Niall Stokes, in his song-by-song account of the bands entire back catalogue, is accurate when he sees erotic love and agape love mixing around here, also another great U2 theme of surrendering the ego in the lyrics 'give yourself away' (Luke 9:24). Weaving two or three themes into one song is another trait of U2's song writing. But the lyrics twist and turn and deal with a whole lot more than a relationship between men and women. There are moments when it appears that it is focusing on the old cliché "Women, you can't live with them, and you can't live without them". "Even with or without you is not a plain-sailing love song. Here's a direct quote from the book written by Steve Stockman (an Irish author and DJ): And he also expresses his disappointment about a God that "gives himself away" to everybody except himself, who needs Him so much at this moment (he feels so alone, so abandoned, so desperate). He compares himself to the suffering Christ, suffering for a love that is not corresponded. She betrayed him and now he can’t take her back, but he can’t live without her either. In that case, SHE refers to his lover, and YOU refers to God / Jesus. Bono himself said (or so they say) that this song is a mix of erotic and agape love, that is, human love and divine love. So in this sentence he says that he lost everything, he has nothing, so he has nothing left to lose.īono (the lead singer), and everyone in the band, are profoundly Christians (Catholics), and this song, like many others by them, certainly has some Christian imagery referring to Jesus. NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE= When there is nothing left, you used or consumed everything and there is nothing more, everything was finished. YOU GIVE YOURSELF AWAY= This may mean "you give yourself as a present, for free" (you are generous and give everything to others), or it may mean "you betray yourself", you lie about it but something in your eyes, or in your acts, reveals the truth.īRUISED= If your body is bruised you have been beaten and you have painful red or blue marks showing the blows. If we solve this situation we may find peace again. THROUGH THE STORM WE REACH THE SHORE= We are passing through great troubles, but salvation may lie ahead. SHORE= Coast, the part where the sea meets land. I WAIT WITHOUT YOU= I’m alone, waiting for you to come back to me. A bed of nails is the one used by fakirs (A Hindu ascetic or religious mendicant, especially one who performs feats of magic or endurance). TWIST OF FATE= A sudden and unexpected change in life.Ī BED OF NAILS= A metaphor of how much he suffers waiting for her. ![]() ![]() SLEIGHT OF HAND= A trick or set of tricks performed by a juggler or magician so quickly and deftly that the manner of execution cannot be observed. ![]() I’LL WAIT FOR YOU= You don’t love me, you betrayed me (probably you had an affair with another guy), but I can’t live without you, so I’ll wait, and when you change and love me again, I’ll take you back. "Your side" is the part of your trunk which is usually covered by your arms. She did something wrong and now that is destroying her. THE THORN TWIST IN YOUR SIDE= A metaphor of something that is damaging her. If the eyes are the windows of the soul, as people say, when you look in her eyes you don’t see a loving heart, you see a cold stone. ![]() THE STONE SET IN YOUR EYES= The stone that is placed in your eyes may refer to the coldness of her look.
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