I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Encyclopedia
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is a song by rock
band U2
. It is the second track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree
and was released as the album's second single
in May 1987. The song was a hit, becoming the band's second consecutive number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100
after "With or Without You
", while peaking at number six on the UK Singles Chart
.
Like much of The Joshua Tree, the song was inspired by the group's interest in American music
. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" exhibits influences from gospel music
and its lyrics describe spiritual yearning. Lead vocalist Bono
's vocals are in high register and guitarist The Edge
plays a chiming arpeggio
. The song originated from a demo
the group used to develop a unique drum pattern played by drummer Larry Mullen, Jr.
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" was well-received by critics. It has subsequently become one of the group's most well-known songs and has been performed on many of their concert tours. The track has appeared on several of their compilations and concert film
s.
variously titled "The Weather Girls" and "Under the Weather" that the band recorded in a jam session
. Bassist Adam Clayton
called the demo's melody "a bit of a one-note groove", while an unconvinced The Edge
, the band's guitarist, compared it to "'Eye of the Tiger
' played by a reggae
band". However, the band liked the drum part played by drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. Co-producer
Daniel Lanois
said, "It was a very original beat from Larry. We always look for those beats that would qualify as a signature for the song. And that certainly was one of those. It had this tom-tom
thing that he does and nobody ever understands. And we just didn't want to let go of that beat, it was so unique." Lanois encouraged Mullen to continue developing the weird drum pattern beyond the demo. Mullen said the beat became even more unusual, and although Lanois eventually mix
ed most of the pattern out to just keep the basics, the rhythm became the root of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".
The group worked on the track at the studio they had set up at Danesmoate House in Dublin. Lanois compared the creation of the song to constructing a building, first laying down the drums as the foundation, then adding additional layers piece by piece, before finally "putting in furniture". Lead vocalist Bono
was interested in the theme of spiritual doubt, which was fostered by Eno's love for gospel music
, and by Bono's listening to songs by The Swan Silvertones, The Staple Singers
, and Blind Willie Johnson
. After The Edge wrote a chord sequence and played it on acoustic guitar "with a lot of power in the strumming", the group attempted to compose a suitable vocal melody, trying out a variety of ideas. During a jam session, Bono began singing a "classic soul" melody, and it was this addition that made The Edge hear the song's potential. At that point, he remembered a phrase he had written in a notebook that morning as a possible song title, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for". He suggests it was influenced by a line from the Bob Dylan
song "Idiot Wind
": "You'll find out when you reach the top you're on the bottom". He wrote the phrase on a piece of paper and handed it to Bono while he was singing. The Edge called the phrase's fit with the song "like hand in glove". It became the song's refrain and title. From that point on, the song was the first piece played to visitors during the recording sessions.
As recording continued, a number of guitar overdubs were added, including an auto-pan effect and a chiming arpeggio
to modernise the old-style "gospel song". While The Edge was improvising guitar parts one day, Bono spotted a "chrome bells" guitar hook that he liked. It was added as a counter-melody
to the song's "muddy shoes" guitar part, and it is this hook that The Edge plays during live performances of the song. Bono sang in the upper register of his range to add to the feeling of spiritual yearning; in the verses he hits a B-flat note, and an A-flat in the chorus. Background vocals were provided by The Edge, Lanois, and co-producer Brian Eno
, their voices being multi-tracked
. Lanois suggests that his and Eno's involvement in the track's creation aided in their background vocals. He stated, "You're not going to get that sound of, 'Oh they brought in some soul singers' if you know what I mean. Our hearts and souls are already there. If we sing it'll sound more real." The song's writing was completed relatively early during the band's time at Danesmoate House. The mix was worked on for a while, though, with most of the production team contributing. The final mix was completed by Lanois and The Edge in a home studio set up at Melbeach, a house purchased by The Edge. They mixed it on top of a previous Steve Lillywhite
mix, which gave the song a phasing
sound.
Lanois says he is very attached to "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and has, on occasion, joined U2 on stage to perform it. The original "Weather Girls" demo, re-titled "Desert of Our Love", was included with the 2007 remastered version of The Joshua Tree on a bonus disc of outtakes and B-sides.
