All I Want Is You
Bono Lyrics


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You say you want diamonds on a ring of gold
You say you want your story to remain untold.
But all the promises we make
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you.

You say you'll give me a highway with no-one on it
Treasure just to look upon it
All the riches in the night.

You say you'll give me eyes in a moon of blindness
A river in a time of dryness
A harbour in the tempest.
But all the promises we make, from the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you.

You say you want your love to work out right
To last with me through the night.

You say you want diamonds on a ring of gold
Your story to remain untold
Your love not to grow cold.
All the promises we break, from the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you.

You...all I want is...
You...all I want is...




You...all I want is...
You...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of All I Want Is You by Bono are about love and the true desires of the heart. The song expresses the sentiment that even though material possessions, wealth and status might seem important, ultimately, all one really wants is love and companionship. The song speaks about promising the world to a loved one and giving them everything one has, but ironically, all that the other person wants is just the love and presence of their significant other. The words, "All the promises we make, from the cradle to the grave, when all I want is you," embody this message.


The lyrics are powerful in expressing how love outshines materialistic possessions and how love should be the primary focus in any relationship. The lines, "You say you want your love to work out right, to last with me through the night," illustrate that love is a promise that involves not giving up on each other, and always being there for the other person, through thick and thin. The lyrics also express a certain longing that the singer feels for the other person, as well as vulnerability, which is conveyed through the repetition of the line, "All I want is you."


Line by Line Meaning

You say you want diamonds on a ring of gold
You talk about wanting expensive material possessions like diamonds and gold on your ring.


You say you want your story to remain untold.
You desire privacy and don't want to share details about your life with others.


But all the promises we make From the cradle to the grave When all I want is you.
Despite your wishes, the only thing that truly matters to me is having you in my life, through all of life's ups and downs, from birth to death.


You say you'll give me a highway with no-one on it Treasure just to look upon it All the riches in the night.
You offer me grand gestures like empty highways, priceless treasures and untold wealth.


You say you'll give me eyes in a moon of blindness A river in a time of dryness A harbour in the tempest.
You promise to provide me with relief even in the darkest of times, like the ability to see in darkness, water in drought, and shelter in the midst of a raging storm.


But all the promises we make, from the cradle to the grave When all I want is you.
Despite your grand gestures and guarantees, all I truly want and need is you by my side, from birth to death.


You say you want your love to work out right To last with me through the night.
You express a desire for our love to be successful, to endure the challenges of life at all times.


You say you want diamonds on a ring of gold Your story to remain untold Your love not to grow cold.
You repeat your previous wishes and add that your love should never wither away and grow cold.


All the promises we break, from the cradle to the grave When all I want is you.
Despite our tendency to go back on our promises, what I truly desire is to have you by my side through every phase of life, from birth to death.


You...all I want is... You...all I want is... You...all I want is... You...
I repeat again and again that you are the only thing I truly want and need in my life.




Contributed by Miles Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@tspot816

1:40 When she looks at him and knows;
1:46, when the Strongman looks at his friend and immediately knows how lost his friend is in love and knows it will only bring pain to his friend;
I always was so grateful to the strong man for being his friend;
3:16 with the ring and that smile;
3:24 hopping in the Strongman's sidecar, meaning his buddy had his back on the trip;
3:47 That heartbreaking smile he shoots her;
4:01 Dashed;
4:50 ending the only way it could ever end.
6:00 Tossing the ring into the grave because his love died (or did he die);
6:03 The Strongman sees the ring and shares the pain with his friend and knows what a loss this is for his friend.

Amazing video. One of the all time greats.



@lucianolovito7283

You say you want
Diamonds on a ring of gold
You say you want
Your story to remain untold
But all the promises we make
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you
You say you'll give me
A highway with no one on it
Treasure just to look upon it
All the riches in the night
You say you'll give me
Eyes in a moon of blindness
A river in a time of dryness
A harbor in the tempest
But all the promises we make
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you
You say you want
Your love to work out right
To last with me through the night
You say you want
Diamonds on a ring of gold
Your story to remain untold
Your love not to grow cold
All the promises we break
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you
You all I want is
You all I want is
You all I want is
You

Rattle and Hum album.



All comments from YouTube:

@damianjackson6835

I sang this song to my new wife at our wedding reception. Later that night on the way back to our hotel, as we were driving across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, this song came onto the radio. It was such a surreal moment!

@davejmanning544

No such thing as coincidence Damien.

@brandinickole7161

Perfect Wedding Song. 💖

@DeuceBiggerHo

Yeah I think it’s a great choice for a song at a wedding. First dance or whatever. The other one I thought of was U2’s ‘love rescue me’. However I think playing it on a first date like the guy above said is putting the poor girl under too much pressure! 😯It’s a very emotional song.

@alibrown5917

Amazing your a top guy

@redrobin7868

It's my fantasy proposal. We are someplace special and he steps out and I hear this song outside. He is holding something that is playing this like in the John Hughes movie or has musicians playing the string instalment like the song while he sings to me

35 More Replies...

@deanetteknight4565

This song takes me to my late husband. I lost him to pancreatic cancer March 1st, 2006. He's visited me 3 times in my dreams since 2012 warning of the times we're in now in the world. I cry everytime I hear it now. I miss him.

@fernandeaux1631

Beautiful.

@ericac.brooks1851

Im sooo sorry for your loss i loss my very deer friend we were secteatly inlove and i did not knnow that the last time i saw him would be the it rip chris a.k.a crispy i will always love u

@stevemeyer6308

So sorry for your loss

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