One of U2’s more introspective songs, focusing on the spiritual state of the world. Some have criticized this song because they are uninformed. “How dare Bono say that God is dead when he himself professes faith in Jesus Christ?” would be a common reaction amongst people. I always thought of the song as a dialogue rather than a monologue. A man is concerned about the fate of the world and wishing to go back to the way God originally intended it to be. Meanwhile God is telling him to ” Wake Up! “dead” man” and continue to have faith in Him (even though it can be hard considering the circumstances….so many nasty things happening in the world back in 1997….so many more now in 2012). The words to this song still ring true. As scary as the times can be. God is still in control of everything even though we may not be able to see Him at work. He’s still “looking out for us” However, unlike the song, His hands are free and we just have to pay attention to what God is doing.
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRDeB9UGCjE