" was planned for release as the second single. However, Bono was unable to sing the song during pre-tour rehearsals and the band were reportedly unhappy with the video shot by Neil Jordan
, so "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" became a late choice for the second single. The single was released in May 1987. On the US Billboard Hot 100
, the song debuted at number 51 on 13 June 1987. After nearly 2 months on the chart, the song reached number one on 8 August 1987, becoming the band's second consecutive number-one hit in the United States. The song spent two weeks in the top spot, and remained on the chart for 17 weeks. On other Billboard charts
, the song peaked at number 16 on the Adult Contemporary
chart, and number two on the Album Rock Tracks chart. The song also topped the Irish Singles Chart
, while peaking at number six on the on the Canadian RPM Top 100
and the UK Singles Chart
. In New Zealand, the song peaked at number two on the RIANZ Top 40 Singles Chart
, while reaching number six on the Dutch Top 40
and number 11 on the Swedish Singles Chart.
for the song was filmed on Fremont Street
in Las Vegas
on 12 April 1987 following their Joshua Tree Tour
concert in that city. It features the band members wandering around while The Edge played an acoustic guitar. The music video was later re-released on the U218 Videos
compilation DVD. Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas' official event organization, credits the group's video with improving the city's image among musicians. "The whole perception of Vegas changed with that video," Christenson said, adding, "Now all the big names come here, some of them five, six times a year."
"Deep in the Heart" stemmed from a three-chord piano piece Bono composed on the piano about the last time he had been in the family home on Cedarwood Road in Dublin, which his father had just sold. The memories of his time living there gave rise to many of the lyrical ideas on the song. The Edge and Adam Clayton reworked the piece extensively, with Bono later describing the finished result as "an almost jazz-like improvisation on three chords", also noting that "the rhythm section turned it into a very special piece of music." The song was recorded in a similar manner to the song "4th of July" from U2's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire
; The Edge and Clayton were playing together in a room and unaware that they were being recorded on a 4-track cassette machine by the band's assistant, Marc Coleman.
vetoed the plan saying that a second single would look like a money grab. Bell subsequently formed his own label and found a distributor for the song. While in Glasgow in late July 1987 during The Joshua Tree Tour, Rob Partridge of Island Records played the demo that Bell and his choir, The New Voices of Freedom, had made. In late September, U2 rehearsed with Bell's choir in Greater Calvary Baptist Church in Harlem for a performance together in a few days at U2's Madison Square Garden
concert. The Edge's guitar was the only instrument that U2 brought to the church although Mullen borrowed a conga drum. The rehearsal was done with the church's audio system and footage was used in the Rattle and Hum
motion picture. Several performances were made with a piano player; however, the version used in the film includes only Bono, The Edge, Mullen, and the choir. Audio from the Madison Square Garden performance appears on the accompanying album.
A live performance of the song appears in the concert films PopMart: Live from Mexico City
, Vertigo 05: Live from Milan, Live from Paris and the most recent U2 360° at the Rose Bowl
. The versions on the Mexico City and Milan concert films comprise of just Bono's voice and The Edge's guitar until after the first chorus where the drum and bass parts kick in. Digital live versions were released through iTunes
on the Love: Live from the Point Depot
and U2.COMmunication
albums.
journalist Bill Graham described the song as on the one-hand as a "smart job of pop handwork, pretty standard American radio rock-ballad fare" but that "the band's rhythms are far more supple and cultivated than your average bouffant HM band of that period". The Sunday Independent
suggested that the song was proof the band could be commercially accessible, yet not resort to rock clichés. NME
remarked that the song showed that the band cared about something, which made them "special". The Rocket
noted that Bono's lyrics about needing personal spirituality resulted in a "unique marriage of American gospel and Gaelic soul" and that the "human perspective he brings to this sentiment rings far truer than the rantings of, say, the born-again Bob Dylan
". Several publications, including The Bergen Record and The Boston Globe
, called the track "hypnotic" and interpreted it as depicting the band on a spiritual quest. The song finished in 18th place on the "Best Singles" list from The Village Voice
s 1987 Pazz & Jop
critics' poll.
