Luminious Times (hold onto Love)

[marik]

can someone disect this song. i mean is this a sweet love song, or a bittersweet one. it was included on the WOWY single, and as Bono has said, is meant to be heard with WOWY, so maybe its in the bittersweet vein?

the lyrics that confuse me the most are...

"I love you 'cause I need to
Not because I need you
I love you 'cause I understand
That God has given me your hand
He holds me in a tiny fist
And still I need your kiss"

up to this point it seems like a straight forward love song, but then ouuta NOWHERE the lines..."I love you 'cause I need to
Not because I need you" This kinda sours the feeling. and then right back into love "I love you 'cause I understand
That God has given me your hand
He holds me in a tiny fist
And still I need your kiss" I don't understand. its like one second he's saying 'I don't really need YOU, and then I DO need YOU" At first he seems to just need to love SOMETHING, who doesn't matter. But then he says he needs her specifically as god has given him her hand. Confused??? I am.

 

[rivergoat]

Aight, for starters, here's the lyrics:


Hey, sister love
Hey, sister sun
Hey, oh my love
You turn me around tonight
Hey sister love

Save my soul
Save my soul
Hold on to love
Hold on to love
Love won't let you go
Love won't let you go
Hold on to love
See the sunshine in her soul

Hey, sister love
Hey, see the sun aground

She come likes carnival
She is the big wheel
She turned my head around
Turn my head around
She is the speedway
She is the slipstream
She is coming round

Hold on to love
Hold on to love
Love won't to let you go
Hold on to love
Hold on to love

See the sunlight in her soul
See the sunlight in her soul

She is the gun fire
She is the car crash
She is the avalanche
She is the thunder
She is the waves and
She pulls me under

I love you cause I need to
Not because I need you
I love you cause I understand
That God had given me your hand
Holds me in a tiny fist
And still I need your kiss

Hold on to love
See the sunlight in her soul
See the sunlight in her soul
Yeah


}~

 

[intedomine]

I think it's another warped love song just like With or Without You.
It really gets ya thinking this song does


Love this classic bit:

I love you cause I need to
Not because I need you
I love you cause I understand
That God had given me your hand
Holds me in a tiny fist
And still I need your kiss

 

[BVS]

Does true love mean you need someone? I don't think you need anyone to make you complete, I think in order to truly love someone you need to be complete first.

I think it's a cliched and fraudulent view that love means need.

 

[dutchfan]

I love you cause I need to
Not because I need you
I love you cause I understand
That God had given me your hand
Holds me in a tiny fist
And still I need your kiss

OMG that is the part why i like this song as one of my all time favourites! God makes your destiny, and its up to you to deal with that


In the book `into the heart` The Edge says that this song was good enough fort the album. A hell of a b side said Bono.
Bono was at that time fascinated with blues imagery and American mythology. The Edge said that there was someting else going on in these twisted lovesongs Bono was writing. Where WOWY is american, LT is more european.

She is the avalanche
She is the thunder
She is the waves and
She pulls me under

The drowning man is back. (Bono)

Not my words but those are from the mentioned book....the stories behind every song U2 by Niall Stokes.
Hope its helps you further...

love from Holland
dutchfan

 

[joerags]

I LOVE THAT SONG!!!!!!

The song was absolutely perfect for The Joshua Tree. If that song was on the TJT, there would absolutely be no doubt the album would be the best of all-time...

I love that part about, I love you cuz I need to, not because I need you......
Bono sings that part with such emotion...

The second-best part of the song is the ending,,, when the Edge gives a short, yet powerful riff... It's the best ending....

 

[ADecentMelody]

Bono likes to write about contradictions. Just as With or Without you is a contradiction of feelings, so is this.

If you look at the rest of the lyrics above this final stanza, you can see positive things - carnival, big wheel, etc. The next part shows you negative things - gunfire, car crash, avalanche, etc.

In the end, he says that love between them has deteriorated. They're both hanging on just to keep the marriage alive, but the love is gone. He feels trapped - he's being held by her tiny fist. But still, he needs her kiss.

It's the struggle that exists in relationships. So Cruel has almost the same sentiment - I'm only hanging on to watch you go down...my love.

 

[LMP]

I wonder how JT wuld've been as a doubledisc like Bono said he wanted 2 do back in 87

w/ all the cool b-sides

 

[Larry's drumstick]

its like one second he's saying 'I don't really need YOU, and then I DO need YOU"

Sounds exactly like someone I know... lol.