With or Without You

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

Through the storm we reach the shore
You give it all but I want more
And I'm waiting for you

My hands are tied
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose

And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away

With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you

(With or Without You, U2)

Some of this blog's regular reader know that songs tend to talk to me, but somehow I never really got my arms around U2's With or Without You. The melody always penetrates me to the core but I couldn't associate never got that restlessness behind the song. How can there be a spiritual message in this one? Isn't the ego always restless and wants to have his cake and eat it too? Selective listening may help. Zoom into the  "and you give yourself away" line. That is what She does. She waits patiently for you, waiting and giving; always begging you to try it again.

You are who you think you are so you have to accept the restlessness inside of you, just as you have to accept that you often want to have your cake and eat it too. Her presence can at times feel like torture and Her voice can be nagging. Yet, if She ever were to step away, you know that you would be doomed. But She never does. She is always there waiting patiently. So relax! "Through the storm you will reach the shore" and you realize that there is in fact nothing to win and nothing to lose. You suddenly realize that She always gives all and you don't want anything different from what you already have. And at that blessed moment you are 'there' - it is then that you are able to see Her beauty for the first time in its entirety and you realize that you don't have to live without Her anymore - it is a magnificent feeling to be with Her always!