Lyrics for With or Without You as interpreted by Novartza

With or Without You Lyrics
See the stone set in your eyes
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 reach the shore
You give it all but I want more
And I'm waiting for you

With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you

And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away

My hands are tied
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose

And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away

With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you

With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you
With or without you

Interaction
Mail to a friend Send Lyrics to a Friend
Share on Facebook

Stumble It
Add to Del.icio.us Add to Del.icio.us




  • 218 Comments
  • Printer Friendly Lyrics
oldest first     Expand All
Arch Angel Azrael
03-05-2002

Rated +3 
This song is one of the most meaningful songs i've ever listened to. The message is fairly simple, but the way that he expresses himself throughout the song is so real, and so full of emotion that you can't help being drawn into the song. Maybe its just because i have been in exactly the same situation myself and i can empathise with the lyrics, but the hopelessness of his situation is depicted with the great contradictions. You give it all, but i want more. Nothing to win, nothing left to lose. The basic problem is that being with her is too hard to bear because he wants her so much, and being away from her is too much for the same reason. On a bed of nails she makes me wait. You give it all but i want more. He is showing his mixed feelings. He is angry that she is letting him stay in this situation, yet he knows that she is doing all she can. Hrmmm...i've gone on for a bit haven't i...it's just that this song is the story of my life, so i kinda could talk about it for a while...but i guess i'll just leave it here...

Log in to reply
3 Replies
weekend_warrior
03-15-2002

Rated -2 
I think the Arch Angel has sumed it up!!!


Log in to reply
goiingtogrow wings.
04-14-2002

Rated 0 
its one of my favourite songs ever, it is quite beautiful. the best version in my opinion of this song is the one performed on the rattle and hum dvd (check it out!). bono adds an extra verse in the final moments which is
beautiful. it needs to be added to this site

Log in to reply
anna118k
04-15-2002

Rated 0 
Yay, Arch Angel.. I agree. Him being so enamored by a girl, he doesn't know what to do...
Those opening lines are gorgeous. "Sleight of hands and twist of fate"... What an awesome way of putting it.

Log in to reply
scewing
04-18-2002

Rated 0 
I used to think that was exactly what it was about too. But the more I think about it, especially considering their spiritual background (listen to their October album), I think there's a bit more there. There's got to be a reason he distinguishes 'you' and 'she.' Sure, he's lamenting over a torturous situation 'she' has him in; but he's lamenting about it to 'you.' I think the 'you' is a religious inference like perhaps he's looking for God or whoever to give him strength with his situation. I think maybe he is also upset with the fact that God isn't willing to help HIM, but so easily "gives himself away" to others. Maybe I'm out on a limb here, but it's at least ponderable....
It's still a fantastic song.

Log in to reply
2 Replies
canadiangoose7
04-23-2002

Rated 0 
screwing has got it right


Log in to reply
andris
04-27-2002

Rated 0 
i think u2 was way too transfigured a band at this point to create just another straight lovesong. scewing is all right, this song is primarily on God ('you'), secondarily on 'she', the love interest. Basically, it's a spiritual prayer murmured to seek help out of a post-breakup (?) lethargy, but it's deliberately wrote in such a way it can be interpreted as a beautiful (if 'atheist') lovesong by those who wanna listen it that way.

Log in to reply
ButtOfMalmsey
05-07-2002

Rated 0 
Hmm. I would like to posit a more sinister meaning. This a man trapped between two loves; the "good woman," to whom he addresses the song, and the "dark lady" (freely stolen from Shakespeare's sonnets) who keeps him hanging, no doubt laughing all the while. One person who loves him and who he loves, the other he also loves but is merely using him.

Log in to reply
angelgarbage
05-07-2002

Rated 0 
hmm....that's a cool idea.

Log in to reply
the-kid
05-21-2002

Rated 0 
I heard Bono say in an interview that the song is about his battle to overcome drug addiction and how he felt he betrayed God in doing so.

