I used to have a lot of different thoughts about this song. But after my breakup with my girlfriend of 3 years after telling her I cheated on her it really hit me. Literally line by line
"See the stone/see the thorn"
All the pain and heartache id caused her by cheating on her. And despite me hurting her she's still like me to be a part of her life
"I wait for you"
I still wanna be with her too, so I have to wait
"Sleight of hand and twist of fate"
I had been sneaking around and being generally untrustworthy and in the end I got what I deserved which was her leaving me
"On a bed of nails she makes me wait"
We're still friends and I wanna be with her so I have to tread very carefully with everything I do so she doesn't decide she doesn't wanna be with me.
"And I wait, without you"
I have to wait, and while I wait she isn't mine. I have to handle not being with her.
"Through the storm we reach the shore"
We've gone through the 'hard part' or 'storm' and have gotten through it relatively in tact.
"You give it all but I want more"
She's as close to me as she can be right not but I still want her back the way we used to be.
"And I'm waiting for you"
This seemed more personal to me, like bono telling the girl explicitly that he is waiting. Similarly whenever I feel I want more I've made it clear to her that I am waiting.
"With or without you
I can't live
With or without you"
I'm in limbo, I don't know if we'll be together or not. I can live with her cause she won't let me, but I can't live without her because I'm still very much in love with her.
"And you give yourself away..."
I always thought in the song this was Bono's interest sleeping around as he waits. But for me it's that she wants to try to find a way to be without me so she gives herself to everything else. Focuses on pretty much anything else she can to take her mind off me and keep her from being upset.
The "and you give, and you give"
To me are also reminiscent of our relationship in which she gave everything and I didn't give much back.
I used to have a lot of different thoughts about this song. But after my breakup with my girlfriend of 3 years after telling her I cheated on her it really hit me. Literally line by line "See the stone/see the thorn" All the pain and heartache id caused her by cheating on her. And despite me hurting her she's still like me to be a part of her life
"I wait for you" I still wanna be with her too, so I have to wait
"Sleight of hand and twist of fate" I had been sneaking around and being generally untrustworthy and in the end I got what I deserved which was her leaving me
"On a bed of nails she makes me wait" We're still friends and I wanna be with her so I have to tread very carefully with everything I do so she doesn't decide she doesn't wanna be with me.
"And I wait, without you" I have to wait, and while I wait she isn't mine. I have to handle not being with her.
"Through the storm we reach the shore" We've gone through the 'hard part' or 'storm' and have gotten through it relatively in tact.
"You give it all but I want more" She's as close to me as she can be right not but I still want her back the way we used to be.
"And I'm waiting for you" This seemed more personal to me, like bono telling the girl explicitly that he is waiting. Similarly whenever I feel I want more I've made it clear to her that I am waiting.
"With or without you I can't live With or without you" I'm in limbo, I don't know if we'll be together or not. I can live with her cause she won't let me, but I can't live without her because I'm still very much in love with her.
"And you give yourself away..."
I always thought in the song this was Bono's interest sleeping around as he waits. But for me it's that she wants to try to find a way to be without me so she gives herself to everything else. Focuses on pretty much anything else she can to take her mind off me and keep her from being upset.
The "and you give, and you give" To me are also reminiscent of our relationship in which she gave everything and I didn't give much back.
@Eddiemarz wow your perspective has blown my mind, so accurate
@Eddiemarz wow your perspective has blown my mind, so accurate