This song 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 Century"—a project intended to "promote a better understanding of America's musical and cultural heritage"—despite the group's Irish origins.

U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion). Their lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal themes and sociopolitical concerns.

I have climbed the highest mountains
I have run through the fields
Only to be with You
Only to be with You

I have run I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with You
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for

I have kissed honey lips
Felt the healing in the fingertips
It burned like fire
This burning desire

I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was one empty night
I was cold as a stone

But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for

I believe when the Kingdom comes
Then all the colours will bleed into one
Bleed into one
But yes I'm still running.

You broke the bonds
You loosened the chains
You carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it

But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for

But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for

MOUNTAINS= /maʊntɪnz/ 

THE FIELDS= The countryside (when it is not wild, but made of cultivated fields.

CRAWLED= To crawl is to move around "in all fours" (on your hands and knees) like an animal (see picture). It is also to move in a similar way along a vertical surface, like when climbing (using your hands and feet).

SCALED= Climbed.

CITY WALLS= Defensive walls surrounding old cities (see picture)

HONEY LIPS= He refers to the lips of girls he loved, so her lips tasted like honey because they were so sweet. HONEY /hʌnɪ/ is a golden liquid very sweet made by bees (see picture)

BURNING DESIRE= Very strong desire.

TONGUE= /tʌŋ/ Language (also: the moving organ inside our mouth, but not in this case).

DEVIL= An angel of evil; the personification of evil (as opposed to good); (fig.) an evil person.

WHEN THE KINGDOM COMES= The most importan Christian prayer (the Lord's prayer) says "may your kingdom come". That is a wish to see God's kingdom here on earth. The Kingdom of God is a world of peace, love and justice.

ALL THE COLOURS WILL BLEED INTO ONE= To bleed is when blood runs out of a body. When colours bleed, they merge and mix together. Here Bono is probably talking about different people merging into one soul? That's not a Christian idea but maybe Bono is saying that metaphorically, meaning that people will live together in harmony and not in opposition.

BONDS= (figuratively) Chains (things that enslave you, like sin)

LOOSENED THE CHAINS= Set us free, liberated us.

YOU CARRIED THE CROSS OF MY SHAME= Jesus died crucified on a cross. He had to carry the cross himself up to the place where he was crucified. In Christianity, "to carry the cross" usually means to suffer a difficult situation, but here, Bono is probably using the expression literally, since he is talking to Jesus, so this sentence simply refers to Jesus' suffering for us, and how that cross is our shame, because we humans rejected him and killed him.

The whole point of a relationship is mutual growth surrounded by love. This is true of a relationship with Jesus. In the song, Bono is describing the joys and pains of his relationship with Jesus; his lyrics keep coming back to love. "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" —suggests that even if you have found the Good Way, doesn't mean you have all the answers; Christians don't have all the answers. But, Bono, along with many other Christians, is longing for the perfect (refined) relationship with Christ which will only happen upon ascension to heaven, when we are joined with Him in all surpassing love. In a way, this is a David-esk love song to God.

Comment written by: Fermented Water (yeah, that’s a nick)

Additionally or alternately, this song expresses Bono’s doubts in his faith, as he himself acknowledged. He feels there must be still something more, something important that he is missing in his relationship with God and/or in his understanding of it.

Bono was a very religious Christian, son of a Catholic and an Anglican. Many of his songs were very religious too, but then he had a faith crisis and years later he got very strong in his faith again. This song might be part of this confusion time when he was not too sure of anything but still he was trying to find out the truth.