In the live version is understood that it's clearly about Jesus. In the part he says "you broke the bonds, you loose the chains, carried the cross of my shame", he adds to the song "you took the blame Lord. You know I believe it." Bono spoke of the song that it's a gospel song, they even did a version with The Harlem Church choir called Voices Of Freedom and in this version they added "He will lift you higher and higher. He will pick you up when you fall. He'll be the shelter from the storm". Love this version!!! Bono also said about the song that at the end he left the "But I still Haven't found What I'm looking for" because to meet God, it's not an arrival, but an endless journey". You can read about that on the book Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2"
Bono had said that (and I think this is key to understanding this song)- this is, in a way, an attempt to be honest and raw in existential lament, rather expressing a simple, straightforward lack of fulfillment. When we read Lamentations or Psalms, we realize that that sense of desperation, lament and frustration is not entirely out of place or "faithless," even when expressed quite pointedly. Now, I don't want to put words in Bono's mouth when it comes to precisely how he reconciles doubt and angst, with faith, but I know as a Christian, I long ago made my peace with this song's **apparent** sense of unfulfillment in the chorus. When I hear it, hum it, or sing it, that line "I still haven't found what I'm looking for," doesn't resonate as shrugging off the weight and profundity of God's condescending to us and entering into our suffering in the incarnation, but rather more of an restless lament of existential ache... a pointed one, to be sure, but one that is tempered and measured by the context of the third verse. It's stressing the "Not Yet" ("I still haven't found what I'm looking for"), after acknowledging the "Already" ("you carried the cross ..."). And so to me, by far the most gripping and vital line in the song is that beleaguered, but still certain declaration: "but yes, I'm still running" (Heb 12:1). Isaiah 42:3 says: "a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench." Amen, and so keep running... keep running.
I believe in the kingdom come Then all the colors will bleed into one Bleed into one But yes I'm still running You broke the bonds And you loosed the chains Carried the cross Of my shame Oh my shame You know I believe it Some of the greatest lyrics ever written in my opinion. That is literally a lead singer of a band opening his soul up and putting it into words . Doesn’t get much deeper then that 👌
I think the song was a reflection of how he felt at that time. He and the band we’re believers at that time but I think Adam Clayton wasn’t born again. It is like saying I have done so much in my life but I still feel like I am searching. He believes that Jesus died on the cross but even then he is still searching. Bono has said that the song is a gospel song with a wondering spirit. I think the part where he says, “I have spoke in tongues of angels” is showing he is good and has gone to churches where this is done, then says, “I have held the hand of the devil” is sin. So he is saying he has done good and bad. I am probably wrong but just my take.
Maybe you aren’t supposed to find what your looking for Finding it can bring a sort of complacency Seeking and searching keeps the fire within lit... The song speaks to the restlessness in our souls, that’s why it resonates with so many
There’s a brilliant version of this song in U2’s film ‘Rattle & Hum’ as a Harlem Gospel Choir sent them a tape of their rendition. U2 were on tour in the US & decided to visit the Church & hear them & sing with them. It’s quite magical…
@@anthonykladitis36 Come to think of it, yes - *Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"* certainly possesses the element of humanistic love, lyrically, but also seems to clearly echo sentiments pertaining to the Lord. A segment of the lyrics goes as such: "Maybe there's a God above, As for me, all I've ever learned from love, Is how to shoot somebody who outdrew you... But it's not a crime that you're here tonight; It's not some pilgrim who claims to have seen the Light No: it's a cold, and it's a very broken Hallelujah..." Furthermore, lyrics elicit a love for a women, while inextricably linked to the theme of God. I believe it is a perfectly adequate song to contain in this new direction. God bless!
@@anthonykladitis36 So awesome, thank you so much for your response. Cannot wait for this new direction to transpire, I think it is absolutely brilliantly relevant and should intrigue many more. God bless you and yours, cannot wait until your next video, my brother.
