“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2

The Joshua Tree
Island Records
1987

This is a song about our search for God’s Kingdom on earth. The narrator claims to have traveled vast distances and sought out spiritual experiences, and is now crying out to God to reveal the kingdom on earth. The world must be redeemed—the narrator knows that—it is his steadfast expectation of God kingdom breaking through that causes him to look so avidly for its coming.

I have climbed the highest mountains

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

Only to be with you

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

I believe in the Kingdom Come

That all the colors will bleed into one

But yes I'm still running

You broke the bonds

You loosed the chains

You carried the cross

And my shame

You know I believe it

But I still haven't found

What I'm looking for

Interpretation

I have climbed the highest mountains

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

Only to be with you

The narrator describes his journey to be with God through natural barriers (mountains and fields) as well as physical ones (city walls). He has desperately searched for evidence of God’s kingdom breaking into our world with the redemption that accompanies it.

But I still haven't found

What I'm looking for

He went searching for God’s kingdom on earth and has not found it. The narrator knows Jesus established the kingdom during his lifetime but he is looking for the changes to be more physically apparent. He yearns to see the fully consummated kingdom but it has not yet become visible to him.

I have kissed honey lips

Felt the healing in her fingertips

It burned like fire

This burning desire

As with most U2 songs, God and especially God’s Spirit are referred to in the feminine gender. The narrator describes an intimate relationship with God and how that started the fire in him to see the kingdom on earth. Because he has experienced this transformational touch of God, the narrator wants the whole world to feel it too.

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

The narrator reflects on times when he has represented God’s coming kingdom appropriately. Sometimes he spoke the truth like a prophet (“with the tongue of angels”). At other times he failed as an emissary, behaving as if he held “the hand of the devil”. When he represented God’s kingdom well it was if he were sleeping contentedly (“warm in the night”). On the contrary when he failed he slept miserably (“cold as a stone”).

But I still haven't found

What I'm looking for

I believe in the Kingdom Come

That all the colors will bleed into one

But yes I'm still running

This is a very clear statement that leaves no doubt as to the meaning of the song. The narrator puts his hope in the coming kingdom of God when we will all be united under Jesus’ Lordship. However, since that has not happened yet, the narrator is still “running”.

You broke the bonds

You loosed the chains

You carried the cross

And my shame

You know I believe it

This is another very clear stanza. The narrator confesses his faith in God. He uses imagery of liberation from oppression (“bonds”), imprisonment (“chains”), sin (“cross”), and guilt (“shame”).

But I still haven't found

What I'm looking for

Even though he has experienced personal liberation from God the narrator longs to see the complete transformation of the created order. This is what he is looking for. He believes he will one day find it though he is growing impatient.