"—a project intended to "promote a better understanding of America's musical and cultural heritage"—despite the group's Irish origins. In 2003, a special edition issue of Q
, titled "1001 Best Songs Ever", placed "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" at number 148 on its list of the greatest songs. In 2005, Blender
ranked the song at number 443 on its list of the "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". In 2010, Rolling Stone
magazine placed the song at number 93 of its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
". Los Angeles Times
critic Robert Hilburn called it U2's "Let It Be
", in reference to The Beatles
song. The staff of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
selected "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" as one of 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" appeared in the 1999 film
Runaway Bride
, and it is also heard several times in the 1994 film
Blown Away
. It was also used as the background song in the 1987 edition of the BBC
Rock 'n' Roll Years
during the clip of the 1987 general election
.
The song has been covered by heavy metal
band Disturbed on their fifth studio album, Asylum
, under the acronym "Ishfwilf". It was also covered by Cher
as the opening song on every tour she has done since the "Love Hurts Tour" and still plans to use the song as the opening for her World Tour 2012.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
. It is the second track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree
The Joshua Tree
The Joshua Tree is the fifth studio album by rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 9 March 1987 on Island Records. In contrast to the ambient experimentation of their 1984 release The Unforgettable Fire, U2 aimed for a harder-hitting sound on The Joshua...
and was released as the album's second single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in May 1987. The song was a hit, becoming the band's second consecutive number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
after "With or Without You
With or Without You
"With or Without You" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track from their 1987 album, The Joshua Tree, and was released as the album's first single on 21 March 1987...
", while peaking at number six on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Like much of The Joshua Tree, the song was inspired by the group's interest in American music
American popular music
American popular music had a profound effect on music across the world. The country has seen the rise of popular styles that have had a significant influence on global culture, including ragtime, blues, jazz, swing, rock, R&B, doo wop, gospel, soul, funk, heavy metal, punk, disco, house, techno,...
. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" exhibits influences from gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
and its lyrics describe spiritual yearning. Lead vocalist Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
's vocals are in high register and guitarist The Edge
The Edge
David Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
plays a chiming arpeggio
Arpeggio
An arpeggio is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously...
. The song originated from a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
the group used to develop a unique drum pattern played by drummer Larry Mullen, Jr.
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" was well-received by critics. It has subsequently become one of the group's most well-known songs and has been performed on many of their concert tours. The track has appeared on several of their compilations and concert film
Concert film
A concert movie, or concert film, is a type of documentary film, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by a musician ....
s.
Writing and recording
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" originated from a demoDemo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
variously titled "The Weather Girls" and "Under the Weather" that the band recorded in a jam session
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
. Bassist Adam Clayton
Adam Clayton
Adam Charles Clayton is a musician, best known as the bassist of the Irish rock band U2. Clayton has resided in County Dublin since the time his family moved to Malahide when he was five years old in 1965...
called the demo's melody "a bit of a one-note groove", while an unconvinced The Edge
The Edge
David Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
, the band's guitarist, compared it to "'Eye of the Tiger
Eye of the Tiger
"Eye of the Tiger" is a single by American rock band Survivor, from their third album Eye of the Tiger. It was released as a single on May 29, 1982, the same year as the album. It was written at the request of actor Sylvester Stallone, who was unable to get permission for Queen's "Another One Bites...
' played by a reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
band". However, the band liked the drum part played by drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. Co-producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has released a number of albums of his own work and has produced albums for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Willie...
said, "It was a very original beat from Larry. We always look for those beats that would qualify as a signature for the song. And that certainly was one of those. It had this tom-tom
Tom-tom drum
A tom-tom drum is a cylindrical drum with no snare.Although "tom-tom" is the British term for a child's toy drum, the name came originally from the Anglo-Indian and Sinhala; the tom-tom itself comes from Asian or Native American cultures...
thing that he does and nobody ever understands. And we just didn't want to let go of that beat, it was so unique." Lanois encouraged Mullen to continue developing the weird drum pattern beyond the demo. Mullen said the beat became even more unusual, and although Lanois eventually mix
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
ed most of the pattern out to just keep the basics, the rhythm became the root of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".
The group worked on the track at the studio they had set up at Danesmoate House in Dublin. Lanois compared the creation of the song to constructing a building, first laying down the drums as the foundation, then adding additional layers piece by piece, before finally "putting in furniture". Lead vocalist Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
was interested in the theme of spiritual doubt, which was fostered by Eno's love for gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, and by Bono's listening to songs by The Swan Silvertones, The Staple Singers
The Staple Singers
The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples , the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha , Pervis , Yvonne , and Mavis...
