All Because Of You.

[nbcrusader]

I was thinking about this song over the last couple of days. It strikes me as a pure praise song.

The chorus is written this way:

All because of you
I am

What if it were written this way?

All because of You - I AM

The "You" followed by God's name "I AM"

This way, statements like this (and others) make sense:

I’m not broke but you can see the cracks
You can make me perfect again

 

[80sU2isBest]

You hit the nail right on the head. Bono said himself that the I AM in teh song is indeed God's name.

 

[biff]

Yes, I've always interpreted it that way as well. (Remember the amusing Neil Diamond discussion in the Flanagan book, about the song "I Am, He Said"?)

 

[sulawesigirl4]

This song has always struck me as a typical U2 could-be-about-God-or-a-woman song. Which is great. Personally, I lean towards the spiritual interpretation, but I love the fact that it can be read in many ways. Anyways, for me, it sounds a lot like Bono calling out to God, the great I AM.

Some random thoughts.

It seems that the song starts off talking about the innocence of childhood, how we seem to have a connection to the divine (or maybe we just see things more clearly). I was born a child of grace...I saw you in the curve of the moon, in the shadow cast cross my room How God sees the true self that lies beneath our mask. you heard me in my tune when I just heard confusion" How he mends our imperfect lives I'm not broke, but you can see the cracks, you can make me perfect again.

I'm alive, I'm being born, I just arrived, I'm at the door...seems to encompass the "already not yet" that characterizes the Christian life. We are redeemed, but we live in a fallen world that is struggling towards redemption every day. It is indeed a journey.

Great song and very uplifting.

 

[80sU2isBest]

Very nice assessment, Sula

 

[Macfistowannabe]

It's definately a praise song.

Thankfully U2 can get away with it without losing fans.

 

[coemgen]

I agree with you guys. I love this song. I think I might see if our worship leader at church can do it! They've done other U2 songs before, I've heard.

 

[coemgen]

Isn't it incredible to hear a praise song on the radio? I wish it were getting played more.

 

[The Captain]

Yeah All because of you is totally a praise song.

 

[boosterjuice]

Yeah All because of you is totally a praise song.

It would be a perfect song to play in church except for the 2nd verse. The 2nd verse is just too personal. "I like the sound of my own voice......" Maybe I should think about tweaking the lyrics a little bit so our church band can play it.

 

[scottyT]

actually how would that be any less spiritual? obviously the writer/singer (Bono), shows that he is only human, and falls into human traps, and yet recognizes that he is falling short (and intellectual tortoise, racing with a bullet train).....

 

[boosterjuice]

actually how would that be any less spiritual? obviously the writer/singer (Bono), shows that he is only human, and falls into human traps, and yet recognizes that he is falling short (and intellectual tortoise, racing with a bullet train).....

Hey Scotty,

Of course the 2nd verse is spiritual. I just don't think that the second verse would be good as a church song while the other verses, and obviously the chorus, would. I can't imagine a church group singing along with the song if we had that 2nd verse in there.

 

[The Captain]

I agree with booster Scotty

 

[scottyT]

be that as it may, it'd be a whole lot cooler if they did. .

 

[scottyT]

it'd also be interesting to hear this song slowed down and acoustic, in a setting like that.....

 

[hiphop]

I think its the best song of the album, it plain rocks. Sure its about God. And about JOY!!!

 

[mattangel]

All because of you

there is a another alt version before they redid some of the songs and I know there are different lyrics...something about having the universe decode and then the atom split. I know there is more so I wil have to go back and write down the alt lyrics.

Matt

 

[mattangel]

this should be in the thread below.

 

[One Kitty Kat]

My church used this song during the offeratory last week. We were rockin'!

 

[Jamila]

Hopefully they offered some of the money collected to organizations fighting the AIDS pandemic in Africa.

That would be the moral thing to do....

 

[One Kitty Kat]

I totally agree it would. Our church is young and small and is just now setting the structure for social outreach and social justice. We covet all prayers on getting this off the ground!

 

[80sU2isBest]

Hopefully they offered some of the money collected to organizations fighting the AIDS pandemic in Africa.

That would be the moral thing to do....

As I've said before, that would be the moral thing for people to do when God has set it upon their hearts to do so. If God has set it upon their hearts to give money/time to other causes, that would be the moral thing to do.

Why do you think that you have divine knowledge of what every church and every Christian is called to give money/time to?

