Monday U2: Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own

For my second installment of Monday U2, my favorite song from U2 and one of my favorite songs of all time: ‘Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own’ from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb [2004], dedicated to Bono’s father and written for him as he was dying from cancer. (Reportedly, Bono can’t sing this song live without tearing up, at times quite noticeably so.)

[Verse 1]
Tough
You think you've got the stuff
You’re telling me and anyone
You’re hard enough
You don’t have to put up a fight
You don’t have to always be right
Lemme take some of the punches
For you tonight

[Pre-Chorus 1]
Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don’t have to go it alone …

[Chorus 1]
(And it’s you when I look in the mirror,)
(And it’s you when I don’t pick up the phone)
Sometimes you can’t make it on your own

[Verse 2]
We fight
All the time
You and I, that’s all right
We’re the same soul
I don’t need,
I don’t need to hear you say
That if we weren’t so alike
You’d like me a whole lot more

[Pre-Chorus 2]
Listen to me now
I need to let you know You don’t have to go it alone …

[Chorus 2]
(And it’s you when I look in the mirror,)
(And it’s you when I don’t pick up the phone)
Sometimes you can’t make it on your own

She says that …

[Bridge]
I know that we don’t talk
I’m just sick of it all
Can you – hear – me – when – I –

Sing!
You’re the reason I sing
You’re the reason why
The opera is in me
Well, hey now!
Still got to let you know
A house just don’t make a home
Don’t leave me here alone

[Chorus 3]
(And it’s you when I look in the mirror,)
(And it’s you that makes it hard to let go)
Sometimes you can’t make it on your own
Sometimes you can’t make
Best you can do is to fake it
Sometimes you can’t make it on your own