I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (1987) – U2

This song title might as well be the tagline of my solitary, middle-aged existence and longing. But hey – we’ve got a blog to run here! I’m not about to crumble into some “woe is me” dirge and let that derail today’s feature: arguably one of U2’s most beloved and instantly recognisable songs. I mean this song is so iconic it even appeared in that Sing 2 movie -ya know – the one with that f%&king koala – it’s always sweet when they can adapt these treasured songs for a younger, tech savvy and attention-span-deficit audience. I’m hardly a big U2 fan, but I enjoyed listening to some of their earlier output – up to and including the Achtung Baby album.

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For still holds up for me in its original form. The dozens of soul and gospel reinterpretations over the years don’t do it for me at all – they try too hard to sound earnest and end up missing the song’s gritty, pavement-worn feel in its spiritual yearning. And really, if you strip away that echo-laden, minimalist guitar from The Edge, you may as well be listening to Thunderstruck without Angus Young’s electrifying riff. While we’re on the topic of The Edge’s guitar playing, I have to mention this clip from English musician-comedian Bill Bailey, who demonstrates what might happen if there were a catastrophic technical failure at a U2 concert.

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For originated from a demo called “The Weather Girls” and “Under the Weather” which the band recorded during a jam session. The band liked the drum part played by drummer Larry Mullen Jr. Co-producer Daniel Lanois (who would later produce two outstanding Bob Dylan records – Oh Mercy (1989) and Time Out of Mind (1997)) said, “It was a very original beat from Larry“. He also added:

“I’ve always liked gospel music and I encouraged Bono to take it to that place … It was a very non-U2 thing to do at the time, to go up the street of gospel. I think it opened a door for them, to experiment with that territory … [Bono]’s singing at the top of his range and there is something very compelling about somebody pushing themselves. It’s like hearing Aretha Franklin almost. It jumps on you and you can’t help but feel the feeling.”

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For is from the Irish rock band’s 1987 album The Joshua Tree. It was the second consecutive number-one on the US billboard while reaching number 6 on the UK chart.

Many critics and publications have ranked “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” among the greatest tracks in music history, including Rolling Stone which ranked the song at number 93 of its 2010 list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time“. The following music video for the song was filmed on Fremont Street in Las Vegas on 12 April 1987 following their Joshua Tree Tour concert in that city.

[Verse 1]
I have climbed highest mountain
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you
I have run, I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you

[Chorus]
But I still haven’t found what I’m lookin’ for
But I still haven’t found what I’m lookin’ for

[Verse 2]
I have kissed honey lips
Felt the healing fingertips
It burned like fire
This burnin’ desire
I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone

[Chorus]
But I still haven’t found what I’m lookin’ for
But I still haven’t found what I’m lookin’ for

[Verse 3]
I believe in the Kingdom Come
Then all the colours will bleed into one
Bleed into one
But yes, I’m still runnin’
You broke the bonds and you loosened the chains
Carried the cross of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believe it

[Chorus]

References:
1. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – Wikipedia