 

[BonosSaint]

My church used this song during the offeratory last week. We were rockin'!

How did Intellectual Tor-toise go over?

 

[Jamila]

80s, simply stating what St. Paul said - Faith without the Works is void.



THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE
CORINTHIANS

CHAPTER 13
Paul extols the high status of charity—Charity, a pure love, excels and exceeds almost all else.

1 THOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of aprophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity denvieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her bown, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

 

[80sU2isBest]

80s, simply stating what St. Paul said - Faith without the Works is void.

No, that's not "simply" what you're saying. You're saying the same thing that you've said time after time after time and then again, again, and again; that AIDS is the most important cause and that people who don'ty give to the cause are doing the wrong thing morally.

And what I'm saying, that I have said time after time after time and then again, again, and again, is that you cannot make judgment upon people about the causes they support, because that is a personal thing between them and God. If God lays it u[on person's heart to support a cancer cause, but does not lay it on his heart to support an AIDS cause, that's no concern of yours.

 

[nbcrusader]

'80's

 

[Jamila]

80's, PLEASE don't put words in my mouth.

That is very unchristian of you.

I mean what I mean and you don't have the right to tell me that I don't mean what I mean!

You are appearing to be more judgmental of others (me) than what you accuse me of.

I don't assume that I know what you mean.

You have just displayed a VERY UNCHRISTIAN attitude toward another person.

I feel sorry for you.

 

[U2DMfan]

It's the best praise song, if that's the right term, that they have written in YEARS.

Best song on the album, for me.

 

[U2Bama]

80's, PLEASE don't put words in my mouth.

That is very unchristian of you.

I mean what I mean and you don't have the right to tell me that I don't mean what I mean!

You are appearing to be more judgmental of others (me) than what you accuse me of.

I don't assume that I know what you mean.

You have just displayed a VERY UNCHRISTIAN attitude toward another person.

I feel sorry for you.

Whoah! Jamila, seriously, I didn't see 80's_U2_Is_The_Best putting words into your mouth, he was merely asking what about people and/or their church's who use U2 songs in their worship and just might possibly give money to something other than the African AIDS crisis in general or The ONE Campaign specifically.

I can assure you that there are other legitimate causes that seek to benefit "the least of these" all over the world, and it is very likely that churches that are open-minded enough to implement U2 songs into their worship services are the ones who seek to help orphans, the poor, the sick and everyone else who needs our love in the form of whatever assistance we can give.

We don't know that, just because a church uses a U2 song and doesn't give directly to The ONE Campaign, that they are not helping the poorest people of the world; it may even be in their own backyard. These churches are not "pimping" U2 or their songs; they are advancing U2's message because U2's songs so often speak the message of the Gospel. You have mentioned the inclusiveness of U2's Christianity; would that inclusiveness not also apply to these church's that feel moved by the Holy Spirit to use U2's songs in praise of their Creator?

"Keep your mind an open mind,
and not to quick to criticize."
-drivin' n' cryin'

~U2Alabama

 

[80sU2isBest]

80's, PLEASE don't put words in my mouth.
That is very unchristian of you.
I mean what I mean and you don't have the right to tell me that I don't mean what I mean!
You are appearing to be more judgmental of others (me) than what you accuse me of.
I don't assume that I know what you mean.
You have just displayed a VERY UNCHRISTIAN attitude toward another person.
I feel sorry for you.

Jamila, did you or did you not take this thread about the song "All Because Of You" and turn it into a judgment about churches giving to AIDS' charities being THE moral thing to do? Answer - you did. And when you say something like "that would be THE moral thing to do", it certainly seems like you are making a moral judgment and saying that is the most moral thing that could be done, especially given your history of slamming churches for what you perceive as failure to give to AIDS charities. Don't you remember that one thread someone started in which you chided the church for supposedly not giving enough to AIDS causes, and then when I said over and over again that what people give their money to is between them and God, you told me that AIDS is the most important? If you can't remember that one, how about the current one entitled "U2 in your church", which was about nothing more/less than instances of U2 being played in church, until you came along and said that you were "sure" that very few of those churches were giving to AIDS charities? What do you expect when you continue to say things like this?
My attitude is not un-Christian. Frankly, I'm a little tired of you constantly bashing Christians and the church over this. If you want to do that, take it to Free Your Mind. The Goal Is Soul is supposed to be about U2 and Christianity, not a place for religious arguments. And the only reason I am engaging in this one is to try to get you to stop.