Take these shoes
Click-clacking down some dead end street
Take these shoes
And make them fit
Take this shirt
Polyester white trash made in nowhere
Take this shirt
And make it clean, clean
Take this soul
Stranded in some skin and bones
Take this soul
And make it sing, sing

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh
Still, I'm waiting for the dawn

Take these hands
Teach them what to carry
Take these hands
Don't make a fist, no
Take this mouth
So quick to criticize
Take this mouth
Give it a kiss

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before the child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh
Still, I'm waiting for the dawn

Still waiting for the dawn, the sun is coming up
The sun is coming up on the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, tell me now
Why the dark before the dawn?

Take this city
A city should be shining on a hill
Take this city
If it be your will
What no man can own, no man can take
Take this heart
Take this heart
Take this heart
And make it break


Lyrics submitted by Lyra

Yahweh Lyrics as written by Dave Evans Adam Clayton

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Yahweh song meanings
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55 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    It's got to be about the situation in the middle East, the Israel/Palestine thing.

    "Lay down your guns All your daughters of Zion All your Abraham sons" Stop the fighting in Israel. I'm Jewish, and often in services Israel is referred to as Zion. Israel is even called Zion in the Israeli national anthem.

    "Take these hands Don’t make a fist Take this mouth So quick to criticise Take this mouth Give it a kiss" Don't make a fist with your hand, like don't be aggresive and fight, like you would make a fist if you were to punch someone out. But don't. We can resolve things peacefully. And don't provoke people verbally either, no slander. Yasser Arafat was always insulting and degrading Jews, and look what's going on. Be nice.

    "Yahweh, Yahweh Always pain before a child is born." He's saying God, God, then what he's saying is that there's always pain and bloodshed and fighting before people can see the error of their ways and the child, i.e. a peaceful, precious, pure holy city of worship can come into existence.

    "Yahweh, tell me now Why the dark before the dawn?" Why must there be fighting and sadness before we can hae our golden utopia, Jerusalem.

    The rest is pretty obvious from here.

    curlygirlon December 05, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I am happy to say that this is yet another song about U2 and their Christian faith. Yahweh is the old Hebrew name for God. Its amazing how Bono puts into words God's love, how His love that he is feeling now is just A DROP IN THE OCEAN, and how you have to wait to get the whole thing in Heaven. But in order to do this you must humble yourself, you must give God everything, your hands, mouth, heart, shoes, shirt, soul. TAKE THIS HEART. this song is amazing just like the rest on the album.

    aayers007on November 18, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "No one can own Jerusalem, but everybody wants to put flags on it"--Bono

    Webslingeron December 02, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I read that bono was singing to the music when they were writing this song, and the Yahweh part came to him and they kept it in, rather than mess around and change it

    coggsteron November 18, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    a beautiful song... "Yahweh" something so nice about how he sings it, a deffinate christian reference i love the lines.. "take the hand.. dont make a fist" make love not war be happy :)

    freedom-fighteron November 26, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    President Bush should listen to this song... considering he calls himself such an avid believer in the Christian Faith......

    vjposteron December 03, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Whoops. That first bit goes for "Love and Peace or Else". I messed that one up...

    curlygirlon December 05, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Powerful song that could be interpreted on different levels...I think there are more specific references to the middle-east in other songs from this album. This song is like a prayer that could be just Bono's personal prayer, or a prayer for the whole world. It is not limited to a denomination. I see it more as a universal prayer that I can apply to myself. Great art is usually like that - works on many different levels. Metaphors are open to interpretation.

    What I find very refreshing about this song is the "attitude" (for lack of better word) that comes across through Bono's voice and the music....it sounds humble, honest, sincere, authentic, hopeful (without denying the difficulties we face) without the negative and shallow cynicism so common today.

    Bono's singing here is just great.

    Is it "Take this soul, make it sing' or "make it sane"...I thought it was sane but it could be sing?

    georgepon December 09, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm not a Christian, but I have tons of respect for Bono and his faith. The Christian religion has become corrupt, and it now seems like a way to get money. I believe that the morals it sets are great, and I follow them myself. I read the Bible, and I believe that many aspects of it are true. I have certain questions that I still need to answer, but anyways. This song is a true symbol of his face. It also describes the love God has for all his children, atleast to me it does. I'm not a Christian, but this song is great.

    IndependentlyHappyon December 10, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    the best line is" take this heart and make it break"

    bravoceoon December 21, 2004   Link

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