The lyrics describe a man searching for God in a post-Apocalyptic world. U2 had never performed it live in concert until a television special entitled I Walk the Line: A Night for Johnny Cash, following Cash's death in 2003.
Wanderer
U2 Lyrics
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Through streets paved with gold
Lifted some stones
Saw the skin and bones
Of a city without a soul
I went out walking
Under an atomic sky
Where the ground won't turn
Like the tears when I said goodbye
Yeah I went with nothing
Nothing but the thought of you
I went wandering
I went drifting
Through the capitals of tin
Where men can't walk
Or freely talk
And sons turn their fathers in
I stopped outside a church house
Where the citizens like to sit
They say they want the kingdom
But they don't want God in it
I went out riding
Down that old eight lane
I passed by a thousand signs
Looking for my own name
I went with nothing
But the thought you'd be there too
Looking for you
I went out there
In search of experience
To taste and to touch
And to feel as much
As a man can
Before he repents
I went out searching
Looking for one good man
A spirit who would not bend or break
Who would sit at his father's right hand
I went out walking
With a bible and a gun
The word of God lay heavy on my heart
I was sure I was the one
Now Jesus, don't you wait up
Jesus, I'll be home soon
Yeah I went out for the papers
Told her I'd be back by noon
Yeah I left with nothing
But the thought you'd be there too
Looking for you
Yeah I left with nothing
Nothing but the thought of you
I went wandering
Oh ho
The song "The Wanderer" by U2 featuring Johnny Cash tells the story of a man who ventures out into the world in search of something he cannot seem to find. He walks through streets paved with gold, but all he finds are the remnants of a city without a soul. He goes to different places, drifting through the capitals of tin where people cannot speak or even walk freely. He stops outside a church house, where people say they want a kingdom but not God. He even goes out riding down an old eight-lane, passing by a thousand signs as he tries to find his own name. He is searching for a good man, one who would not break or bend, one who would sit at his father's right hand.
The wanderer goes out with nothing but the thought of the person he is looking for. He has a bible and a gun, and the word of God lay heavy on his heart. He thinks he is the one--that Jesus wants him to find this person--but he also tells Jesus not to wait up for him, because he'll be home soon. The wanderer admits that he left with nothing but the thought of the person he is looking for, yet he continues wandering.
The song raises questions about the meaning of life, about what people are looking for, and about whether what people want is actually what they need. It suggests that people are searching for spiritual sustenance and a sense of purpose that may be difficult to find in a world that often seems empty, materialistic, and disconnected from the sacred. The song's mournful tone reflects the wanderer's sense of isolation, his longing for something he has not found, and his recognition that he may never fully understand what he is looking for.
Line by Line Meaning
I went out walking
I ventured out, started a journey on foot
Through streets paved with gold
Walking on grand streets, filled with wealth and extravagance
Lifted some stones
I picked up some rocks on the way
Saw the skin and bones
Noticed the raw, exposed, and deteriorated state of the city
Of a city without a soul
The city was lifeless and devoid of genuine emotions and spirit
I went out walking
Continuing the journey on foot, exploring the surroundings
Under an atomic sky
Walking in a post-apocalyptic or dystopian setting
Where the ground won't turn
The earth itself seemed barren and unresponsive
And the rain it burns
The rain was harmful and unpleasant
Like the tears when I said goodbye
The sorrow from farewell matched the discomfort of the rain
Yeah I went with nothing
I had nothing material or tangible in my possession
Nothing but the thought of you
The only thing I carried was my desire to be with someone
I went wandering
I aimlessly walked, with no apparent destination
I went drifting
I leisurely wandered, strolling through the cities
Through the capitals of tin
The cities with a superficially luxurious exterior
Where men can't walk
The social restrictions hindered men
Or freely talk
Men could not express themselves freely
And sons turn their fathers in
People are willing to betray their loved ones for their beliefs
I stopped outside a church house
I took a moment near a religious building
Where the citizens like to sit
Where people gather for worship
They say they want the kingdom
People desire power and control over others
But they don't want God in it
They don't want to accept the true religious teachings
I went out riding
I progressed differently, by riding a vehicle
Down that old eight lane
Along the mighty, empty road
I passed by a thousand signs
I saw several advertisements and hoardings
Looking for my own name
I was searching for self-identity and self-awareness
But the thought you'd be there too
I had the intention of encountering someone specific on this journey
Looking for you
I searched for the person who mattered to me the most
In search of experience
I wanted to settle and learn from new experiences
To taste and to touch
To understand by personal involvement
And to feel as much
To experience emotions and genuine attachment
As a man can
To discover and encounter everything in human capacity
Before he repents
Before he changes his ways or atones for his actions
I went out searching
I started the quest, tried to find something or someone specific
Looking for one good man
I was in search of an individual who is honest and benevolent
A spirit who would not bend or break
A determined and strong-willed man.
