One

This tune is one of my faves when I'm feeling angry at a love, past or present. The last few days, the object of my anger has been my past love, and the father of my children. I find it remarkably satisfying to scream (preferably in the confines of my station wagon):

You asked me to enter
And then you make me crawl
I can't be holding on
To what you've got
When all you've got is hurt...

I considered blogging a bunch of my feelings about what he didn't give then or won't give now and how my father didn't give either and how I keep picking these men who don't have the love to give that I'm seeking... But then I remembered a couple of important things. One, that we cannot give to someone else what we do not have ourselves, and two, if my ex were remotely a U2 fan, he would probably also find it satisfying to scream the words to this song, because I have no doubt that he feels that I asked him to enter and then made him crawl, too. It isn't easy, but I'm trying to stop the blame game. It doesn't get either of us anywhere now. It wasn't a match for the long term. Period. Don't really need to enumerate the reasons.

What is useful for me to remember now is that it is up to me to change frequencies so I don't wind up in the same boat again. But, if I do, Bono and the boys will be there for me with this amazing song to help me release and reset. Hurt may be familiar, but it isn't where I want to live anymore, baby.

Personally, I don't think it gets any better than pure, unadulterated, live U2, as seen in the video above. But if I were going to pick a female vocalist to rock this tune with Bono, I can't think of anyone better than Mary J. Blige...