I really discovered and fell in love with the Joshua Tree in 1987. (although my first exposure was the Unforgettable Fire, which drew me in, but JT completely absorbed all of me, maybe even too much, to the point of it being an idol). But I was 19, I had finished high school not having a clue what I’d go into and my parents divorced that same year, leaving me a sense of both a lack of direction and lack of foundation. I was a walking empty shell. No real friends, no girlfriend, no real home, only a broken home. I didn’t find comfort Religion, but I also didn’t find comfort in completely walking away from religion. But this album dropped, and I found my worship. It was like my entire world described and put to music. The confusion, the angst, the zeal, the fear, the wanting to connect. All of it. It became my own magnum opus. I was Bono on that album. Yes, it and he became an idol. I felt the same questions, I felt the same disappearance of identity, I felt the same meaningless yet grasped to a flicker of hope. (Btw, I discovered Pink Floyd’s “Wish you were here” album the same year, so that one really absorbed me as well, in fact the song wish you were here, would be a great song for you to review) All and all, while I did in fact become overly obsessed with this album and Bono, reflecting on it now 34 years later and at 53, this album was my Guardian angel in a world of despair and depression. It kept my soul from completely turning black. It allowed for anger yet also reached out for salvation. Over the years, and following Bono. I find him.....honest. Yes, he can be irritating but my favorite line from him is “even I’m sick of Bono, and I’m Bono”. Our journey through life has been similar. And I still connect with him over many things he’s said. It took me awhile to find my own identity and transfer my worship to God alone and not U2. But I believe God puts people in other peoples lives at times when they need them, even when they aren’t sure how much they mean to them at the time. U2 was certainly a bridge for a long time over a valley of soul wandering. I’ve reached the other side now, and thank them but really now thank God. I don’t want to be a Bono anymore, I want to follow Jesus Christ. And....I’m alright NOT knowing all the answers...God is at the wheel...I trust He knows where’s he’s leading. Sorry for the ramble. Thanks for allowing it
If you have gone through divorce. Listen to Achtung Baby. The Edge was going through a divorce at the time and it bled deep into the songs on this album. One, So Cruel and Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses are just some.
One more for the road! And it's one of the best "on the road again" songs ever recorded. And yes, it's funny how few people understand that they are singing about a dark night of the soul...
From what I can recall hearing a long time ago,, the inspiration and the perspective from which the song was written was Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus.
We'll guys, if you were gonna do just one more U2 song . . . this would be the one! 👍🏻 Perfect choice. Also, a great idea going forward on the 1 Cor 13 bit. FanTAStic idea, really. Holding up the culture's ideas of love under the light of the Word of the Lord is a faithful move, both for evangelism and edifying the church. Now, then, I will TRY to forgive you for ending the U2 series. Maybe one day I will forgive you. Maybe. 😜
Bono was very religious, but against organized religion…perhaps he meant he still hadn’t found a church to his liking. That’s the way I always took it… Sad this is your last U2 song - there are so many others you could react to! Have a great weekend 👋🏼
Bono wrote these lyrics when he was still a (relatively) young man. I believe he said they were about his existential search for the meaning of life. Yes, he's a believer---"You know I believe it"---but belief doesn't end a human's seeking & yearning. It doesn't mean continual contentment or that one has everything figured out or knows fulfilment. That's why the final verse is *not* something like, "I've finally found what I'm looking for."---but rather the raw honesty of "I still haven't found what I'm looking for." The chorus line is not marginalizing or downgrading his faith but rather a comment on his humanity and that the "then" of heaven ("then all the colors will bleed into one") and the "now" of his seeking-restless-yearning humanity BOTH authentically exist for him. And neither one makes the other less valid. Whether that's because he hasn't yet found his meaning of life...or because we can never fully find what we're looking for (e.g. fulfilment/one's heaven) in this life...or because there will always be more God to know/encounter since we can never encompass God (even in the next life) is left up to listener.
@@anthonykladitis36 Yeah, it's mine. Thank you. Although I don't feel it's anything particularly groundbreaking---I'm just another U2 uber-fan who really likes their music and I suspect many of their fans have a similar interpretation of this song.
great observation that if this was a regular christian rock song it would have ended with "i finally found what I'm looking for", but I feel like you walked away from a really great conversation by not asking "so... why hasn't he found what he's looking for?"
I'd like to hear upcoming on What's Love got to do with a song by The Cure which I love is called Love song(Whenever I'm alone with you). Lyrics I think you'll like very much!
@@anthonykladitis36 Shalom! There is two that I really love, my favorite is Magnet and Steel by Walter Egan, and The Cures Love song (Whenever I'm alone with you)! I have more but can't think of right now. But lyrics are really good on these two! P.S. Thank you for asking! Y'all have a great day!
Also, if you guys are brave enough, please check out Modest Mouse. They are thematically quite a bit different than U2 - who is overtly Christian. However, they're asking a lot of the same questions. I'd be interested in getting a pastor's take on them.
