A thought that changed the world...

[sulawesigirl4]

Grace, she takes the blame
She covers the shame
Removes the stain
It could be her name

Grace, it's the name for a girl
It's also a thought that changed the world
And when she walks on the street
You can hear the strings
Grace finds goodness in everything

Grace, she's got the walk
Not on a ramp or on chalk
She's got the time to talk
She travels outside of karma
She travels outside of karma
When she goes to work
You can hear her strings
Grace finds beauty in everything

Grace, she carries a world on her hips
No champagne flute for her lips
No twirls or skips between her fingertips
She carries a pearl in perfect condition

What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings
Because Grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things

Grace makes beauty out of ugly things


I'd like to discuss this song.

Although, I know to many people it is the "low" point of ATYCLB, I can't think of a better closing song. Grace may be the un-coolest thing for a rock band to sing about. It's about letting go and accepting that we may not GET all the answers to the questions we seek. Ultimately, to me that seems a very vulnerable place to be. And vulnerability combined with strength seems to be the very backbone of ATYCLB.

I love the use of metaphor in this song. Bono is really coming into his own as a poet and the lyrics of this song demonstrate that. Comparing the ethereal concept of grace to that of a woman but also using the metaphor of the pearl inside the oyster (adversity like a grain of sand turning the end product into a beautiful pearl.)

So let's talk about Grace. Grace the idea, the concept, the song. If anyone has that book by Phillip Yancey, some quotes would be nice. (I don't own it...yet).

-sula

 

[80sU2isBest]

good topic, Sula.
One of my favorite lines from any U2 songs is that line:
"She travels outside of Karma"
It is a perfect line.
Karma is getting what we deserve. Grace is more powerful than karm and is the exact opposite of Karma. Grace is when God gives us blessing though we don't deserve it. With grace, we definitely don't get what we deserve.

 

[in te domine]

Well, I found a website that seems to have EVERYTHING you always wanted to know about Grace.
http://www.christinyou.net/gracegod.html

It kind of goes on forever, but in it, I did find a definition that is to the point, yet not too poetic and "warm":

"Grace is the dynamic of God's activity in and by the Son, Jesus Christ"

Amen.

 

[hippy]

What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings
Because Grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things

Grace makes beauty out of ugly things

I must say that I'm very partial to the last stanza...it touches something in me and comforts me. Knowing that there is relief, that there is a healing balm, that there is a source of strengh that can wipe away my "ugly things." To take away my scars.

A couple of things intrigue me about this song:

1) That many people think it is the "low" point on ATYCLB. To me it is one of the most uplifting songs and I would love to hear it performed. To me this song speaks of a concept that has helped many people heal and has personally, changed me from a person who was wallowing in my past mistakes to a person who can walk upright and hold my head high, knowing that I have the power of Grace behind me. People may think the song is a downer after the rock songs of the album, but I would classify it as an upper. A quiet Amen to the entire album. It is a song that affirms life, and affirms God, and affirms a reason to continue, a reason not to give up, a reason to believe.

2) That Bono personfies Grace to such a degree. Grace is a her. Grace has personality. Grace has a human form that makes us identify her. Grace is at once a loving mother figure and a strong protective father figure. She's a concrete being, but she's also a thought. She's on everyone's side of the matter, yet she doesn't choose sides. She's a healer.

Grace in the sense of this song very much captivates me. Everytime I listen to the song I am enthralled. I can see a woman walking down the street, carrying a baby on her hip. She's a woman who you would look at and smile. A woman who could bring peace with a look. I am very impressed with Bono's lyrical style here. I think he does a wonderful job bringing a very ephemeral concept to a very concrete reality. I'm sure that everyone can imagine the imagery of the song and I think that helps bring it to the "real world".

3) The whole theme of strings throughout the song. I only noticed this this evening while reading through the lyrics of the song and there are two instances where Bono mentions "strings":

And when she walks on the street
You can hear the strings
...
When she goes to work
You can hear her strings

I have always found the concept of "strings" uniting the world fascinating. I forget the exact scientific theory, but it's something like: Everything in the world is interconnected by being attached to each other with invisible strings. This means that what is done to one, is done to all. I don't think that this is what Bono meant by the use of strings, but it could be.

What I do enjoy is thinking of Grace as "pulling the strings" of life. She influences people in many ways.

I thought also with the "string" referenece of the music of the spheres which unites the univserse. And you can hear the universe when Grace walks around. Somehow everything is connected and one can hear the music of the spheres when one sees Grace, when one senses Grace, when one lets Grace walk around without hindrance. It's a direct connection. When we let Grace work, she connects us with the world. I really like that.

