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

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bma7
04-08-2004

Rated 0 
This song is based on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

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Stace892
04-16-2004

Rated 0 
U2's best song.

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gnr-acdc-eagles
05-29-2004

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I completely agree with bma7 here, its about the crucifiction of jesus christ. and once you've associated it with that it becomes an even more moving song. Its typical U2, the lyrics r very simplistic, but they have a complex underlying meaning.

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hec21
06-05-2004

Rated 0 
Amazing song- one of U2's best. I think everyone can relate to this song in one way or another.

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hegemor
06-06-2004

Rated 0 
I think that there are many interesting views on the meaning of this song, and I don't know what bono has really tried to say with it (but if he’s stated that it was about him overcoming his drug addict, that should give people a clue..).
In my opinion, the great thing about this song is just that it’s as open as it is - everybody can relate to it in one way or another. You can make virtually anything you like out of the lyrics!! I think that, in a way, this may be the purpose of the song, because that makes it a lot more personal to more people. We always have a tendency to over-analyze everything – we need to know the “deeper meaning” of everything, and sometimes we end up just tearing the lyrics apart..It’s the same with poetry (I recommend to read the poem “Introduction to poetry”). And when you ask the writers they don’t always have a proper answer for it themselves, and other times they just want the readers to make up their own opinion about what the text means to them.

Since I am not religious, I lean more to the love story interpretation, and to me the "I can't live, with or without you" simply (or complicated) means that "she" is someone that he loves, but who does him no good. He can't live with her because she is destructive - probably quite a bitch, hurts him, leaves him feeling used and heartbroken, or takes him for granted. But on the other hand he can't live without her, because he loves her too much. In a way I think it’s about unreturned love – he loves her, but she doesn’t love him back. It’s as classical as that. I’ve been through it, and to me, that’s what comes to my mind when I hear it – but be all means, I think everybody should chose the meaning that speaks to them!! Love the song

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Adamsmasher
06-07-2004

Rated 0 
I always thought that it was about a man married to a woman who continually goes off and cheats on him, "and you give yourself away.." but he loves her too much or is so co-depentant on her that he does not want to leave her. She gives him all the surface love and a married life to him, "you gave it all but I want more..." but he longs for her complet love from her heart, not a shared love. But then one day I thought of something. If I were to imagine God singing this song to his Church, the Body of christ, it would sound very fitting because many of us go to church to worship God on Sunday But we then leave and live like the devil the reast of the week. If Christ is in your heart then you belong to God but when we live a luke warm life so to speak, I can almost hear Jesus saying, "I cant live with or without you..." A heart cry from Jesus to his church.

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HvNLyFaTHr
06-08-2004

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"See the stone set in your eyes, see the thorn twist in your side, and I'll wait for you" - This to me is showing that U2 are placing GOD first! The reason for this is because Bono is singing the crucifixion and death of Jesus right here! Watching and acknowledging the death of Jesus and the stone setting in His eyes and the final spear/thorn that rips/twists into Jesus' side, as written in John 19:34. And Bono sings "I wait for you".

Then Bono sings about a girl, and the heartache he feels towards her, but will slug it out without her because he must put GOD first and not let anything come between him and the Cross of Christ and Grace of GOD! It seems to me their seems to be some difficulty surrounding Bono and his relationship with this girl and so it doesn't seem like it was meant to be...

This is obviously only my interpretation, but considering that they are a controversial and struggling Christian Band I presumed that it would have had GOD in it somewhere. And that is the amazing and creative talent I find in U2, is their ability to sing a song which has many dimensions and differing levels/realms. Making it possible to be understood from many perspectives! God Bless U2 and God Bless U ALL!

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The_Translator
06-09-2004

Rated 0 
Flawless song from a flawless album. Some people use drugs to get high, others use religion - I listen to U2.

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take_me_through_you
06-12-2004

Rated 0 
i don't believe in god and i still relate to this song..it's universal i think anyone who hasn't felt this song in real life has nver had or lost a love

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allenegirl
06-26-2004

Rated 0 
This song is unbelievable. The Edge is a guitar god and Bono is just awesome. This is by far U2's best song and there will never be another like it.

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firthelement
10-11-2004

Rated 0 
yeh i totally agree with HvNLyFaTHr, in it being about crucifixion and Jesus giving Himself away, as well as about a chick... the part "On a bed of nails she makes me wait...And I wait without you" means to me that he is waiting to sleep with this chick, and by doing this he is neglecting God...he waits without Him..... oh well, just my opinion and theory... interesting to see evryone's opinions onn this song.. it can have many interpretations hey...

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Libraquarius
10-12-2004

Rated 0 
Thinking on this song and acting on the outcome was a bad idea.
Personal problems aside, this song confirms The Edge as a rhythm guitarist, but when there's no rhythm, where is the guitar? A Zen view of a very airy tune.

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clairebaby
10-14-2004

Rated 0 
such an amazing song! the rhythm & everything is just so uplifting. cheers me up.

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melodic_trash
10-24-2004

Rated 0 
This reminds me of The One, well at that time in my life. He loved that song, and well, it was me and him all along, I couldn't live with him, I didn't see what he was to me until it was too late, and I can live without him, I have done for two years, but theres still a little part of me that will love him forever. End of.

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MiguelTeja
11-01-2004

Rated 0 
Bono himself admitted this song was about his battle with a heroin addiction. Sorry to all those that think this is a straight up love song, but the great thing about it is that you can make the song mean whatever you want. But, Bono wrote the song about heroin, sometimes referred to as the dark lady.

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Joss
11-24-2004

Rated 0 
Very good song and as angle sed the message is very simple!! i also think that this song helps anyone who dosent understand to calm down....