@@anthonykladitis36 @bminturn mentioned them. Modest Mouse is definitely a unique style and sound. This is probably their most popular and most accessible song (I LOVE it) th-cam.com/video/CTAud5O7Qqk/w-d-xo.html
This is probably one of the most misinterpreted songs by U2. When Bono is saying ‘I still haven’t found what I’m looking for’ it’s not in reference to Christianity or Jesus. He even says in the song ‘you broke the bonds, loose the chains, carried the cross, for my shame, you know I believe it’. The question is, what is he looking for? The answer is also contained in the song with the lyric ‘I believe in the kingdom come, when all the colors bleed into one’. He is looking for redemption. Personal redemption and redemption of humanity. Heaven on earth. The song is about striving towards those things.
In the live version is understood that it's clearly about Jesus. In the part he says "you broke the bonds, you loose the chains, carried the cross of my shame", he adds to the song "you took the blame Lord. You know I believe it." Bono spoke of the song that it's a gospel song, they even did a version with The Harlem Church choir called Voices Of Freedom and in this version they added "He will lift you higher and higher. He will pick you up when you fall. He'll be the shelter from the storm". Love this version!!! Bono also said about the song that at the end he left the "But I still Haven't found What I'm looking for" because to meet God, it's not an arrival, but an endless journey". You can read about that on the book Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2"
To meet God, it's not an arrival, but an endless journey ... excellent. Thank you for sharing this !
Bono had said that (and I think this is key to understanding this song)- this is, in a way, an attempt to be honest and raw in existential lament, rather expressing a simple, straightforward lack of fulfillment. When we read Lamentations or Psalms, we realize that that sense of desperation, lament and frustration is not entirely out of place or "faithless," even when expressed quite pointedly.
Now, I don't want to put words in Bono's mouth when it comes to precisely how he reconciles doubt and angst, with faith, but I know as a Christian, I long ago made my peace with this song's **apparent** sense of unfulfillment in the chorus. When I hear it, hum it, or sing it, that line "I still haven't found what I'm looking for," doesn't resonate as shrugging off the weight and profundity of God's condescending to us and entering into our suffering in the incarnation, but rather more of an restless lament of existential ache... a pointed one, to be sure, but one that is tempered and measured by the context of the third verse. It's stressing the "Not Yet" ("I still haven't found what I'm looking for"), after acknowledging the "Already" ("you carried the cross ...").
And so to me, by far the most gripping and vital line in the song is that beleaguered, but still certain declaration: "but yes, I'm still running" (Heb 12:1). Isaiah 42:3 says: "a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench." Amen, and so keep running... keep running.
"To meet God, it's not an arrival, but an endless journey ."
I believe in the kingdom come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
But yes I'm still running
You broke the bonds
And you loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Oh my shame
You know I believe it
Some of the greatest lyrics ever written in my opinion. That is literally a lead singer of a band opening his soul up and putting it into words . Doesn’t get much deeper then that 👌
I agree. The depth of this song and lyrics are amazing.
I think the song was a reflection of how he felt at that time. He and the band we’re believers at that time but I think Adam Clayton wasn’t born again. It is like saying I have done so much in my life but I still feel like I am searching. He believes that Jesus died on the cross but even then he is still searching. Bono has said that the song is a gospel song with a wondering spirit. I think the part where he says, “I have spoke in tongues of angels” is showing he is good and has gone to churches where this is done, then says, “I have held the hand of the devil” is sin. So he is saying he has done good and bad. I am probably wrong but just my take.
Maybe you aren’t supposed to find what your looking for
Finding it can bring a sort of complacency
Seeking and searching keeps the fire within lit...
The song speaks to the restlessness in our souls, that’s why it resonates with so many
Someone above wrote this : To meet God, it's not an arrival, but an endless journey .
There’s a brilliant version of this song in U2’s film ‘Rattle & Hum’ as a Harlem Gospel Choir sent them a tape of their rendition. U2 were on tour in the US & decided to visit the Church & hear them & sing with them. It’s quite magical…
Such a beautiful song, thanks for the U2 trip guys, greatly appreciated.
VERY Welcome. Do you have any love songs for us to review ?
@@anthonykladitis36 Come to think of it, yes - *Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"* certainly possesses the element of humanistic love, lyrically, but also seems to clearly echo sentiments pertaining to the Lord. A segment of the lyrics goes as such: "Maybe there's a God above, As for me, all I've ever learned from love,
Is how to shoot somebody who outdrew you...
