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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
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
Take this mouth
So quick to criticize
Take this mouth
Give it a kiss
Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a 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
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
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
Take this mouth
So quick to criticize
Take this mouth
Give it a kiss
Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a 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
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Yahweh, as has been noted, is the Old Testament name for God, He who was never supposed to be named, let alone directly addressed. I know that some teachings hold that those born before Christ could not ascend to heaven, for no other reason than a temporal accident of birth (recall Dante is taken on his tour of Hell by Virgil - I can't remember if Virgil is in Limbo, but I know he can't ascend to Heaven, because he was born before Christ died for our sins).
The voice of the song addresses Yahweh, not the more merciful, forgiving NT God, because the pain prior to salvation is a situation over which Yahweh presided. (As an aside, I think it's a mistake to identify any singer's personal point of view precisely with his lyrics. I'm not questioning Bono's faith, which informs almost every song he's ever written; I'm merely pointing out that Bono may not be as questioning as the song's voice, but rather using the voice of someone more plaintive, more ingenuously questioning than himself.)
The two questions asked: "Why the pain before the child is born? and "Why the dark before the dawn?" both question situations born of living in linear, causal time. But the former asks it on two levels: the literal level of why are all children born in pain (I think there's something in the Bible about why human births are attended by pain while those of the beasts are not; if someone knows I'd love to hear from you), and the allusive level of why pain/hopelessness prevailed before God sent his son to earth. This always reminds me of Blake's lines from The Mental Traveler (not checked for accuracy, because I'm too lazy :) - "For there the Babe is born in joy/that was begot in dire woe/just as we in joy do reap the fruit/which we in bitter tears did sow." Blake (also a devoutly, almost prophetically religious man) has posited a world in which cause and effect are inverted. Meaning, we usually do our begetting in joy - at least if we're good begetters and not just faking it -- and then give birth in dire woe.
That's enough from me.
The opening lines of "Do You Feel Loved?":
Take these hands, they're good for nothing
You know these hands never worked a day
Take these boots they're going nowhere
You know these boots don't want to stray.
The opening lines of "Yahweh" are meant to echo these. Bono questions his faith repeatedly in Pop ("If God Will Send His Angels", "Staring at the Sun", "Please", and, most explicitly, "Wake Up Dead Man"). Yahweh is his answer.
I listened to this a lot while we were expecting our first baby and it helped me a lot, thanks U2!
The last verse
"take this city - this city should be shining on a hill"
the city of peace being the centre of so much bloodshed
"what no man can own no man can take"
Jerusalem belongs to God
"take this heart and make it break"
the need to share it for the sake of peace, painful as that compromise may appear
I saw U2 in Cardiff a couple of years ago, and Bono sang the last line as
"take this city's heart and make it break"
i.e..its about the middle east
its not about the middle east
its not a political song
its a lovesong to God
this song is talking about the amazing love of God
how we as humans will go through life everyday and fail and we will accomplish nothing cause our lifes suck, but in the end we have the love and grace of God to rest in
all politics aside, this song is to be comforted in our hearts
knowing that God is always here to take us away from every struggle and problem we have
bono is telling the world that God is here to bear our burdens
That said, I believe in Jesus Christ as the one savior of humanity, and that he is the Son if God, fully God and fully man, and that he did not sin. That said, I also respect the views of anyone willing to put forth effort in what they believe. The above bashing is not right on anyone's part, as it is quite lacking in respect. Guys, learn that you don't need to completely agree with eachother, and that people need to understand things differently than everybody else. What makes sense to me might be completely irrelevant to someone else, who needs to understand the truth in a very different context. That said, what do we do with people who don't believe "the right way"? First off, realize that God is shockingly bigger than the Bible, and understand that He'll work in whatever context necessary to speak to us. If you are looking for him, you will find him. Some people find him in very strange places. That's not our place to judge them for. Our place as those who believe in God is to act as a support system. The purpose of the church is not a sectarian separatist society, but its supposed to act as a community of those who believe as part of a body coming together to work integrally. This means affirmation and building up of those who believe. And if someone claims to believe, build them up. If they've got holes all through why they believe what they do, ask them questions in such a way as to help them to see what they're missing. Questioning can be the best thing for a person possible, but it's got to be done with CARE and RESPECT. If you don't respect the person you're asking questions of, you're doing them no favor, and (at least it appears this way) seeking personal glory in a manner of right vs. wrong. It just doesn't work that way.
If you guys want to discuss this stuff, I'd highly suggest you bear some respect for eachother and dig into why you guys believe highly different things. You aren't going to have a civilized conversation on doctrine if your doctrines are completely different, so don't think you will. But also realize that someone isn't necessarily evil for not believing what you believe. Rather, ask them why they believe and find out why. You might learn a few things just by opening up to understanding how someone else's brain works.
Sorry if that came off sort of harsh, but it's hard to read through something as heated as this and not get worked up myself. Please have respect for eachother, and see what comes out of it. I guarantee it'll be a good opportunity for the both of you.