"i have spoke with the tongue of angels, i have held the hand of a devil"

[babyman]

...i tried a lot to understand the right sense of this verse, but it's still unclear to me...i know ISHFWILF is a very religious song which talkes about faith, but what does "i have spoke with the tongue of angels, i have held the hand of a devil" mean? why did bono wrote this verse?

 

[U2girl]

IMO, this line (and the rest of that particular verse) refer to a relationship between a man and a woman - the highs and the lows of it.

 

[biff]

I believe it refers to the highs and lows of the spiritual journey. The line "I have spoke with the tongue of angels" is thought by many to refer to the practice of "speaking in tongues", a form of usually unintelligible ecstatic speech uttered by Charismatic Christians during moments of intense religious fervour. It is believed this speech is divinely inspired. You probably know that Bono was a member of a Charismatic Christian group, Shalom. The line about holding hands with a devil suggests the opposite pull, not towards the divine but towards the sinful and worldly. The hand-holding suggests physical intimacy, and the pull of temptation.

 

[babyman]

I believe it refers to the highs and lows of the spiritual journey. The line "I have spoke with the tongue of angels" is thought by many to refer to the practice of "speaking in tongues", a form of usually unintelligible ecstatic speech uttered by Charismatic Christians during moments of intense religious fervour. It is believed this speech is divinely inspired. You probably know that Bono was a member of a Charismatic Christian group, Shalom. The line about holding hands with a devil suggests the opposite pull, not towards the divine but towards the sinful and worldly. The hand-holding suggests physical intimacy, and the pull of temptation.

so it means this verse refers to a real experience of him? he spoke in tongues?

 

[biff]

Yes, it is thought that he did, based on comments he and others have made. The Shalom group were intensely evangelical charismatic Christians. He was "burned by the fire".

 

[Keocmb]

I personally love the lines following it, too...

I have held the hand of the devil
It was warm in the night
When I was cold as the stone

I think that speaks to so many people's personal journeys through their own minds.

 

[rivergoat]

so it means this verse refers to a real experience of him? he spoke in tongues?

yes, it's called 'Bongolese'

(sorry, couldn't resist!)

}~

 

[valentina]

"Spoke the tongue of angels" is not also a Bible's reference?
I mean, to the tongue of flames given to apostols to speak all the languages in the world...

Maybe Bono can't speak all the languages of the world (even if I ADORE hearing him speakin ITALIAN! So cool!) -- but he can reach averybody with the universal language of music (I stole this phrase to Madiba Nelson Mandela!)


I guess the verses are referring to a life where grace & bad things meet -- and for an instant you feel like loosing your way, but then hope comes back, and you immediately feel safer!

 

[babyman]

i think there's something strange in this verse, i don't know, maybe just a feeling

 

[Fencolina]

i think there's something strange in this verse, i don't know, maybe just a feeling

It means exactly what it says and Bono is an angel?

I personally don't think it means speaking in tongues, though I'm not very good at analysing poems.

Holding the hand of a devil means to me, simply mistakes or sins. "I was cold as a stone" sounds like he was aware of that he was doing wrong so touching the hand of the devil already made him cold. Or he was emotionally cold as a stone which could be that.. he didn't care about anything.

Or maybe the line just sounded captivating. It's one of my favourites, anyway.

 

[valentina]

i think there's something strange in this verse, i don't know, maybe just a feeling

Meaning?

 

[babyman]

especially in the continuation of the verse "it was warm in the night, i was cold as stone" it seems that he's describing a real happened thing...it leaves me a bit perplexed

 

[rivergoat]

"I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil"

could also be a reference to doing good things AND doing bad things. In other words, the speaker has behaved alot like an angel and also has behaved much like a devil.

just another way of looking at it...

}~

 

[valentina]

it was warm/I was cold

Meaning (According to me=) warm - hot -> connected to sins/bad behaviour -- or something that should make ya feel hot. But in this situation, the singer feels cold, as if he doesn't care or doesn't get in touch with what surrounds him

 

[Squishy Peanut]

"I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil"

could also be a reference to doing good things AND doing bad things. In other words, the speaker has behaved alot like an angel and also has behaved much like a devil.

just another way of looking at it...

}~

That's how I always interpreted it

 

[babyman]

"I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil"

could also be a reference to doing good things AND doing bad things. In other words, the speaker has behaved alot like an angel and also has behaved much like a devil.

just another way of looking at it...

}~

yeah, sounds actually good, maybe i can consider cancelled a few doubts

 

[thereisnospoon9]

When Bono says "I have held the hand of a devil, it was cold in the night, it was warm in the night, i was cold as stone" he is talking about the temptation of sin (similar to when he said "sweet the sin but bitter the taste in my mouth" on RTSS) the sin feels good at the moment but afterwards it made him feel "cold as stone". I also think that when Bono says "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" he is talking about striving to be a better person (and christian) in a fallen world, realizing that he will only really find what he is looking for when he reaches heaven.