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joeso87
12-13-2004

Rated 0 
HvNLyFaTHr. I like your theory on the Jesus meaning....but U2 are not a Christian band!!!!!Bono himself has said theyre not! He just likes the religious imagery. I know someone who wasted a large portion of his time writing bok on how U2 are Christians. waste of time. being Irish the obviously have a rich catholic backgroud. But thats it.

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joeso87
12-13-2004

Rated 0 
and a further thing.......this is the greatest song of all time.

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millionaire
12-16-2004

Rated 0 
My dad loves U2 and when I was younger he would always play their songs, and I remember this one the best coz it is his favourtite. I agree with everyone who has commented that it is a beautiful song.

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Lorelei_uam
12-18-2004

Rated 0 
This song reminds me of my break up with my high school sweetheart. We fought constantly after the breakup, we couldn't be around each other at all! But I loved him so much it brought me to tears! As hard as it was, I gave him his space and waited on him to come back to me. (at this point on my life this song was on repeat on my cd player) A few years past, and now we are now engaged! happier than ever.

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millionaire
12-18-2004

Rated 0 
I always thought this song was about loving somebody SO much and you want them so badly but don't want them at the same time because could just love them so much (it's very hard to explain!) hence-"I can't live with or without you" and then "You give it all but I want more" The person you love so badly is the person you want more from even thought you can't have more becuase they have already given you all they could. But hey, maybe I'm wrong, that's just what it means to me:D

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Daed_choice
12-19-2004

Rated 0 
Oh man... what a song.. perfect..
I really never understood fully the meaning.. it's so deep. i think that bono wrote this about heroin.. the beauty of u2, is that lyrics are so deep that we can interpret in our own way. This song to me means the unperfection of love. Someone is giving more than the other.. and maybe the other is feeling the same. At some point he can't take it no longer. He needs more from her.. and he feels that would be better for him to leave her "live with..."
But he needs her, he loves her... he can't live "without" her... I think this describes the way that many couples feel.. they love each other, but they lack some sort of communication, that's causing pain, that are needed to be resolved so they can function as "one" ;)

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hoops
12-21-2004

Rated 0 
joeso87, 2 members of U2 had a protestant upbrining and 2 a catholic one, so there is a strong religious undertone in the band, albeit probably their interpretation of it.

To me the first part of the song refers to the disciples watching the crucifixion and saying they do believe he will return from the dead (I'll wait with or without you), the rest of the song refers to walking on water (through the storm..) and how Jesus didn't disguise his powers despite knowing the fate that he had to face (and you give yourself away).

I guess it is a song that says different things to different people, but I personally can't see past the clear religious element.

A great song however you hear it.

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joeso87
12-22-2004

Rated 0 
Hoops- who are the Prods? Adam and Edge?
I always considered this one of their less religious songs! Each to their own!
Wether or not it does have a religious element, which it might, I feel your interpretation of it's flawed. the Gospels make it clear that the disciples didn't think he would rise again- they were hiding, believing they'd lost everything. You may be right about the walking on water tho. I dunno.
I don't think people can say it's about anyone thing - U2 songs sem to hit on about 3 different levels. This one-heroine, love, Lord Jesus. and probably some other random stuff from the genius Bono's head

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FightingLee
12-28-2004

Rated 0 
Well, I just thought that perhaps I could offer a little help. I am theologist and have loved u2 since the second that I heard their first single "Out Of Control". Anyway, the song begins with "see the stone set in your eyes", which is a direct symbolic adage of death. So whose death is Bono referring to? The next line states, "see the thorn twist in your side." This is a very interesting line. Before the Christ was nailed to the cross a crown of thorns was placed on his head. Also it was roman custom to peirce the side of the body after a crucified individual had died. It relieved the fluids that had gathered there from the incredible pressure that developed from hanging in such a position. The connections with the "thorn twist in the side" are very apparent.
The song is full of these connections. "slight of hand" was a common accusation of the christ to explain his miracles, just trickery as the saducees and pharisees saw it at the time. Bono sings, "through the storm we reach the shore, you give it all but I want more." This is an amazing line. If you are familiar with the miracles of the Christ you know of the calming of the sea. The twelve apostles and the Christ are on a ship and Jesus is resting. A storm hits and the apostles wake him. He calms the sea and they reach the shore.
The line is familiarizes itself with this story and in essence says, you work great miracles and I still want more. This is interesting. Peter, the leader of the twelve often asked for more even after great miracles.
The most striking line though is, "my hands are tied, my body bruised." Many religions still believe that the Lord was tied to the cross and not nailed. Bono actually demonstrates the manner of the catholic crucifiction on stage as he sings these lines in Rattle and Hum and crosses his ancles and sticks his arms out wide.
There is more, trust me. "give yourself away" as well as the added verse in Rattle and Hum could have very strong ties to the Lord as well.
If you are a U2 fan and actually believe this song is a love song, you greatly misunderstand u2. The most beautiful thing about Bono is his ability to write "parables". It can appear to be a simple song with a simple message while having strikingly different meanings. Bono has said himself that he considers the band to be a Christian band. He makes more biblical references throughout an album than a Pastor on Sunday. This song is definately about God, and he himself has spoken about its connection with overcoming drug addiction (just like "running to stand" still and "wide awake").
If you haven't listened to "Until The End Of The World", do so. It is about the relationship between Judas and the Christ according to Bono. I have rattled on long enough, sorry. I just can't have people looking at such beautiful songs as this and not understanding the complexities that make evern more outstanding. Bono is without a doubt, the greatest modern day poet.

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