U2: With Or Without You Meaning

Song Released: 1987

With Or Without You Lyrics

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...

1. anonymous

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   Mar 8th 2008 !⃝

   Fuck whatever Bono says; this song is about a stubborn woman who, for example, hardly ever gives you a callback or at least a timely one. You are crazy about her but her stubborness about this issue really grates on you. Her eyes are like stone, suggesting being stubborn. You implore her but to no avail. Without her, you feel in hell. But even with her, you're still in hell because of her disregard for your feelings. So either way, it is hell being in this relationship. But whoever said love is logical? You are so crazy for her that you try to withstand this lose-lose situation. (I know first hand!!)
2. anonymous

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   Nov 15th 2007 !⃝

   I feel it's about falling in love with someone that's taking and the wanting to wait and not wanting to be a fool but the love is strong and no matter what happens will hurt
3. anonymous

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   Oct 31st 2007 !⃝

   Hi everyone, I want this song as my 1st song at my wedding because the song is amazing and I think it sums up how I feel about my g/f but, she thinks that the song is about breaking up and it has a darker side, pls help people as this is the only thing I'm gonna get a say in for the wedding;)
   Rory, Dublin.
4. anonymous

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   Oct 4th 2007 !⃝

   This song, was written about his mother..
   His mother passed away when he was a teen,he is telling his mom, that he still needs her & he can't live without her!!
   If you want proof that it is Bono had said it himself!!
5. crutchead

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   Jul 30th 2007 !⃝

   Being Irish and among the first to profess as a Christian Band - U2 was grossly mistaken for being catholics at certain points. However, the band's up with the born-again until their fourth album when the Edge and the rest saw the predicaments of crap and pretense of legalism within their church. "With or Without You" stands quite notably ironic to become a hit in a world that did not really know them at the time.
6. anonymous

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   Jul 24th 2007 !⃝

   Guys, it's about the catholic faith- not just jesus, like, the whole thing. lots of people have issues w/ catholisism because it's so hard to follow all the rules and crap, sacrifices or whatever, but they also can't live without their religion

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
7. mattyboy

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   May 9th 2007 !⃝

   Okay, let me clear all this up. I never said what I thought it was about. Only, that it he wrote it FOR his wife.
8. anonymous

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   Mar 5th 2007 !⃝

   Come on people its not about his wife obviously because it says "With or without you" he can live with his wife or he wouldnt have married her
9. anonymous

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   Nov 13th 2006 !⃝

   This song is simply about a person who can't live with or without a person. If they live with them - they cause grief "thorn twist in your side" & "you give it all but I want more" relates to him always finding faults in the person they love. Its about a girl that gives all she can....But was never enough for the man.....Now he is lost without her....He has nothing left. Dvr
10. anonymous

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    Sep 30th 2006 !⃝

    Is it about his...
    
    Wife? "I can't live with or without you" =
    "I can't live with you" + "I can't live without you"
    but he can live with his wife, so it's not about her.
    
    Drugs? An addict can't seem to live without them, and yet the drugs are killing the addict. But the song is too uplifting to be about drugs. It could be made to fit the references to stones, thorns, nails, bruises, storms, shores, etc. But it's a real stretch.
    
    Mother? Perhaps "I can't live without you" is how he felt when she was dying. But then why the reference to a storm and his body being bruised?
    
    Jesus? Can't live without god, and if he follows jesus then he can't live either (baptism = death to old self). Fits with the references to thorns, nails, stones, storms, etc. But it's too easy. And why would bono's body be bruised?
    
    A good intepretation would fit with all of the lyrics not just selective parts. So, I don't think any of us have it figured out. Sorry folks!
11. anonymous

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    Sep 20th 2006 !⃝

    Hi guys,
    
    This song has always seemed to be about somebody proposing to his wife.
    
    See the stone set in your eyes = he's looking at the reflection of the diamond ring in here eyes. Also "setting a stone" refers to how a diamond is placed in/on the ring
    
    See the thorn twist in your side = refers to the "bride" being unsure. You could also say it refers to twisting a ring to fit on a finger if the ring is too small.
    
    I wait for you = waiting for her to answer
    
    Sleight of hand and twist of fate = another reference to holding her hand and twisting the ring onto a finger.
    
    On a bed of nails she makes me wait = nails, another hand refence. Also on a bed of nails means he's nervous.
    
    And I wait without you = she hasnt said yes yet, so he waits alone.
    
    With or without you = he's in limbo. He's taken a step but she hasnt said yes or no yet.
    
    Through the storm we reach the shore
    you give it all but I want more = they have been through tough times together and even though she loves him, he wants more, for her to be his wife.
    
    I can't live
    with or without you = he just wants an answer
    
    my hands are tied = tie the knot
    
    make sense?
12. anonymous

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    Sep 6th 2006 !⃝

    I'm sorry I don't buy the drugs theory at all... All u2's songs about drugs have darker, more sinister edges to them, everything about with or without you is beautiful, down to edge's harmonies and the bass line
    I personally think the song has many interpretations...
    
    Not the words so much but the music makes me think of sex (shocking I know :p) the bass line is like a thudding heartbeat; then the drums come in a growing rhythm; then 'you give yourself away', the feeling of being so exposed and vulnerable; the song builds and builds to a climax (note the lack of words, just woooow, ever had that experience? ;) hee hee) and then dies away to a soft, tender melody...
    
    There's also the phrase 'my hands are tied' but I don't think that's him exposing his kinky side, I think that's meant to be taken less literally :p
    
    Well, that's just my take on it lol
13. anonymous

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    Sep 1st 2006 !⃝

    One of the citations dealing with christ, since someone asked, can be seen in the line "through the storm, we reach the shore" (christ calming the seas for Peter while fishing)
    
    Another, although not strictly accurate, can be seen with the thorn in the side (thorns were on the head of christ, a spear in his side).
    
    I also believe the "you" is christ...Not a girl. (otherwise, why refer to each with different pronouns?) "she" can be referring to a girlfriend, perhaps.
    
    Isn't bono torn between loyalty to christ and the temptations of the flesh? Growing up as a christian in a fairly orthodox country, he must have felt the opposing forces of morality and temptation (especially since he was fairly young when writing this song) he is being pulled in two directions in this song...Choose the moral path, or give in to temptation.
    
    Having said all this, I believe great lyric writing is all about providing enough substance to wrestle with, while leaving the literal meaning elusive enough so that each listener can attach his or her own meaning to it.
14. Evanescencefreak

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    Jul 15th 2006 !⃝

    There are two popular theorys as to what the song means
    
    first one is about how drugs is taking over someone. and they have the choice of living "with or without" them.
    
    the other one was about his girlfriend, and saying she can go or she can stay and again, he can live with or without her.
    
    those are the top two interpretations to htis song.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
15. qhtrinh

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    Jun 9th 2006 !⃝

    Bono has a reputation of being able to write lyrics that start out as very literal, but being able to take on hundreds of meanings. But, he has often said that at the beginning it was always the most obvious one.
    
    And knowing that he has been with his wife since he was 16 (!!) I guess it's about her. Hes talking about how he would die if she would die, or how he has a hard time living on the road without her. Hence, "I can't live, with or without". And the beginning is probably an image of their death and reunion in heaven. Other parts here:
    
    "You give yourself away": You sacrifice yourself for your lover.
    
    "Nothing to win and, Nothing left to lose": Whatever happens in life, they'll be together.
    
    Of course, we can start to talk about religion, humanitarian projects, even politics... but hey, listen to Vertigo, we can say the same thing with that song. What is vertigo? A climax, heaven, nirvana, peace haven...?

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