The Wanderer
U2- live Lyrics

I went out walking
I started walking around with no particular destination in mind.

Through streets paved with gold
I walked through wealthy parts of the city.

Lifted some stones
I investigated and exposed the truth behind the façade.

Saw the skin and bones
I noticed the lack of substance and true essence of the city.

Of a city without a soul
The city that I explored was lacking authenticity or character.

I went out walking
I continued to wander around aimlessly.

Under an atomic sky
I walked beneath a nuclear sky, creating a sense of danger and instability.

Where the ground won't turn
The instability caused me to feel stuck in a moment, unable to move forward.

And the rain it burns
The same instability was made evident through the presence of acid rain.

Like the tears when I said goodbye
I acknowledged the emotional hardship that came along with leaving someone I cared about behind.

Yeah I went with nothing
I went out with no plans or possessions.

Nothing but the thought of you
The only thing that motivated me to wander was my thoughts of someone I cared about.

I went wandering
I continued to roam aimlessly, with no particular destination.

I went drifting
I began to wander around without purpose.

Through the capitals of tin
I explored cities and locations that were modelled like factories.

Where men can't walk
The society had stringent rules that crippled men's freedom to act freely.

Or freely talk
Society's defined rules also considered it a taboo to discuss certain topics freely.

And sons turn their fathers in
The societal laws put fathers and sons against each other, forcing the latter to hurt the former.

I stopped outside a church house
I came across a religious location, a church.

Where the citizens like to sit
I observed how people often gather and sit in these religious institutions.

They say they want the kingdom
These religious people claimed to desire power.

But they don't want God in it
Ironically, these religious people were hypocritical in not worshipping a higher power that dictates the reign of the kingdom they wanted power over.

I went out riding
I started travelling on a motorbike.

Down that old eight lane
I travelled through a busy eight-lane highway.

I passed by a thousand signs
During my travels, I observed an excessive amount of marketing and advertising messages.

Looking for my own name
I was in search of a sense of identity or purpose.

But the thought you'd be there too
My hope in searching was with the thought of finding someone I cared about.

Looking for you
My biggest motivation for wandering around was to go and find someone I missed.

In search of experience
I was in search of first-hand, tangible experiences that would help me grow as a person.

To taste and to touch
I wanted to fully immerse myself in these experiences with all my senses.

And to feel as much
Emotions and sentimental values were also a crucial aspect of these experiences.

As a man can
For as long as I can continue, I aim to absorb as much as I can.

Before he repents
However, there comes a time in life to settle down and start thinking about the consequences of your actions.

I went out searching
I was on the lookout for a specific type of man.

Looking for one good man
I wanted to find someone worth respecting and looking up to as a leader.

A spirit who would not bend or break
The person I was searching for would need to have a resilient spirit and not compromise on their values.

Who would sit at his father's right hand
To me, a good man would earn the respect and approval of his father.

With a bible and a gun
I armed myself with both a holy and lethal weapon; faith and violence.

The word of God lay heavy on my heart
Even though I was wielding a weapon, I also carried the heavy burden of religious teachings and beliefs.

I was sure I was the one
I believed myself to have the qualities of a messiah.

Now Jesus, don't you wait up
I was convinced that I was saved and hence did not want to make Jesus wait for me.

Jesus, I'll be home soon
With Jesus by my side, I knew where I was headed and would soon return to my heavenly home.

Yeah I went out for the papers
I went out to buy newspapers or read them in search of information.

Told her I'd be back by noon
Before I left, I made sure to reassure someone that I would return soon.

Oh ho
An expression of excitement or exclamation, slightly different from region to region.