You broke the bonds and You loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Took my shame
Took the blame
You know I believe it
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
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What's this song mean?
Good question. U2 has traditionally described it as a gospel song, and it's often the "spiritual centerpiece" of many of their live shows.
you'd expect a Christian like Bono to write as the last line "And I've finally found what I'm looking for.
I think that would depend on the question. I think that U2 has always played this song as more of a longing, a yearning, for something deeper. Some have called it a longing for heaven in a "to die is gain" sort of way, or a longing for a deeper intimacy with God.
Is he saying that the cross wasn't enough for him?
Based on what I know of him, I'd say that's definitely not what he's saying. Again, I think it goes back to the question being asked. If someone queried, "Bono, is the cross enough for you?" I doubt he'd respond, "To tell you the truth, I still haven't found what I'm looking for."
Now if the question is, "Bono, have you found heaven on earth?" He certainly might respond with, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for."
I think the song has a Psalms-esque longing, questioning, yearning to it, while acknowledging God's truth and confirming that he believes in the truth.
Hey Bird,
What's this song mean?
I confess that I don't know all the words, but just reading that quote you have here, you'd expect a Christian like Bono to write as the last line "And I've finally found what I'm looking for."
Is he saying that the cross wasn't enough for him? Or is he singing from the point of view of a non-believing seeker who saw the cross, thought it was foolishness and kept on looking...?
Or is there a third possibility that I'm just missing.
(And believe me, I understand, as many Christian reviewers of secular music don't seem to, that just because a song is in the first person doesn't mean that's what the singer thinks. For example, I know that when Metallica sings, "I'm trapped under Ice" that it's not a true story. :-)
Fiction books are written in the first person. Many songs are too.