Just my thoughts

Talk amongst yourselves...

------------------
And love is not the easy thing...the only baggage you can bring is all that you can't leave behind.

BONO: FOAD, Lawrence. Just FOAD. (LOL, Mona)

Create Light, Create Unity, Create Joy, CREATE PEACE!

 

[JennyBean]

I don't think it's a low point at all. In fact, it is one of my favorite songs on the CD. I think all of us could stand to live our lives with a little more grace. I especially love the line Grace finds goodness in everything. It just reminds me to always try to look on the bright side. Despite all the bad things in the world, I still belive that there are more good people than bad. Some people call it naive, I call it faith. I want to thank all of the people who post on this board. I had kind of drifted away from faith, but your openess with sharing your beautiful thoughts has really helped me. It pushes me to examine what I really think about my beliefs. It makes me want to strive to be a better person. Thank you to you and U2 as well.
~Jen

 

[DebbieSG]

Bono sings this so sweetly...

I am always struck by the lightness of this song but the strength of its message. It's a beautiful ending to the album, but rather than conclude it I think it opens possibilities.

That's for sure, sula, people are not used to a rock song about Grace. It was pretty gutsy of U2 to put it out there, it makes a definite statement about their beliefs. It may have been a signal to Christians that they had come back from their "wanderings". The song is underappreciated by fans, though sometimes I hear people warm up to it.

I've lauded this before...the metaphor of a girl is so powerful to illustrate a concept that is sometimes hard to grasp but absolutely essential to Christianity. I remember hearing of a talk show in which there was a panel of representatives from different religions, and the question was asked, "what makes your religion different from all others?" For Christianity the answer was the idea of Grace, forgiveness from God that isn't earned.

What I like about the song is that it gives some tangible examples to compare what Grace is doing. It says hey, this Grace thing is real. The song helped me to understand the concept better, and the word grace is prevalent througout the New Testament! as a Christian, and I think it opens people who are non-religious to begin to understand a way that Grace can work in their lives, and not just for a Christian singing "Amazing Grace".

Random thoughts:

Can someone please interpret this line for me: No twirls or skips between her fingertips. It's beautiful but the meaning eludes me.

The "strings" reference hit me differently, probably because I play violin, I thought of an orchestra of strings playing a beautiful, sweeping melody.

Really like that pearl metaphor, too.

Don't have the Yancey book right now, anyone else have that handy?

 

[hippy]

Originally posted by DebbieSG:
Can someone please interpret this line for me: No twirls or skips between her fingertips. It's beautiful but the meaning eludes me.

I take this to mean that there is nothing decieving (sp?) about Grace. There no twirls or skips to mess people up. There's nothing tricky about Grace.

Though I do have other thoughts:
To me twirls and skips connote very childlike behavior...so maybe it's a reference (in a very indirect way

) to having faith like a child and just believeing in God's Grace? Could be.

Twirls and skips also make me think of happiness and playfulness...

Just my thoughts.

------------------
And love is not the easy thing...the only baggage you can bring is all that you can't leave behind.

BONO: FOAD, Lawrence. Just FOAD. (LOL, Mona)

Create Light, Create Unity, Create Joy, CREATE PEACE!

 

[MissZooropa]

I also have really been surpriced that this song is so low ranked for most fans. When the album first came out I didn't give it much attention, last on an amazing album, I guess I was already "filled" when it came to that song. But after the tour and have heard it while leaving the arena so many times now, I've realized what an amazing song it is. I love it and I loved to hear it when leaving after the shows, it suited my mood and made me leave in great spirit.

And the lyric, I can't really make any specific points but it just have the smoothest, most relaxed and worshipping, silent words and I love to just recite a line or twoalong with the melody in my mind and it makes me feel good. Specially "grace makes beauty out of ugly things" and "grace finds goodness in everything".

Since I'm not really a christian I can't really recall to God's grace like some of you do but it still touches me somewhere deep inside me and just makes me feel good. Who knows, maybe God's grace comes to me without me knowing it, through this song.

Oki, yet another post from me with no really point or different angle. I guess I just agree with you and wants to be a part of it.

 

[Diemen]

I have always been impressed by this song, in fact, in the first few weeks and months of owning the album, I would always set my cd/alarm to wake up to Grace, and it would often be the last song I listened to before going to sleep.

I wish I could go into as much detail as hippyactress (excellent post, btw!