But it's not a crime that you're here tonight; It's not some pilgrim who claims to have seen the Light
No: it's a cold, and it's a very broken Hallelujah..."
Furthermore, lyrics elicit a love for a women, while inextricably linked to the theme of God. I believe it is a perfectly adequate song to contain in this new direction. God bless!
@@bodies2magenta ZING! great choice
@@anthonykladitis36 So awesome, thank you so much for your response. Cannot wait for this new direction to transpire, I think it is absolutely brilliantly relevant and should intrigue many more. God bless you and yours, cannot wait until your next video, my brother.
I really discovered and fell in love with the Joshua Tree in 1987. (although my first exposure was the Unforgettable Fire, which drew me in, but JT completely absorbed all of me, maybe even too much, to the point of it being an idol). But I was 19, I had finished high school not having a clue what I’d go into and my parents divorced that same year, leaving me a sense of both a lack of direction and lack of foundation. I was a walking empty shell. No real friends, no girlfriend, no real home, only a broken home. I didn’t find comfort Religion, but I also didn’t find comfort in completely walking away from religion.
But this album dropped, and I found my worship. It was like my entire world described and put to music. The confusion, the angst, the zeal, the fear, the wanting to connect. All of it. It became my own magnum opus. I was Bono on that album. Yes, it and he became an idol. I felt the same questions, I felt the same disappearance of identity, I felt the same meaningless yet grasped to a flicker of hope. (Btw, I discovered Pink Floyd’s “Wish you were here” album the same year, so that one really absorbed me as well, in fact the song wish you were here, would be a great song for you to review)
All and all, while I did in fact become overly obsessed with this album and Bono, reflecting on it now 34 years later and at 53, this album was my Guardian angel in a world of despair and depression. It kept my soul from completely turning black. It allowed for anger yet also reached out for salvation.
Over the years, and following Bono. I find him.....honest. Yes, he can be irritating but my favorite line from him is “even I’m sick of Bono, and I’m Bono”. Our journey through life has been similar. And I still connect with him over many things he’s said. It took me awhile to find my own identity and transfer my worship to God alone and not U2. But I believe God puts people in other peoples lives at times when they need them, even when they aren’t sure how much they mean to them at the time. U2 was certainly a bridge for a long time over a valley of soul wandering. I’ve reached the other side now, and thank them but really now thank God. I don’t want to be a Bono anymore, I want to follow Jesus Christ. And....I’m alright NOT knowing all the answers...God is at the wheel...I trust He knows where’s he’s leading.
Sorry for the ramble. Thanks for allowing it
That line about Bono is hilarious and I can only imagine how his mates feel about him sometime !
If you have gone through divorce. Listen to Achtung Baby. The Edge was going through a divorce at the time and it bled deep into the songs on this album. One, So Cruel and Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses are just some.
@@nianfiedler5291 I watched him play love is blindness on acoustic and felt the world stand still
The rattle and hum movie version done with U2 and a Harlem choir is spectacular and obviously has the original gospel song vibe....
I will check that one out . thanks!
Sounds good! Can't wait to see new things coming! Even though U2 is my favorite group, I still love a variety of good music with meaning!
Thank you. Any suggested love songs?
One more for the road! And it's one of the best "on the road again" songs ever recorded. And yes, it's funny how few people understand that they are singing about a dark night of the soul...
Are you familiar with the dark night of the soul? St. John of the Cross
@@anthonykladitis36 Yes. I was an avid reader of the mystics when I was younger.
From what I can recall hearing a long time ago,, the inspiration and the perspective from which the song was written was Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus.
I read an article once making the case that this is the second most popular “hymn” in the secular world after Amazing Grace.
I notice that many christian tunes have a very similar sound !
We'll guys, if you were gonna do just one more U2 song . . . this would be the one! 👍🏻 Perfect choice. Also, a great idea going forward on the
1 Cor 13 bit. FanTAStic idea, really. Holding up the culture's ideas of love under the light of the Word of the Lord is a faithful move, both for evangelism and edifying the church.
Now, then, I will TRY to forgive you for ending the U2 series. Maybe one day I will forgive you. Maybe. 😜
Thank you ! Any love songs for us to review ?
Still haven’t found what I’m looking for = we’re not actually of this earth and haven’t “found what we’re looking for” until heaven.
