St. Denis: "With or Without You" U2 (Nikki)

St. Denis: "With or Without You" U2

Lyrics:
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 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

With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you
With or without you Analysis:
“With or Without You” written by U2, has a fairly simple message expressed throughout the entire song of giving away yourself and sacrificing yourself for love and the person you love’s needs. In the section of St. Denis, the vulnerability of Eponine and the artists of the song are very similar. “…muzzle of the musket… it was because I wanted to die before you” (Hugo 453). Hugo literally puts Eponine’s life to be sacrificed all for Marius just because she loved him so much and couldn’t bare to see him get hurt. “With or without you/I can't live/Nothing to win and Nothing left to lose/give yourself away” (U2). This represents how love (even secret love) can put your life on the line. “And then, do you know, Monsieur Marius, I believe I was a little in love with you.” (Hugo 455). After she admits this love in her deathbed, she gives Marius the letter from Cosette , which is not for her own good but for his. Eponine puts his own needs before his just like in the song.” Nothing to win and Nothing left to lose” (U2). This is where we see that Eponine has nothing left to lose and is nothing to win because she is just doing her best to help Marius to succeed in love whether with her or not.
Audio: