I wait without you = she hasnt said yes yet, so he waits alone. (He is the only one who knows what he wants and he has stepped on a limb only to be left hanging there all by himself. He is alone indeed.)
With or without you = he's in limbo. He's taken a step but she hasnt said yes or no yet. (That means he does not know if they are going to be together or not.)
Through the storm we reach the shore
you give it all but I want more = they have been through tough times together and even though she loves him, he wants more, for her to be his wife.
I can't live
with or without you = he just wants an answer (He cannot live with her as her husband because she has not said yes and he cannot live without her because life without her would be empty and meaningless. It would be existence,not life.)
my hands are tied = tie the knot (No,that means he has no control over the situation. His hands are tied. He can do nothing to make that woman say yes. The ball is totally in her court. He is helpless. Tied up.)
make sense? (To a certain extent. ) -
anonymous Jun 7th 2009, 13:38 report
Just like Dante and Beatrice, in this song the 'you' is both the divine and the object of Bono's romatic love.
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