Who would sit at his father's right hand
A worthy man, just like the man seated at the right hand of God
With a bible and a gun
I carried both faith and power with me
The word of God lay heavy on my heart
The religious belief weighed much on my thoughts and emotions
I was sure I was the one
I was confident that I would find what I was searching for
Now Jesus, don't you wait up
A personification of Jesus Christ as someone who expects me to return soon
Jesus, I'll be home soon
I will be returning soon to Jesus Christ
Yeah I went out for the papers
I went out to collect the newsprints
Told her I'd be back by noon
I informed someone that I would return by noon
Yeah I left with nothing
I left with no physical or material resources
But the thought you'd be there too
The desire to be with someone accompanied me
Looking for you
Searching for the person who matters the most.
Oh ho
A voice exclamation denoting surprise and awe
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM CLAYTON, DAVE EVANS, LARRY MULLEN, PAUL HEWSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
A me
on eleven o' clock tick tock
And girls can make children but not like this one...so will just have to walk around with a painted face then...
LMewdowlark
on One
Baby, baby, baby, I know I'm not alone
Ha, ha, ha
Oh, it's not a hill it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
You see, for me, I've been shouting
Let's shout into the darkness, squeeze out sparks of light
You know we're gonna go crazy, you know we'll go crazy
You know we'll go crazy, if we don't go crazy tonight
Oh, slowly
Oh
Hold me slow
Again, these are the wrong lyrics. They are not the lyrics for 'One' but a different song. I pasted the correct lyrics in my other comment.
LMewdowlark
on One
And there's a part of you that wants me to riot
Everybody needs to cry or needs to spit
Every sweet-tooth needs just a little hit
Every beauty needs to go out with an idiot
How can you stand next to the truth and not see it?
Oh, change of heart comes slow
It's not a hill, it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
Do you believe me or are you doubting?
We're gonna make it all the way to the light
But I know I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight
Every generation gets a chance to change the world
Pity the nation that won't listen to you boys and girls
Is the sweetest melody the one we haven't heard?
Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear?
The right to be ridiculous is something I hold dear
Oh, but change of heart comes slow
It's not a hill, it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
You see, for me, I've been shouting
But we're gonna make it all the way to the light
But I know I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight
Is it getting better
Or do you feel the same?
Will it make it easier on you now
You got someone to blame?
You say, one love, one life
When it's one need in the night
One love, we get to share it
Leaves you, baby, if you don't care for it
Did I disappoint you
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth?
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go without
Well, it's too late tonight
To drag the past out into the light
We're one, but we're not the same
We get to carry each other, carry each other
One
Have you come here for forgiveness?
Have you come to raise the dead?
Have you come here to play Jesus?
To the lepers in your head
Did I ask too much? More than a lot
You gave me nothing, now it's all I got
We're one but we're not the same
Well, we hurt each other then we do it again
You say love is a temple, love a higher law
Love is a temple, love the higher law
You ask me to enter but then you make me crawl
And I can't be holdin' on to what you got
When all you got is hurt
One love, one blood
One life, you got to do what you should
One life with each other
Sisters, brothers
One life but we're not the same
We get to carry each other, carry each other
One
One