Log in to reply
if you see kay
05-22-2002

Rated +1 
this is THE greatest song ever written, in my humble opinion. if i would've written this song, i'd never write another song again. and what amazes me about it is that after this song, bono continues to write amazing songs (walk on, starin at the sun.....) and i hate him for having more of that gift than everybody else in this world. Goddamn you bono! and the music makes it just asskicking. they put the right music to set the mood for this song and ugh... words can't explain how this song makes me feel. GODDAMN BONO!!!

Log in to reply
pokinatcha
05-26-2002

Rated 0 
" Through the storm we reach the shore
You give it all but I want more "

Josh this song is yours and mine. From our frist date, until that terrible night we broke up... I miss you.
I can't live,
with or without you.


This is my favorite song, I fell in love with it immediately.

Log in to reply
star_9
05-27-2002

Rated 0 
I think this song is purely about love...I just don't understand anyother other meaning like you guys said about God or whatever. I think with or without you is about a relationship between two people. He is so consumed by the love for this person that every moment he is with her is not enough; he just loves her so incredibly much...and being away from her is unbearable as well. He wants her so bad. This is like the story of my life, and I can completely relate to this song and i love it so much...even though all my friends make fun of me for liking this song. With or Without You is truly an awesome song and you can't help but get drawn into this song by these powerful lyrics. I cry everytime I listen to this song. I cant live, with or without you :(

Log in to reply
undisturbed
06-02-2002

Rated 0 
everyone has sumed up this song very well........wot so ever this song rocks!

Log in to reply
Briggs02
06-03-2002

Rated 0 
WOW, the whole God thing has me blown away. I remember when MTV first debuted this video, I was waiting for some form of meaning but instead it was shot in black and white and offered no such explanation. However, the video (much like Every Breath You Take) was better than ever just being shot in black and white.
As far as the acutual meaning goes, either way, the God version or the girl/guy version, this song is out-of-hand with imagery and messages.

Log in to reply
undisturbed
06-04-2002

Rated 0 
hey 'goingtogrowwings'.......this is the verse bono added in the live version of this song.....no doubt its beautiful:

"we will share the stars in the summer night
we will share the snow in the winter night
one heart
one hope
one love
with or without u"

Log in to reply
osubuckeye420
06-07-2002

Rated 0 
I never thought of the overcoming drug addication, but it makes so much sense when you look at the words... wow... I've overcome drug addiction myself and some of the words are so familiar "stone set in your eyes/thorn twist in your side"... I mean sometimes you just wanna go back to using so bad, it really feels like there's a thorn twisting in your side... such a powerful song.

Plus the whole through the storm we reach the shore, you give it all but I still want more... Once you make the committment to stop you think that your life is gonna magically be better once your over the addiction, but that is not always the case. I still think sometimes slip and think about how great it would be to do another line or take another hit, I tell myself that I'm in a better situiation now, but when times get really down it's hard to believe that sometimes...

I also think that the "you" Bono is talking about is God. the whole, "and you give yourself away" thing is like when you turn on the news and hear some heartwarming story or you go to the movies and see the pool-boy turned multi-million dollar star, and then you just think man, why do you give him so much and I get so little when I'm putting forth this monumental effort to quit something that is killing me.

I dunno, I always thought it was about a girl, but after looking at the God and drug comments I really think that is what Bono was trying to convey in this song. Oh well, regardless of the meaning it's one of my favorites of all time. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Log in to reply
regb
06-08-2002

Rated 0 
I tend to go with the Guy/Girl Interpretation, Like so many others, this song has meaning for me, you guessed it: a Woman, My first TRUE love and I feel the Lyrics in my heart.

I can't live with or without you, means to me, i want her so bad, want to be with her but she has ended it, so I can't live with her (what I want) or without her (what i am doing now).

On a bed of nails, she makes me wait:
this was my life for 1 week, she said she needed time to think, and when she had done this before we had gotten back together.
and anyone who has been through this knows that waiting for that call from her, that call that could end it, is like waiting on a bed of nails.

And you give yourself away:
She found someone else, real soon after she broke up, like the next day, or maybe she had already found him before she broke up with me, i don't know.
Although she gave herself to this other person, i am still in love and missing her.

to recap: As far as I know, this song is about True love, that one that you will always remember, and possibly never fully get over.

