In every heart there is a room…
To heal the wounds from lover’s past/
Until a new one comes along.

Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes” is in some ways romantic and in some ways depressing. Joel seems to be expressing the view that love is a place in your heart that gets filled by your current love until things go wrong and you break up. Then it is hollow and only filled again when someone new comes along. Though, that person will leave too, of course. And so it goes.

This is a pessimistic view on love. It contrasts with a view that when two kindred spirits meet, it is special. Never mind the permanence of wedding vows. Joel says, you will break my heart too, and eventually I will have to find someone to fill my empty heart with the hole you left in it, but for now you are welcome to have my broken heart that the last woman ripped out of me. I’d imagine there must be a line waiting.

Joel sings “And So it Goes” as if he is tired. It sounds as if he is exhausted by relationships and has very little energy to offer, and he is being up front in admitting that to a potential mate. Laying it all on the table, if you will. Perhaps honesty is the best policy. To convey that emotion in his voice really makes the song. The piano also captures the feel perfectly, along with a nice melody…mostly in the verses. Interesting use of the background keyboards.

And So it Goes Lyrics

In every heart there is a room
A sanctuary safe and strong
To heal the wounds from lovers past
Until a new one comes along

I spoke to you in cautious tones
You answered me with no pretense
And still I feel I said too much
My silence is my self defense

And every time I’ve held a rose
It seems I only felt the thorns
And so it goes, and so it goes
And so will you soon I suppose

But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break

And this is why my eyes are closed
It’s just as well for all I’ve seen
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you’re the only one who knows

So I would choose to be with you
That’s if the choice were mine to make
But you can make decisions too
And you can have this heart to break

And so it goes, and so it goes
And you’re the only one who knows

written by billy joel

On a bed of nails she makes me wait/
And I wait, without you.

U2’s “With or Without You” sounds like a lover’s quarrel has turned into a semi-breakup. The man tells the woman he’ll wait for her to figure her shit out, but at the same time he is thinking to himself “I can’t live with her and I can’t live without her”. In his particular case, he keeps giving a lot of himself to the relationship, when it is not clear that he is receiving the same love back. He realizes the absurdity of it but can’t break the pattern yet.

“With or Without You” was U2’s biggest hit. For one, its veiled lyrics allowed you to take from the song whatever you wanted to, really.  It is a great 80s power ballad, with excellent vocals and instrumentation but without the cheesy experimental production methods that were used on many 80s records.

“With or Without You” is very much a rock song in the rock tradition, in a decade that was fairly light of it. Bono’s voice sounds emotional and vulnerable on this song; I believe this was the song that catapulted him to superstardom. While this was their most famous song, I believe there is one song that is better.

With or Without You Lyrics

See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side
I’ll 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 I’m waiting for you

With or without you
With or without you
I can’t 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, she’s 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 can’t live
With or without you
Oh

With or without you
With or without you
I can’t live
With or without you
With or without you

written by U2