, and Blind Willie Johnson
Blind Willie Johnson
"Blind" Willie Johnson was an American singer and guitarist, whose music straddled the border between blues and spirituals....
. After The Edge wrote a chord sequence and played it on acoustic guitar "with a lot of power in the strumming", the group attempted to compose a suitable vocal melody, trying out a variety of ideas. During a jam session, Bono began singing a "classic soul" melody, and it was this addition that made The Edge hear the song's potential. At that point, he remembered a phrase he had written in a notebook that morning as a possible song title, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for". He suggests it was influenced by a line from the Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
song "Idiot Wind
Idiot Wind
"Idiot Wind" is a song by Bob Dylan. It appeared on his album Blood on the Tracks.The song was likely to have been written in the summer of 1974, after his comeback tour with The Band that year. Working on a suggestion from his brother, Dylan re-recorded half the songs on Blood on the Tracks,...
": "You'll find out when you reach the top you're on the bottom". He wrote the phrase on a piece of paper and handed it to Bono while he was singing. The Edge called the phrase's fit with the song "like hand in glove". It became the song's refrain and title. From that point on, the song was the first piece played to visitors during the recording sessions.
As recording continued, a number of guitar overdubs were added, including an auto-pan effect and a chiming arpeggio
Arpeggio
An arpeggio is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously...
to modernise the old-style "gospel song". While The Edge was improvising guitar parts one day, Bono spotted a "chrome bells" guitar hook that he liked. It was added as a counter-melody
Counter-melody
In music, counter-melody is a sequence of notes, perceived as a melody, written to be played simultaneously with a more prominent lead melody. Typically a counter-melody performs a subordinate role, and is heard in a texture consisting of a melody plus accompaniment...
to the song's "muddy shoes" guitar part, and it is this hook that The Edge plays during live performances of the song. Bono sang in the upper register of his range to add to the feeling of spiritual yearning; in the verses he hits a B-flat note, and an A-flat in the chorus. Background vocals were provided by The Edge, Lanois, and co-producer Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
, their voices being multi-tracked
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
. Lanois suggests that his and Eno's involvement in the track's creation aided in their background vocals. He stated, "You're not going to get that sound of, 'Oh they brought in some soul singers' if you know what I mean. Our hearts and souls are already there. If we sing it'll sound more real." The song's writing was completed relatively early during the band's time at Danesmoate House. The mix was worked on for a while, though, with most of the production team contributing. The final mix was completed by Lanois and The Edge in a home studio set up at Melbeach, a house purchased by The Edge. They mixed it on top of a previous Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel,...
mix, which gave the song a phasing
Phasing
In the compositional technique phasing, the same part is played on two musical instruments, in steady but not identical tempo...
sound.
Lanois says he is very attached to "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and has, on occasion, joined U2 on stage to perform it. The original "Weather Girls" demo, re-titled "Desert of Our Love", was included with the 2007 remastered version of The Joshua Tree on a bonus disc of outtakes and B-sides.
Release
Initially, "Red Hill Mining TownRed Hill Mining Town
"Red Hill Mining Town" is a song by the rock band U2. It is the sixth track from their 1987 album, The Joshua Tree.-Background and recording:...
" was planned for release as the second single. However, Bono was unable to sing the song during pre-tour rehearsals and the band were reportedly unhappy with the video shot by Neil Jordan
Neil Jordan
Neil Patrick Jordan is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game.- Early life :...
, so "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" became a late choice for the second single. The single was released in May 1987. On the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, the song debuted at number 51 on 13 June 1987. After nearly 2 months on the chart, the song reached number one on 8 August 1987, becoming the band's second consecutive number-one hit in the United States. The song spent two weeks in the top spot, and remained on the chart for 17 weeks. On other Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
, the song peaked at number 16 on the Adult Contemporary
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chart, and number two on the Album Rock Tracks chart. The song also topped the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
, while peaking at number six on the on the Canadian RPM Top 100
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
and the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. In New Zealand, the song peaked at number two on the RIANZ Top 40 Singles Chart
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
, while reaching number six on the Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
and number 11 on the Swedish Singles Chart.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was filmed on Fremont Street
Fremont Street
Fremont Street is a street in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is the second most famous street in the Las Vegas metropolitan area after the Las Vegas Strip...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
on 12 April 1987 following their Joshua Tree Tour
Joshua Tree Tour
The Joshua Tree Tour was a concert tour by the Irish rock band U2, which took place during 1987, in support of their album The Joshua Tree. The tour was depicted by the video and live album Live from Paris.-Itinerary:...
