I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
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"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" | |
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Song |
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is the second track from U2's 1987 album The Joshua Tree, and was released as the album's second single. It became their second (and last as of 2008) #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 after "With or Without You", the first single from the album, and peaked at #6 in the UK Singles Chart.
The song grew from another song called "Under the Weather Girls". A rough version was taped. However, Joshua Tree co-producer Daniel Lanois didn't like it — except for Larry Mullen, Jr.'s drum track and Adam Clayton's bass line, which the band used as the foundation of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". The development of the song saw the addition of such things as a subtle auto-pan effect added to one of The Edge's guitar overdubs and Bono, a tenor, singing in the upper register of his range to add to the feeling of spiritual yearning. Both Bono and Edge have, in fact, called it a gospel song on numerous occasions. Daniel 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 music video for the song was filmed on Fremont Street in Las Vegas, and featured the band members wandering around while The Edge played an acoustic guitar.
A live version of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" was recorded on September 28, 1987 at Madison Square Garden in New York, during the group's Joshua Tree Tour. This live performance, which features the New Voices of Freedom, appears on U2's 1988 album Rattle and Hum. A rehearsal for this live performance is featured in the rockumentary film of the same name. In 2006, a version featuring Cuban artist Coco Freeman was released on the charity album Rhythms Del Mundo.
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at number 93 of the 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time. In the same year, Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hilburn said it was U2's "Let It Be".[1]
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Track listings
- "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (4:38)
- "Spanish Eyes" (3:16)
- "Deep in the Heart" (4:31)
Chart positions
Chart(1987) | Position |
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UK Singles Chart | 6 |
US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
US Mainstream Rock Tracks | 2 |
US Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 16 |
Canada | 11 |
Covers
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is U2's most frequently covered song.[2]
- A cover version by dance group The Chimes in 1990 was named by Bono as one of his favourite U2 cover songs and also reached #6 in the UK Singles Chart.
- An orchestral version of I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For was covered by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on their 1999 album Pride: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays U2.
- Cher used it as the show opener on her multi-year tours Love Hurts, Do You Believe? and Living Proof: The Farewell Tour.
- Covered by Bonnie Tyler on her album Heart Strings in 2003.
- Negativland produced a bizarre, shambolic parody featuring kazoos and lyrics like, "kissing on the honey lips? It burned like fire, and it reminded me of cheap, melting plastic - the kind that makes little clouds of white vapo-gas..."
- Covered by Damien Rice at a live performance.
- I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For was covered by American Idol contestant David Archuleta on the second and final performance episodes of Season 7 of the show.
References
- ^ Hilburn, Robert (December 2, 2004). "Ask the Critic: Robert Hilburn". Retrieved 2008-01-19.
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(help) - ^ U2.com, Discography: I Still Haven't Found What I'm looking For