), but I think the reason I'm so drawn to it is because of it's sense of hope and peace. "Grace finds beauty in everything/grace makes beauty out of ugly things" is an incredibly comforting thought, to know that even in our depths of despair grace doesn't turn a blind eye.

It's such a life-affirming song that totally completes the theme of the album. It is the perfect answer to why the person in Beautiful Day is so happy despite having lost everything. Grace is on our side. Redemption is possible regardless of our failures or shortcomings.

I also like the song simply because the music itself reflects the lyrics so well - it's so soothing and peaceful. The perfect song to end the concert experience, too.

 

[brettig]

Great posts...love this song. I know many people find it dull musically but i really enjoy its peace, not that i can always feel that peace myself, but i have lately

wonderful mood song, beautiful, hopeful lyrics, happily mellow...

 

[DebbieSG]

Thanks hippy!

 

[hippy]

Originally posted by DebbieSG:
Thanks hippy!

I wasn't sure it made sense

------------------
And love is not the easy thing...the only baggage you can bring is all that you can't leave behind.

BONO: FOAD, Lawrence. Just FOAD. (LOL, Mona)

Create Light, Create Unity, Create Joy, CREATE PEACE!

 

[Lilly]

Oh Sula, you are my favorite!

You started this place AND you start good topics!

Grace is seen as the low point? I never knew that. It's one of my very favorites! I thought that it complemented "Stuck in a Moment" so well! Where Grace takes you is a place to be frustrated. That's where Stuck comes in. It says "HA! We got ya! It's a cycle. Questions lead to answers that lead to questions that lead to you needing to say, 'hey, I'm not gonna get all the answers anyway' that lead you into a funk. Then you realize it's just a moment, this time will pass, and it's all ok again." I thought it was f*ing BRILLIANT!

As far as grace not being a rock & roll subject, we must look to Bono to help us out. "Be uncool, yes be awkward." Couldn't have said it better myself.

-Lil

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It's the puppets that pull the strings.

 

[Discoteque]

GRACE. She covers the stain. She takes the blame.

WOW.

It's one of those things about being Christianity that, for me, I tend not to think about very much, but I should. I love this song. I didn't at first. I always skipped it. But after 9-11, I started looking at the last four songs on ATYCLB in a very different way.

'Grace' really started to get under my skin. I found myself singing it, humming it to myself a LOT. Amazing lyrics from Bono. So sweet, so simple, so eloquent, so poignant. It made me really pay attention and listen to the lyrics. Made me think about what grace *really* means, and what a phenomenal, extraordinary, and purely divine thought and thing it really is. That God would just offer us this beautiful gift - free of charge, just for the asking - is so mind-blowing, it's hard to wrap my little human brain around it at times.

But WOW. Am I ever glad that such a thing exists...for what hope would we have if it didn't??

 

[truecoloursfly]

No surprise, really, that no one in this forum thinks Grace a "low point"

but I've heard that plenty of times,too. From folks without ears to hear anything but hardcore rock...
Grace is a lullabye, wholly unexpected and yet utterly natural from U2 -- I received it like a gift from them. Scarlet is like that, too, an openhearted declaration of faith...but Scarlet is bittersweet gratitude where Grace is all joy. I just LOVE how Bono repeats the lines, she travels outside of karma... -- I can hear the smile as he sings it, can't you?? With gentle contentment.

("Karma," for the record, is not precisely about "getting what you deserve;" it's more getting what you need to move toward understanding. An analogy might be physiotherapy: Karma means doing the exercises to heal; Grace is the miracle of Jesus' healing touch. She dispenses with Time. Sorry, just hadda say that.

)

The other thing that strikes me about the recording is Adam's bass part. The first month or so I had the album, that was all I could hear in the song! That's when it first struck me as a lullabye, actually -- Adam plays as tenderly as Bono sings. I've never heard anything like it. As if he of the great bass voice is humming a fussing child to sleep. In it I hear Adam singing what HE knows of grace, and that moves me greatly.
And one last thing I was greatful for: the last three albums have closed in such darkness: Love is Blindness, The Wanderer, and Wake Up Dead Man. On those records, they took us on rocky journeys, and offered no false comfort at the end; I trust them to give it to me straight. So when they led me here at the end of this road, it was doubly sweet. I felt as happy for them as for myself.
It's as extraordinary a moment on this record as Dead Man was on POP. But nicer.

