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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 left to win
And nothing else to lose
With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you
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 left to win
And nothing else to lose
With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you
With or Without You song meanings
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254 Comments
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0General Comment:about living in a relationship where you love the other so much, but unsure of how the other feels Flag agentnum2on April 24, 2013 Link
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+1
Memory:To me this song describes my current situation I can't live with my girlfriend in my life because its just constant arguments and we both just come running back to each other but when we are apart can't live because I miss her and don't want to lose her to another guy. So I'm stuck and I can't live with or without her.
+2
General Comment:Well I came across this song cuz I happened to be the girl he played it to. In a way I wanted to share my side. Tis song so applies to "us". In our case I am in a relationship I can't simply get out (so I give myself away, but not to him) I can feel the pain he is suffering seeing me "give myself away" and all I can give him is my heart at the moment but he wants more. However he also saw the "stone in my eyes" and "thorns" meaning he knows the situation I'm in and my pains. So he's not the only one whose hurting. We've gone through some serious "storms" and hopefully now reached the "shore". Wait with or without me - I think he has decided to wait whether he gets me eventually soon or not in a long while, cuz there's nothing else he wants to do. He can't live with me (yet...) but he can't without me. Well in our situation for me...I've come to realize that I can't live with or without him too. Probably that is all the more reason he wants to wait or I make him wait.(either way) God is the picture in our case. So we can only look to Him in our unique situation...and we want to do the right thing.
+2
My Opinion:To me this song is about someone waiting for the person they love, to love them back, though I could see how it is about God too, but to me, this is more about love.
Anyways, this describes the current issue I'm in right now, the person I love is in a relationship right now, we still talk, I've tried to see if they like me back, but I don't have an answer-yet, though I get the feeling she sort of likes me, but just isn't open to show it.
The more I stay here, the more in love with her I am, and when I'm away from her, she's constantly on my mind, I can't live, with, or without her.
I hope I get an answer soon, but I'll wait as long as I have to, until I can't wait any longer.
Anyways, this describes the current issue I'm in right now, the person I love is in a relationship right now, we still talk, I've tried to see if they like me back, but I don't have an answer-yet, though I get the feeling she sort of likes me, but just isn't open to show it.
The more I stay here, the more in love with her I am, and when I'm away from her, she's constantly on my mind, I can't live, with, or without her.
I hope I get an answer soon, but I'll wait as long as I have to, until I can't wait any longer.
+3
General Comment:I really like the many interpretations this brilliant song has.
To me it is about human imperfection (vs devine perfection). No matter how much you love another person (or cause, drug, god or whatever your desire is), it cannot fullfil you, you will always need more. No matter how much you give to other people, there is never enough, and you expose yourself while doing it. And it's painful and tiresome and sometimes leaves you battered and empty, when you try to live up to the devine perfection. Sometimes it feels like it's just circumstances that prevents us from being perfect, and you can't even give up hope that you one day will get there.
To me it is about human imperfection (vs devine perfection). No matter how much you love another person (or cause, drug, god or whatever your desire is), it cannot fullfil you, you will always need more. No matter how much you give to other people, there is never enough, and you expose yourself while doing it. And it's painful and tiresome and sometimes leaves you battered and empty, when you try to live up to the devine perfection. Sometimes it feels like it's just circumstances that prevents us from being perfect, and you can't even give up hope that you one day will get there.
0
General Comment:My hands are tied
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose
He's in pain again and nothing to win and nothing left to lose as in lets do this what have we got to lose? So love me !!!
And you give yourself away
possibly suggests she gives herself to other people but not to him
I see a theme that she is in the shadows and he is waiting for her. I cant seem to explain hope you understand.
Very beautiful love song, the most beautiful may I say.
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose
He's in pain again and nothing to win and nothing left to lose as in lets do this what have we got to lose? So love me !!!
And you give yourself away
possibly suggests she gives herself to other people but not to him
I see a theme that she is in the shadows and he is waiting for her. I cant seem to explain hope you understand.
Very beautiful love song, the most beautiful may I say.
0
General Comment:See the stone set in your eyes (its not twinkling maybe she's sad, unhappy?)
See the thorn twist in your side (he knows she has a burden she's carrying)
I wait for you (she's not ready cause of this)
Sleight of hand and twist of fate (things change)
On a bed of nails she makes me wait (she's still apprehensive he's in pain (nails in his back symbolize)
And I wait (he's persevering)
Without you
Through the storm we reach the shore (they get together through it all woo!)
You give it all but I want more (she still isnt open enough for him, he wants her all!! woo!)
With or without you
The video is in stark black and white which to me symbolize her shades , her openess (white) what she reveals or trusts him with and/ or how he's left in the dark waiting for her. Like literally in the video she is lying in a white sheet oblivious to him and he is singing to her almost howling about her.
See the thorn twist in your side (he knows she has a burden she's carrying)
I wait for you (she's not ready cause of this)
Sleight of hand and twist of fate (things change)
On a bed of nails she makes me wait (she's still apprehensive he's in pain (nails in his back symbolize)
And I wait (he's persevering)
Without you
Through the storm we reach the shore (they get together through it all woo!)