concert in that city. It features the band members wandering around while The Edge played an acoustic guitar. The music video was later re-released on the U218 Videos
U218 Videos
U218 Videos is a music video compilation DVD by U2 from 2006, released the same day as its compilation album, U218 Singles. The compilation features their most popular videos from "New Year's Day" in 1983 to "The Saints Are Coming" in 2006...
compilation DVD. Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas' official event organization, credits the group's video with improving the city's image among musicians. "The whole perception of Vegas changed with that video," Christenson said, adding, "Now all the big names come here, some of them five, six times a year."
B-sides
"Spanish Eyes" was created early during The Joshua Tree sessions. It began as a recording made in Adam Clayton's house of Clayton, The Edge, and Larry Mullen Jr. playing around with several different elements. The piece evolved substantially over the course of an afternoon, but the casette and its recording was subsequently lost and forgotten. The Edge found the cassette towards the end of the album sessions and played it to the rest of the group. The band realised that it was a good track, but did not have enough time to complete it prior to The Joshua Trees release."Deep in the Heart" stemmed from a three-chord piano piece Bono composed on the piano about the last time he had been in the family home on Cedarwood Road in Dublin, which his father had just sold. The memories of his time living there gave rise to many of the lyrical ideas on the song. The Edge and Adam Clayton reworked the piece extensively, with Bono later describing the finished result as "an almost jazz-like improvisation on three chords", also noting that "the rhythm section turned it into a very special piece of music." The song was recorded in a similar manner to the song "4th of July" from U2's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire
The Unforgettable Fire
U2 feared that following the overt rock of their 1983 War album and War Tour, they were in danger of becoming another "shrill", "sloganeering arena-rock band". The success of the 1983 Under a Blood Red Sky live album and the Live at Red Rocks video, however, had given them artistic—and for the...
; The Edge and Clayton were playing together in a room and unaware that they were being recorded on a 4-track cassette machine by the band's assistant, Marc Coleman.
Live performances
Island Records commissioned New York choir director, Dennis Bell, to record a gospel version of the song, and Island intended to release it after U2's single. However, Island boss Chris BlackwellChris Blackwell
Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years...
vetoed the plan saying that a second single would look like a money grab. Bell subsequently formed his own label and found a distributor for the song. While in Glasgow in late July 1987 during The Joshua Tree Tour, Rob Partridge of Island Records played the demo that Bell and his choir, The New Voices of Freedom, had made. In late September, U2 rehearsed with Bell's choir in Greater Calvary Baptist Church in Harlem for a performance together in a few days at U2's Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
concert. The Edge's guitar was the only instrument that U2 brought to the church although Mullen borrowed a conga drum. The rehearsal was done with the church's audio system and footage was used in the Rattle and Hum
Rattle and Hum
Rattle and Hum is the sixth studio album by rock band U2 and companion rockumentary directed by Phil Joanou, both released in 1988. The film and the album feature live recordings, covers, and new songs...
motion picture. Several performances were made with a piano player; however, the version used in the film includes only Bono, The Edge, Mullen, and the choir. Audio from the Madison Square Garden performance appears on the accompanying album.
A live performance of the song appears in the concert films PopMart: Live from Mexico City
PopMart: Live from Mexico City
Selections from the Mexico City concert were released on the live album Hasta la Vista Baby! U2 Live from Mexico City. The album was and released exclusively to members of U2's fan club magazine, Propaganda, in 2000. It features 14 songs from the band's 25-song performance.-Track listing:...
, Vertigo 05: Live from Milan, Live from Paris and the most recent U2 360° at the Rose Bowl
U2 360° at the Rose Bowl
U2 360° at the Rose Bowl is a 2010 concert film by Irish rock band U2. It was shot on 25 October 2009 on the band's U2 360° Tour date at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Rose Bowl concert featured an audience of over 97,000 people, and was broadcast live over the Internet via YouTube...
