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Johnny take a walk
With your sister the moon
Let her pale light in
To fill up your room
You've been living underground
Eating from a can
You've been running away
From what you don't understand
Love
She's slippy
You're sliding down
She'll be there
When you hit the ground
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
Johnny take a dive
With your sister in the rain
Let her talk about the things
You can't explain
To touch is to heal
To hurt is to steal
If you want to kiss the sky
Better learn how to kneel (on your knees boy!)
She's the wave
She turns the tide
She sees the man inside the child, yeah
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
Lift my days, light up my nights
One day you'll look back
And when you see
Where you were held
How by this love
While you could stand there
You could move on this moment
Follow this feeling
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
Ah oh oh ah huh
Move, move, move, move
She moves with it
She moves me like
Lift my days and light up my nights
Love
With your sister the moon
Let her pale light in
To fill up your room
You've been living underground
Eating from a can
You've been running away
From what you don't understand
Love
She's slippy
You're sliding down
She'll be there
When you hit the ground
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
Johnny take a dive
With your sister in the rain
Let her talk about the things
You can't explain
To touch is to heal
To hurt is to steal
If you want to kiss the sky
Better learn how to kneel (on your knees boy!)
She's the wave
She turns the tide
She sees the man inside the child, yeah
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
Lift my days, light up my nights
One day you'll look back
And when you see
Where you were held
How by this love
While you could stand there
You could move on this moment
Follow this feeling
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
Ah oh oh ah huh
Move, move, move, move
She moves with it
She moves me like
Lift my days and light up my nights
Love
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The band nearly broke up while making it, and i think you can really hear that (wikipedia). it contains a depth lyrically that One comes nowhere near imo.
As for the lyrics, I think it's about all of those things, and that he meant it to be about all of those things, or at least was influenced by all those things. The reference to Johnny is definately John the Baptist, and the dive in the rain is the baptism water, and all of Oscar Wildes Salome - there are belly dancers in the video too.. and there is definitely innuendo going on. The imagery of man without woman (living underground, eating from a can!) is kind of funny kinda tragic. Really good.
I also get some images about fertility and pregnancy and the miracle of birth when i listen to it. I think that's the "mystery". the man inside the child suggests that to me too.
What is alright? or who is he saying it's alright to? I think he's saying it to a crying baby. all knowing wikipedia has a lot of info on the song, saying that edge influenced the "nursery rhyme" feel to the lyrics of "johnny take a walk with your sister the moon, let her pale light in to fill up the room." just some thoughts!
Let her talk about the things you can't explain
To touch is to heal
To hurt is to steal
If you want to kiss the sky
Better learn how to kneel
Conjecture is always fun.
So true. As is rumor and innuendo.
So, Sister Moon .... delivering missives lately?
Couldn’t help it. There were some good points to be made. Chow for thought, you know ... a specialty. Hi guys. Glad you enjoyed your visit.
by rain and her sister
Johnny take a walk with your sister the moon
Let her pale light in to fill up your room
You've been living underground
Eating from a can
You've been running away
From what you don't understand...
Love
My belief is that this is a take on "Fratello Sole Sorella Luna" ("Brother Sun, Sister Moon") - a biopic on St. Francis of Assisi that was in movie theaters in 1972. St Francis was an ascetic, so the humility of "eating from a can" fits. U2, I'm sure, is well familiar with the 1972 film "Fratello Sole Sorella Luna". I'm certain the Bono and company were well exposed to this religious this movie in the early 70s. And they're well exposed to St Francis of Assisi's theology.
You're sliding down
She'll be there when you hit the ground
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
A reference to someone who will be there when you've hit bottom. More on that in a moment. Note the feminine reference.
Johnny take a dive with your sister in the rain
Let her talk about the things you can't explain
To touch is to heal
To hurt is to steal
If you want to kiss the sky
Better learn how to kneel
(on your knees boy)
I can't speak to who "Johnny" is. He could, I suppose, be John the Baptist- "a dive in the rain" could be a reference to baptism. Or he can simply be the general "everyday man". While there isn't enough information in the song to really know, it appears that "Johnny" represents you and me.
"To touch is to heal, to hurt is to steal", the reference to kissing the sky by kneeling- well of course these are references to learning humility before God if you wish to ascend to God's Grace. Well said by U2, actually!
She's the wave
She turns the tide
She sees the man inside the child
Now we get to some solid clues about who "She" is. "She's the wave, she turns the tide." Whomever this is, she's making a difference, a CHANGE for the better. She's the harbinger of change as she "turns the tide"!
"She sees the man inside the child"
Come on everyone- we know who "saw the man inside the child" in a Christian context! Mary, of course! It was Mary who looked upon the infant Jesus and saw the man inside the child. MARY turned the tide in accepting Christ...in her words, by being the Lord's handmaiden.
Now we know who "she" is. It's Mary. And she does indeed move in "mysterious ways".
It's Mary who personifies much of the Holy Spirit:
One day you will look...back
And you'll see...where
You were held...how
By this love...while
You could stand...there
You could move on this moment
Follow this feeling
A reference to God's Love. And if I may say so, Mary's love for Jesus.
We move through miracle days
Spirit moves in mysterious ways
She moves with it
She moves with it
Lift my days, light up my nights
Mary is not the Holy Spirit, of course. She does, though, move through the Holy Spirit - "She moves with it". Note that she moves "with" it, but isn't "it". And through the Spirit, she moves in Mysterious Ways.
Note the context of Bono and his sincere respect for John Paul II, who simply adored Mary. Mary moves with "it", where "it" is the Holy Spirit.
some research I have done on different religons. Hold on to your bibles folks......
The moon Goddess (Diana) and her son, who was also her lover, The Horned God of the Harvest (Pan)
Johnny take a walk with your sister the moon
Let her pale light in to light up your room
you've been living underground, eating from a
can, running away from what you don't understand, love
(Diana must enlighten Pan and make him understand what his purpose is on earth, to bring forth the harvest)
Shes slippey, your sliding down, she'll be there when you hit the ground.
Its alright, Its alright, Its alright. She moves in mysterious ways.
(Diana gives birth to pan and guides him on the earth.)
Johnny take a dive with your sister in the rain
let her talk about things you can't explain
To touch is to heal
To hurt is to steal
If you want to kiss the sky you better learn how to kneel
On your knees boy.
(Diana explains to Pan what is expected of him on earth, she touches him to
heal his lonely heart, in return he is expected to obey by brining forth the
harvest on earth, to disobey her would be like stealing from her the purpose of
her giving birth to him. To please her and not hurt her he must obey her and
follow his destany)
Shes the wave
She turns the tide
She sees the man inside the child
(The motions of the moon affect the ocean waves and tides here on earth,
She shows him her power. She knows his purpose on earth)
Lift my days, light up my nights
(She guides him to fulfill his purpose. To bring forth the harvest.)
One day you will look back.... yada, yada
(Pan will come to realize why he was put on the earth and understand Dianas power)
we move through miracle days.
spirit moves in mysterious ways
(Life is her gift and a miracle, someday we will also realize our purpose here on earth)
OK BREATH !!!
I love this song.
Don't believe me? Research it for yourself. I don't really care what you believe.
It is what it is. Bibles down now. Oh and remember "THOU SHALL NOT JUDGE" before you
condem me to your HELL!!
Live & Love
Sue
And don't worry so much about what Christians think, if they have a problem with it, that's THEIR problem; there is no crime in finding beauty in Pagan imagery ~ in fact, some would say its only natural. ;) Music transcends religion, it has a sanctity all its own; if people let their dogma get in the way of that, then they are the ones missing the point! =)