To that Woman, the Woman of my dreams, the one I can't live with or without:

Rina, I will always love you

-Reggie


Log in to reply
elven_princess
06-15-2002

Rated 0 
It's always been my favorite song, since the first time I heard it, I was 12 years old and it stucked with me all this time. :O)

I have great memories with that song... I danced on it many times nut I remember especially this one time, one night of June last year, I danced on this song with my elf, it was the most perfect moment ever. Everytime I hear it, I can't help seeing us. And next week, I am going to the wedding of my best friend, I'm her brides maid and she will have this song played just for me and my elf, but my elf will not be there... Sad...

Log in to reply
amanda_
06-15-2002

Rated 0 
i don't really care what the meaning is. everyone has their own opinion. i just love this damn song. period. it gives me goose bumps everytime i hear it.

Log in to reply
shed27
06-19-2002

Rated 0 
the first time i heard this song i had the same interpretation that regb had(i was basically in the same situation)and although that meaning can still hold true i have to agree with scewing. you're right on with that one. i wondered about the "she" and "you" differential too, but i never placed God in the lyrics. thats pretty deep. even the drugs theory makes sense too. all the meanings above fit the lyrics and its a damn good song

Log in to reply
U2aholic
07-07-2002

Rated 0 
One of their best songs. Hell, it's one of the best songs ever written. There are a lot of different ways to interpret it. I think that's the true beauty of Bono's lyrics. You can interpret them different ways and apply them to your own life. Especially this song. It touches so many people so many ways. A truly beautiful song. It belongs up in the top five of best songs ever written. Ever.

Log in to reply
AngelOfGrace
07-09-2002

Rated 0 
Alright, I have a much different meaning. Dont quote me on this but I heard its about him being with an exotix dancer(a.k.a stripper). Maybe, stuck between knowing wut she is doing is wrong and duznt like it and not being able to let her go cuz he loves her. That is wut I heard, but Im probably wrong! :/

Log in to reply
shed27
07-19-2002

Rated 0 
i can kinda understand the logic in that AngelOfGrace..."you give yourself away" meaning her job as a stripper...but i'm still sold on the theory that he's talking to God about the situation a woman has him in...there's so many ways to interpret this song and i havent seen one on this page that doesnt make sense

Log in to reply
brunerhyme
07-24-2002

Rated 0 
Wow, there have been some odd ideas as to the meaning of the lyrics here.
Ehm, to put in my two cents... It's not about a drug addiction and it's not about a stripper (explanations below).
That much I do know.
Although, you can always have it mean that to you...

Bono has said that it is a mix of erotic and agape love, which supports the You-God/She-Girl theory. The line
'And you give yourself away/and you give yourself away' introduces an entire new element. The performer giving himself away to his audience. Bono says, "In 'With or Without You', when it says 'And you give yourself away', everybody in the group knows what it means. It's about how I feel in U2 at times-exposed. I know that the group think I'm exposed, and that the group feel that I give myself away. I think if I do any damage to U2 it's that I'm too open....there's a cost to my personal life, and a cost to the group as well."

Additional notes:

1)The Rattle and Hum version is as follows:

We'll shine like stars in the summer night
We'll shine like stars in the winter night
One heart, one hope, one love
With or Without You...

2) Bono has been married to Alison Stewart for the past twenty years, they've been together since he was sixteen. While it may have happened, he has never admitted to having an affair. Nor has it ever been proven or even really suggested at in the tabloids. So stripper meaning out.
3) Aside from Edge and an infamous jar of Magic Mushrooms the lyricists of U2 haven't admitted to any drug problems either (alcohol, definitely, but I don't think they consider it much of a problem). Bono has written about friends with drug problems in Running to Stand Still, Wire, and Bad but that's as far as the official record goes. He admitted in one interview that he had "experimented" but as for full blown addiction...no. And really, when would he have had the time.
*grin:

I have to say though, I really like that way of thinking. My father was a cocaine addict and I can see where a lot of the imagery would fit.

Log in to reply




  • Add Your Comments
What does this song mean to you?

You must be logged in to post your comments.

Feel free to create an account with us, or log in with your existing account, to start adding your comments to songs.





Popular
Top:   Lyrics, Artists, Albums
Random:   Lyric, Artist, Album

Your Ad Here