Sometimes You Ca n't Make It on Your Own " is a song by Irish rock band U2 . It is the third track on their eleventh studio album , '' How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb '' ( 2004 ) , and was released as the album 's second single worldwide except North America on 7 February 2005 . It debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart becoming the band 's sixth number-one single in the United Kingdom . It also topped the charts in Canada , Scotland and Spain , and reached the top 10 in Denmark , Ireland , Italy , the Netherlands and Norway . Originally titled " Tough " , the song is lyrically about the relationship between the band 's lead vocalist Bono and his father Bob Hewson , who died of cancer in 2001 . The song won two Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Song of the Year at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in 2006
48th Annual Grammy Awards
48th Annual Grammy Awards
Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own