Generational Text found in U2 song - I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
July 25, 2005 – 3:01 pm | by postkiwi
I’ve just posted on ‘text’ at GodPost, unpacking some of my thoughts on analysis of generational text. In that post I say:
“Paying attention to the texts that form and express the values of a generational cohort helps us recognise and discern the impact of those texts. In some cases we will discover perspectives that have been overshadowed by the texts of previous or later generations.”
Take U2’s song, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for”.
It was released in 1987 as a single and as part of the Joshua Tree album. It was released as a music video as part of the Rattle and Hum video (with the gospel choir New Voices of Freedom) and later in The Best of U2: 1980-1990 (walking the streets of Las Vegas).
People aged 16 to 25 in 1987 when this song was released, were born 1962 to 1971, now aged 34 to 43. It’s helpful to note that the members of the band, U2, were born in 1960 and 1961.
This could be a useful text for exploring the values, spirituality, and aspirations of late Trailing Edge Baby Boomers and early Generation X. If you’re in any doubt that this song has done the rounds, bear in mind that it has been covered by at least 30 different artists.
Engaging with the text
In engaging with this text, where would you start?
With the experience of Bono and The Edge as they put the song together? See U2 Songfacts.
With the experience of participants of a group? Would you ask what it is that people are looking for?
Would you unpack the imagery of mountains, fields, city walls, honey lips, burning desire, the hand of the devil, bleeding colors, broken bonds, loosed chains and carried cross?
How might this text relate to other texts? To novels, movies and television series? To personal stories? To Biblical texts?
Who else has asked these questions?
Check out U2 Sermons Blog. Check for comments on this post. Add your own!
The Lyrics
I have climbed the 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
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
I have kissed honey lips
Felt the healing in her fingertips
It burned like fire
This burning 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
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
I believe in the kingdom come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
Well, yes, I’m still running
You broke the bonds and you
Loosed the chains
Carried the cross
And my shame
All my shame
You know I believe it
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
2 Responses to “Generational Text found in U2 song - I still haven’t found what I’m looking for”
By Beth on Jul 25, 2005 | Reply
Duncan, thanks for the link. I plan to make a post about your good questions here, but have just started a three-part post myself so it probably won’t be till next week or so. I don’t know if you know this, but one of the three sermons on ISHFWILF in “Get Up Off Your Knees” actually spends much of its time discussing how significant this song is for GenXers and why!