You give it all but I want more (she still isnt open enough for him, he wants her all!! woo!)
With or without you
The video is in stark black and white which to me symbolize her shades , her openess (white) what she reveals or trusts him with and/ or how he's left in the dark waiting for her. Like literally in the video she is lying in a white sheet oblivious to him and he is singing to her almost howling about her.
0
General Comment:I think this song is as everyone put it a guy/girl relationship. The girl rejected the guy despite the fact that she loves him, while at the same time hinting that he should wait for her and that she's not ready yet. But both the guy and the girl know that they can't live with or without each other. The guy will still wait despite the fact that this waiting is painful for him, and he sees the girl giving herself away even though he knows that's not who she really is.
0
General Comment:This song reminds me of living with a loved one who suffers from severe depression. A mother, wife, daughter, etc. They seem cold and detached ("see the stone set in your eyes") but are in a constant struggle with their thoughts and feelings ("see the thorn twist in your side"). You have to be patient with them ("I wait for you") even when they seem so withdrawn from the world ("I wait without you"). Sometimes they have days which have been particularly difficult and painful but have managed to overcome the worst of it ("through the storm we reach the shore"). It's progress but there are still issues ("you give it all but I want more"). There is nothing you can do to take away their misery ("my hands are tied") and you have taken a beating physically and emotionally ("my body brusied"). You give everything but things don't get better and there is nothing more you can do. ("nothing to win and nothing left to lose"). You love this person dearly and they may be all you have but you often wish you could just leave ("I can't live, with or without you").
0
My Interpretation:I think this song is so gorgeous...It's so heartfelt and passionate <33
I think this song is about 'Bono' feeling 'torn' between his 2 loves....His family, and his Music, and how they 'conflict'' with one another, but he's not willing to let either go.
"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"
Talking about how at times 'one' is upset because of the 'other'...'Family' are angry cause he's away from them...He feels the 'music' is cause he's not devoted to it like he wants to be...He's only one man, so one has to suffer at the expense of the other....He's wrote the song about '2 lovers' but in this case his 'music' is one of them.
"Sleight of hand and twist of faith" means that things happen that he can't see, and he just has to go with the flow......as a result, he suffers over his '2 loves' with the "Bed of nails" and 'pining' for one when he has the other.
"Through the storm we reach the shore
You give it all but I want more
And I'm waiting for you"
He's never happy with what he has, even when there's suffering because of how he has to sacrifice for it...Instead of thinking that he should be 'blessed' to have either one...He always wants more than his family or music can give him.
"My hands are tied
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose"
He's struggling with his 'loyalties' and the guilt he feels over those loyalties...He feels at times that he's stuck in limbo....Cause he can't win or lose...he can't have just one...He needs both.
"And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away"
His turmoil over how much of himself he loses cause of his passion for both.
"With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you"
The most 'poignant' part of the song IMO- It's an 'impossible' decision to make, because he can't live with the Music cause of how it conflicts with His family, but at the same time he can't live without it cause it's his life and vice versa.
It's a kinda selfish Song IMO...cause the guy wants/needs both worlds, and can't bear to let either go...But at the same time it's incredibly 'Human' cause we all have those 2 sides to us...It really is a stunning and emotional song that we can all relate to <33
I think this song is about 'Bono' feeling 'torn' between his 2 loves....His family, and his Music, and how they 'conflict'' with one another, but he's not willing to let either go.
"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"
Talking about how at times 'one' is upset because of the 'other'...'Family' are angry cause he's away from them...He feels the 'music' is cause he's not devoted to it like he wants to be...He's only one man, so one has to suffer at the expense of the other....He's wrote the song about '2 lovers' but in this case his 'music' is one of them.
"Sleight of hand and twist of faith" means that things happen that he can't see, and he just has to go with the flow......as a result, he suffers over his '2 loves' with the "Bed of nails" and 'pining' for one when he has the other.
"Through the storm we reach the shore
You give it all but I want more
And I'm waiting for you"
He's never happy with what he has, even when there's suffering because of how he has to sacrifice for it...Instead of thinking that he should be 'blessed' to have either one...He always wants more than his family or music can give him.
"My hands are tied
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose"
He's struggling with his 'loyalties' and the guilt he feels over those loyalties...He feels at times that he's stuck in limbo....Cause he can't win or lose...he can't have just one...He needs both.
"And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away"
His turmoil over how much of himself he loses cause of his passion for both.
"With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you"
The most 'poignant' part of the song IMO- It's an 'impossible' decision to make, because he can't live with the Music cause of how it conflicts with His family, but at the same time he can't live without it cause it's his life and vice versa.
It's a kinda selfish Song IMO...cause the guy wants/needs both worlds, and can't bear to let either go...But at the same time it's incredibly 'Human' cause we all have those 2 sides to us...It really is a stunning and emotional song that we can all relate to <33
