The Wanderer (U2 song)

"The Wanderer" is the tenth and final track from U2's 1993 album, Zooropa. It features country legend Johnny Cash on lead vocals. It is one of a few U2 songs not to feature Bono on vocals at any point (apart from a country style howl at the end) - although The Edge does provide harmonising backing-vocals throughout the song.

The lyrics describe a man searching for God in a post-Apocalyptic world. Although neither U2 nor Cash ever performed it live in concert until U2's latest tour, U2 played it in a television special entitled I Walk the Line: A Night for Johnny Cash, following Cash's death in 2003. The special performance of the song featured The Edge adding dramatic falsetto background vocals.

As there is no guitar riff, Adam Clayton's synthesized bassline is the prominent musical sound throughout the song, although Larry Mullen's drumbeats can be heard clearly in the background.

The song is followed on the album by about twenty seconds of a constant siren sound.

An extended version of the song featuring an extra verse is included on the soundtrack to the film Faraway, So Close! The extended version is 5:16 in length.

The song was included on a 2005 Johnny Cash compilation album, The Legend of Johnny Cash.