alayna's picture
alayna
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1959

U2 Mysterious Ways Lyrics meaning

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After my brother died, my best friend told me this song remined him of me...since i never knew that it did, i never got to ask why.....i've heard this song a thousand times and the brother sister reference seemed obvious but tonight for some reason i decided to look up the lyrics and i realize this song has a much deeper meaning idk if my brother knew that or not and if he did i dont know how it wld be relative to me nonetheless i posted the lyrics...im sure everyone knows the melody....i was hoping you all would go into the depth of yourselves and post your thoughts on the meaning of this song; how you interpret it

Johnny take a walk with your sister, the moon
Let her pale light in to fill up your room
You've been living underground, eating from a can
You've been running away from what you don't understand
Love

she's slipping, you're sliding down
Will she be there when you hit the ground?

It's alright, it's alright, its alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, its alright
She moves in mysterious ways

Johnny take a dive with your sister in the rain
Let her talk about the things you can't explain
To touch is to heal, to hurt is to steal
If you want to kiss the sky, better learn how to kneel
On your knees boy

She's the wave, she turned the tide
She sees a man inside the child

It's alright, it's alright, its alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, its alright
She moves in mysterious ways, yeah

It's alright, it's alright, its alright
Lift my days, light up my nights

One day you'll look back and when you see
Where you were held by this love
While you can stand there, you could move on this moment
Follow this feeling

It's alright, it's alright, its alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways

It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
We move through the miracle days
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
Spirit moves in mysterious ways

It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
(It will move you now, she moves with it)
Lift my days, light up my nights

wolverinewannabe's picture

Was he your younger brother, ir were you a more mature influence on him? The song says to me that the sister is more motherly. Like the goddess in pagan religion. "The moon" especially lends creedence to this. Lyrics are a major part of who a musician is and bono is deeper than most.

alayna's picture

yes he was my younger brother and yes I was perceived by my 2 younger brothers in a motherly way....insightful thank you Smile

wolverinewannabe's picture

In that case he was probly reminded of you by that song because you were a powerful influence on his life and maybe you were the only thing he had to grasp when he was at his lowest. Maybe more than once. Im very sorry to hear that you lost him. Sounds very generic, but its heartfelt. Im very close to my sisters and couldnt imagine losing either of them.

alayna's picture

awww thank you i appreciate yr very kind words

Pale's picture

I don't believe the "sister" is a person. More like elements or Nature.. But he does muddy it up a bit on the second half of the song..

alayna's picture

i googled it and some ppl said its about god...i can kinda see that...but i agree that its more of an energy of some sort.

Greg's picture

more like the soul or inner "divine" self which is usually depicted as a woman... even for a man.

Pale's picture

I do really pay attention to lyrics. Most people never take the time to understand the meaning of songs.

alayna's picture

oh me too! you cant even imagine how much it haunts me to know this is the one song that reminded my brother of me...i never knew that when he was alive...and he listened to lyrics, in fact he was a musician....lyrics to me are the "song" the rhythm is important but the lyrics are what moves us really.....imo two things jogged memory; scents and songs

only1cat's picture

Seems to me that Johnny was in a dark moment maybe drugs. His sister was the light who never turned out. She was always there to give love not pass judgment. He never wanted to grow up but she would tell him that she seen the man he was destined to be. Him falling to his knees is reference to falling back into his childish ways probably drugs again. He was thinking that she would turn her back on him but instead she held him and turned the tide.

Greg's picture

If you want to kiss the sky, better learn how to kneel... On your knees boy

If you want to end your cycle of dependency and "kiss the sky" you need to learn how to surrender; to let go of the idea of who you think you are; kill the false ego.

You kneel before a sovereign as a boy squire. You rise as a knight.

alayna's picture

Exactly! Thats the one part of the song that always resonated with me....to me it means if you want to be god like you need to be completely humbled first so much so that yr not too prideful to get on yr knees.

alayna's picture

Yr interpretation is eerily close to home for me personally....gave me goose bumps

only1cat's picture

I am sorry that you lost your brother I do feel that it's safe to say that he loved and appreciated you and your love being he said this song made him think of you.

alayna's picture

aww thank you....made me cry :(.... but in a good way

only1cat's picture

I would offer you a tissue but my arms are not long enough. :-)

alayna's picture

yr heart was long enough Smile