Deb D

------------------
in memoriam
Peter Gzowski (1934-2002)

He set my feet upon a rock
made my footsteps firm

the greatest frontman in the world -- by truecoloursfly: http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=1575

 

[hippy]

Deb, thanks for pointing out the bass part. I had never noticed that before. And you're right. It adds so much and you can really feel Adam's emotion. Wow.

Anyway, another thing I noticed today as I was listening to my Miami boot was a line at the very beginning of Please:

So you never knew love until you crossed the line of grace

Ideas? I thought it was interesting. And true. I had never really experienced God's love and knew for sure how much he cared before I tripped over the line.

Okay, your turn.

------------------
And love is not the easy thing...the only baggage you can bring is all that you can't leave behind.

BONO: FOAD, Lawrence. Just FOAD. (LOL, Mona)

Create Light, Create Unity, Create Joy, CREATE PEACE!

 

[Lilly]

Hmmm...it's weird to connect "Grace" to "Please". The latter is SO much more bitter and cynical (indeed, it's my favorite).

It's just restating "You don't know what you got until it's gone." Let's take parents for example. This August I will be moving out of my house and moving into dorms 6 hours away. Right now, I cannot stand my parents. Not like they really do anything wrong (they do, but long story that's irrelevant here), I am clothed and fed and housed. But I'm just becoming me and I don't want their restrictions anymore. Yet I still recognize that next year I will be lost without my mother and my car won't be fixed without my father. I'm growing too big to live under their roof now, but it feels like they still want to cram me back in to have me for a little longer. I won't know fully what I get from them until I move out. Then and only then will I understand what I have now is good.

I think it also falls in line with Bono's "experience to live" theory (which would make sense since he wrote it). A common theme throughout all 20 years is try. Do something. You don't like an aspect of yourself/life/religion/political views/the world around you, well do something about it! But, when humans try, there will always be a few failures. From the failures we learn to go a different route. It teaches us our "limits" (in quotes because we are almost limitless in mind). And whatever we acheive, we learn from the experience. Our experience can also lead to excess, thus the crossing over. More to come...

------------------
It's the puppets that pull the strings.

 

[anitram]

Originally posted by 80sU2isBest:
good topic, Sula.
One of my favorite lines from any U2 songs is that line:
"She travels outside of Karma"
It is a perfect line.

I love this line too.

It reminds me of the Mahayana Buddhist view, that through compassionate grace, Karma can be broken. I think it's very much in line with Christian teachings as well.

 

[Lilly]

*in reference to my last post*

But in realizing that you're in excess, or you've failed, or even that you've succeeded, you experience. And whether you are conscious of it or not, your lesson has been learned. Reading and understanding the Bible is one thing, experiencing your own story is quite another. Stories are how people learn. Which is why it's so fabulous that the Bible is many stories. They all have value. You will not tempt God, you will not be proud, you will not ostracize people, you will not judge, all because you read the outcome of what happened to the people who did do these things. Experiencing through proxy. Thus the relevantness of "experience to live."
Just my thoughts there.

-Lil

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It's the puppets that pull the strings.

*You're very kind. Most people laugh when they see my googly eye.*

+fabulous+

 

[Klodomir]

Originally posted by truecoloursfly:
No surprise, really, that no one in this forum thinks Grace a "low point"

but I've heard that plenty of times,too. From folks without ears to hear anything but hardcore rock...

Well, well, aren't we in a judgmental mood today. It might also have something to do with the fact that it's not actually a very good vocal performance from Bono and that the music clashes with the rest of the album. Just because people don't like the sound of the song doesn't mean that they don't get the meaning. I personally think that it sounds unfinished, and not in a good way. It's almost as if so much thought went into the message there wasn't time to convey it properly.

 

[Lilly]

U2 to Klodomir: OUCH!

That was pretty harsh. I see though where you are coming from. But it's the "unfinished" (your word, not mine) sound that makes it. Grace is this simple idea that is so complex to get to. So the simpleness of the guitar and bass separately show its simpleness. But when combined with each other, it becomes more complex. In addition with Bono's raw vocal (which I love when he sings like that, it conveys so much depth) which alone is also simple we have a semi complicated song. The elements don't clash. The concept of grace doesn't clash with life, it's just if you can strip away the elements from this big complicated thing which is life and make it simple and manageable you can understand each element and reweave the elements back together into something beautiful which is your life. While I understand the concept of grace, I do not understand IT. Does that make sense? Whatever, I don't really care if it does or not.

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90% lazy. 10% something else.

Judoooooooo Chop!

[This message has been edited by Lilly (edited 02-17-2002).]