When we discover his deep voice for the first time in 1992, most critics an… Read Full Bio ↴When we discover his deep voice for the first time in 1992, most critics and listeners are trying to compare Cunnie Williams with the great figures of soul in such register of crooner-lover: Barry White, Isaac Hayes, Teddy Pendergrass, ... With its huge silhouette of skinny basketball player came to Europe to continue his athletic career, Cunnie Williams has the real physical work. Today, more than fifteen years passed and the singer left his home in Los Angeles, returns with "No Place Like Home", a new album, his sixth, blind drunk in its early stages, placed on a really high end.

With Or Without You
Cunnie Williams Lyrics

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See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side
I wait for you

Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait
And I wait without you

With or without you
With or without you

Through the storm we reach the shore
You give it all but I want more
And Im waiting for you

With or without you
With or without you
I cant live
With or without you

And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away

My hands are tied
My body bruised, shes got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose

And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away

With or without you
With or without you
I cant live
With or without you

With or without you
With or without you
I cant live

With or without you
With or without you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Cunnie Williams's song "With Or Without You" are about a relationship that is complicated and painful but one that the singer is unwilling to let go of. The opening line "See the stone set in your eyes" is a metaphor for how the other person's eyes can seem cold and unfeeling. The next line, "See the thorn twist in your side" suggests that the other person is also experiencing pain in this relationship. The singer is waiting for the other person to make a move or a decision, but it seems like nothing is changing.

The next few lines, "Sleight of hand and twist of fate/On a bed of nails she makes me wait" are a reference to how the other person's actions can sometimes seem duplicitous and how the singer feels like he's in a tough position, waiting for something to happen on a bed of nails. Even though this relationship is hard, the singer can't let go. He's waiting "with or without you." The repetition of these words throughout the song emphasizes how crucial this other person is to the singer's life.

The line "Through the storm we reach the shore/You give it all but I want more/And I'm waiting for you" captures the idea that this relationship has been through hard times, but they've still managed to make it through. However, the singer is still wanting more from the other person. The repeated line "And you give yourself away" suggests that the other person is putting her heart on the line, but the singer is perhaps taking her for granted. The final lines of the song, "My hands are tied/My body bruised, she's got me with/Nothing to win and/Nothing left to lose" show how the singer is stuck in this relationship, even though it's hurting him.

Line by Line Meaning

See the stone set in your eyes
I can see the deep emotion you're feeling through your eyes

See the thorn twist in your side
I can see that you're experiencing pain and discomfort

I wait for you
I'm eagerly hoping for your presence and comfort

Sleight of hand and twist of fate
Life can be unpredictable and tricky

On a bed of nails she makes me wait
I'm stuck in a painful and uncomfortable situation because of her

And I wait without you
I feel lost and alone without your presence

Through the storm we reach the shore
Despite the obstacles we face, we make it through together

You give it all but I want more
You give everything you have, but I still desire more from you

And Im waiting for you
I'm anxiously waiting for you to come back to me

I cant live
I'm unable to function properly

With or without you
Whether you're present or not, I can't seem to function properly

And you give yourself away
You sacrifice your own well-being for others

My hands are tied
I'm stuck in a difficult situation where I'm unable to take action

My body bruised, shes got me with
She has caused me physical and emotional pain

Nothing to win and
There's no benefit to fighting this battle

Nothing left to lose
I've lost everything that was important to me

Writer(s): Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen, Dave Evans, Paul David Hewson Copyright: Polygram Int. Music Publishing B.V.

Contributed by Camilla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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