Nice insights... we say "already but not yet"
Bono was very religious, but against organized religion…perhaps he meant he still hadn’t found a church to his liking. That’s the way I always took it… Sad this is your last U2 song - there are so many others you could react to! Have a great weekend 👋🏼
Yes that is true. The song Acrobat has the line yeah I'd break bread and wine if there was a church I could receive in.
Well I have a church he might enjoy :)
@@anthonykladitis36 I can see that…if he wasn’t overseas, lol.
@@whotrek Same. Acrobat was one of the songs that hit me hard at the time, and that line in particular rang true to me
@@MBeano Same here. It's a great song.
I hope U2 will do a sing about Exodus 21:20-21 soon
why?
Bono wrote these lyrics when he was still a (relatively) young man. I believe he said they were about his existential search for the meaning of life.
Yes, he's a believer---"You know I believe it"---but belief doesn't end a human's seeking & yearning. It doesn't mean continual contentment or that one has everything figured out or knows fulfilment. That's why the final verse is *not* something like, "I've finally found what I'm looking for."---but rather the raw honesty of "I still haven't found what I'm looking for."
The chorus line is not marginalizing or downgrading his faith but rather a comment on his humanity and that the "then" of heaven ("then all the colors will bleed into one") and the "now" of his seeking-restless-yearning humanity BOTH authentically exist for him. And neither one makes the other less valid. Whether that's because he hasn't yet found his meaning of life...or because we can never fully find what we're looking for (e.g. fulfilment/one's heaven) in this life...or because there will always be more God to know/encounter since we can never encompass God (even in the next life) is left up to listener.
That is a pretty cool synopsis. Is that your own ?
@@anthonykladitis36 Yeah, it's mine. Thank you. Although I don't feel it's anything particularly groundbreaking---I'm just another U2 uber-fan who really likes their music and I suspect many of their fans have a similar interpretation of this song.
great observation that if this was a regular christian rock song it would have ended with "i finally found what I'm looking for", but I feel like you walked away from a really great conversation by not asking "so... why hasn't he found what he's looking for?"
bingo
The last verse is one of the best ever written, and that’s from a doubting Thomas.
Incredible how Bono put this song together at his age...
@@anthonykladitis36 absolutely, to be so insightful so young.
i Agree with Seth here. Not my favorite U2 song, It was number one for like 8 weeks in the US. But as always, U2's best are the deep cuts.
I'd like to hear upcoming on What's Love got to do with a song by The Cure which I love is called Love song(Whenever I'm alone with you). Lyrics I think you'll like very much!
We will take that song in consideration ! Thank you !
@@anthonykladitis36 Shalom! There is two that I really love, my favorite is Magnet and Steel by Walter Egan, and The Cures Love song (Whenever I'm alone with you)! I have more but can't think of right now. But lyrics are really good on these two!
P.S. Thank you for asking! Y'all have a great day!
In regards to love songs, Blood of Eden by Peter Gabriel could be an interesting choice.
For your love series, may I suggest The Beatles “Something”
Yes you may !
Also, if you guys are brave enough, please check out Modest Mouse. They are thematically quite a bit different than U2 - who is overtly Christian. However, they're asking a lot of the same questions. I'd be interested in getting a pastor's take on them.
Ive liked Modest Mouse for some time, but never paid much attention to their lyrics. Im gonna have to take a look back now
@@MBeano I have never heard of this band, I will look into them. thank you !
@@anthonykladitis36 @bminturn mentioned them. Modest Mouse is definitely a unique style and sound. This is probably their most popular and most accessible song (I LOVE it)
th-cam.com/video/CTAud5O7Qqk/w-d-xo.html
Everything from the beats, to the effects and guitar style always feel like its under water and backward.
@@MBeano ha that's a good point. Might not be as "radio" friendly, so to speak.
It is a song about faith and doubt, you know, faith needs doubt, otherwise...
U2 songs are very rarely about one singular thing there is always connections
This is probably one of the most misinterpreted songs by U2. When Bono is saying ‘I still haven’t found what I’m looking for’ it’s not in reference to Christianity or Jesus. He even says in the song ‘you broke the bonds, loose the chains, carried the cross, for my shame, you know I believe it’. The question is, what is he looking for? The answer is also contained in the song with the lyric ‘I believe in the kingdom come, when all the colors bleed into one’. He is looking for redemption. Personal redemption and redemption of humanity. Heaven on earth. The song is about striving towards those things.