. The versions on the Mexico City and Milan concert films comprise of just Bono's voice and The Edge's guitar until after the first chorus where the drum and bass parts kick in. Digital live versions were released through iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on the Love: Live from the Point Depot
Live from the Point Depot
Love: Live from the Point Depot is a digital live album by U2 released through the iTunes Music Store on November 23, 2004 as part of the digital box set, "The Complete U2." The show was recorded during U2's Lovetown Tour on New Year's Eve 1989 at the Point Depot in Dublin...
and U2.COMmunication
U2.Communication
U2.COMmunication is a live album recorded by U2 and released exclusively to members of its official website in 2005. The album features performances from two different concerts from the Vertigo Tour—a concert in Chicago, filmed for the Vertigo: Live from Chicago video, and a concert in Milan...
albums.
Reception
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" received praise from many critics. Hot PressHot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
journalist Bill Graham described the song as on the one-hand as a "smart job of pop handwork, pretty standard American radio rock-ballad fare" but that "the band's rhythms are far more supple and cultivated than your average bouffant HM band of that period". The Sunday Independent
Sunday Independent
The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...
suggested that the song was proof the band could be commercially accessible, yet not resort to rock clichés. NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
remarked that the song showed that the band cared about something, which made them "special". The Rocket
The Rocket (newspaper)
The Rocket was a free biweekly newspaper serving the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, published from 1979–2000. The newspaper's chief purpose was to document local music. This focus distinguished it from other area weeklies such as the Seattle Weekly and the Willamette Week, which...
noted that Bono's lyrics about needing personal spirituality resulted in a "unique marriage of American gospel and Gaelic soul" and that the "human perspective he brings to this sentiment rings far truer than the rantings of, say, the born-again Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
". Several publications, including The Bergen Record and The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, called the track "hypnotic" and interpreted it as depicting the band on a spiritual quest. The song finished in 18th place on the "Best Singles" list from The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
s 1987 Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
critics' poll.
Legacy
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" has been acclaimed by many critics and publications as one of the greatest songs of all-time. In 2001, the song was ranked at number 120 on the RIAA's list of 365 "Songs of the CenturySongs of the Century
The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
"—a project intended to "promote a better understanding of America's musical and cultural heritage"—despite the group's Irish origins. In 2003, a special edition issue of Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
, titled "1001 Best Songs Ever", placed "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" at number 148 on its list of the greatest songs. In 2005, Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
ranked the song at number 443 on its list of the "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". In 2010, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine placed the song at number 93 of its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
". Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
critic Robert Hilburn called it U2's "Let It Be
Let It Be (song)
"Let It Be" is a song by The Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band...
", in reference to The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
song. The staff of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
selected "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" as one of 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" appeared in the 1999 film
1999 in film
The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
Runaway Bride
Runaway Bride (1999 film)
Runaway Bride is a 1999 American romantic comedy film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere and directed by Garry Marshall. The screenplay was written by Josann McGibbon, Audrey Wells and Sara Parriott.-Plot:...
, and it is also heard several times in the 1994 film
1994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
Blown Away
Blown Away (1994 film)
Blown Away is a 1994 action film starring Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones. It was directed by Stephen Hopkins.-Plot:Ryan Gaerity , an Irish terrorist, escapes from his cell in a castle prison in Northern Ireland....
. It was also used as the background song in the 1987 edition of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Rock 'n' Roll Years
The Rock 'n' Roll Years
The Rock 'n' Roll Years was a BBC television programme aired between 1985 and 1994. In a half-hour time slot the programme focused on a different year each week, starting with the year 1956 and ending with 1989....
during the clip of the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
.
The song has been covered by heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Disturbed on their fifth studio album, Asylum
Asylum (Disturbed album)
Asylum is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. Taking inspiration from aspects of lead singer David Draiman's life, Asylum is meant to take a fresh direction in the band's music career, while remaining consistent with the band's previous albums. The album was released on...
, under the acronym "Ishfwilf". It was also covered by Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
as the opening song on every tour she has done since the "Love Hurts Tour" and still plans to use the song as the opening for her World Tour 2012.
Track listing
Charts
| Chart (1987) | Position | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 10 | |
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Singles Chart |
6 | Gold |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
6 | |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
37 | |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 | |
| New Zealand RIANZ Top 40 Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
2 | |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 11 | |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
6 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 | |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
16 | |
| US Billboard Album Rock Tracks | 2 |
See also
- List of covers of U2 songs - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
External links
- "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" on U2.com
- Lyrics on U2.com