The Real Meaning of 5 U2 Song Lyrics

The Real Meaning of 5 U2 Song Lyrics

To my mind, a really good song is one which has hidden depths - and those depths can usually be found in the lyrics. A classic rock song, can say anything and mean everything. Look at Oasis's Wonderwall lyrics for example. It's basically a love song but without really actually meaning anything - Here's 5 U2 song lyrics that have some real meaning, and some real bite to them.

God Part II

People often wonder why this song is called Pt II as they've never heard of a U2 song called God before. It's actually intended as a sequel to John Lennon's song called God. Lennon's song refers to things he didn't believe in such as Hitler - Bono's version also refers to things that he also doesn't believe in but also goes on to refer to how pissed he was at the author Albert Goldman who wrote an unflattering biography of Lennon (and also a bio of Elvis, and given U2's love of Elvis, I'm not surprised Bono made the reference).

Sunday Bloody Sunday 

This one is a pretty obvious song, but newer U2 fans may not realise the real meaning of this song. It's an exploration of the conflict that can exist between the State, it's people and when religion gets thrown into the mix. Inspired by two terrible occasions where soldiers shot civilians in Northen Ireland - the lyrics capture these moments crisply by invoking the cross fire that occurred between Ireland's conflicting religions and the military acttion that was taken - an by extension the State's role in the massacres.

Walk On

This is one of those songs that stray into the say anything, mean anything territory but U2 have but some real context around it to to ensure that it's lyrics are not misunderstood. Dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi, this song is a freedom song, dedicated to the exponent of democracy and freedom in Mynamar. Poignantly during the 360 degree tour, U2 played this song at every concert and had supporters of Amnesty International come out on to the stage to show their support for Aung San Suu Kyi and U2's support for the people of Mynammar and their efforts to become a truly democratic society.


Spanish Eyes

Despite stealing lyrics from "She's a rainbow" by the Rolling Stones, Spanish Eyes is a love song to Bono's wife Ali - and she is actually Irish thus confusing the heck out of many U2 fans. This b-side from The Joshua Tree era kind of complements The Sweetest Thing in the sense that it was also a b-side and also a love letter to Ali.

Zooropa

Zooropa is a really crazy song that opens the album of the same name. Some fans have been confused by the lyrics of the song - they seem so mumble jumbled and make no sense. The real meaning of the song can be determined when you realise the lyrics are a hodge podge of slogans from famous brands. Zooropa's lyrics have a running theme of irony, tying in the "media overload" themes of the Zoo TV Tour into the context of a post-Berlin Wall Europe. The song's lyrics touch on how modern technology can unite people as well as separates  them from each other.

Want more? check out U2 lyrics that explore Jesus, Yahweh and The Good Book.

U2 songs that name check real people

U2 as lego blocks!

U2 songs that refer to real people

Here's a few songs where Bono was named checked real people in his song lyrics. There's also a few songs where the lyrics a talking about a real person but they are not directly named.

Angel of Harlem

A song about singer Billie Holiday, Bono was trying to throw the kitchen sink at this song, referencing all kinds of musical figures including John Coltrane and Miles Davis.

One Tree Hill

Bono name dropped Victor Jara in this song that is really popular in NZ for some reason.....

"And in our world a heart of darknessA firezone where poets speak their hearts
Then bleed for it Jara sang his song a weapon
In the hands of love
You know his blood still cries from the ground"

This verse is referring to how Victor Jara was executed for his political disssent and thus became a symbol of the struggle for human rights.

Elvis Ate America

This is possibly the U2 lyric that refers to the most people Lisa Marie Presley Chuck D, Johnny Cash all feature with shout outs to Hitler, Nixon, Christ, Mishima, Markus and Micheal Jackson. Bono would later refer to Jackson in Pop's The Playboy Mansion as well.

God Part II

This song was intended as a sequel to John Lennon's song called God. Lennon's song refers to things he didn't believe in such as war and The Beatles - Bono's version also refers to things that he also doesn't believe in but also goes on to refer to how angry he was at the author Albert Goldman who wrote an unflattering biography of Lennon (and also a controversial biography of Elvis, and given U2's love of Elvis, I'm not surprised Bono made the reference).


Pride

"For the Reverend Martin Luther King, sing". Pride was inspired the the civil rights activist - that particular line comes from the live version of Pride on Rattle and Hum.

Stand Up Comedy 

References the famous French soldier Napoleon and his wife Josephine...


Peace on Earth

Inspired by the Real IRA Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland on 15 August 1998. The song lists the names of people killed in the bombing. Similarly, inspiration for the lyric, "She never got to say goodbye / To see the colour in his eye / Now he's in the dirt" comes from the funeral of Barker, another victim of the bombing. Other bomb victims named were Sean, Julia, Gareth, Anne, and Brenda.



Dirty Day

Whilst not directly referenced but the liner notes of Zooropa showed the song was dedicated to Charles Bukowski.

Who have I missed?

Dear Bono, why is everything I know wrong?

Dear Bono, why is everything I know wrong? or 10 Questions to ask Bono!

If I had some kind of miracle opportunity to sit down with U2's Bono I'm not sure where I'd start. Perhaps we'd start with some red wine, I'd compliment him on his efforts to reduce third world debt and make a joke about George Bush. I'd then hit him with these 10 questions about U2, their lyrics and get him to explain why he thinks everything I know is wrong.


10 Questions to ask Bono

1. What does Salmon Rushie think of the almost surprise success of The Ground Beneath her Feet?
2. Family is important. What's the most important song in the U2 catalog who's lyrics considers the family?
3. What is the worst lyric you have ever written that was recorded. Is it Salome?
4. Discuss the lyric 'Dream Out Loud'. Why have you written it into three U2 songs?
5. Do you ever hear 'lepers in your head'?
6. If U2 had it's own version Fight Club, what would its rules be? And if anyone in the band had to be Robert Paulson, who would it be?
7. When I was young and impressionable I had a poster on my wall that featured a Zoo TV concert and its said 'Every Thing You Know is Wrong'. To me as a 17 year old teenager that made perfect sense. As a thirty something with a mortgage, I wondering if should have paid more attention in English class. Bono, how do you know everything I know is wrong?
8. Have you ever punched The Edge?
9. Have you ever thrown up on stage?
10. Does it amuse you that the remix of Even Better Then The Real Thing charted higher than the original version?

U2 songs about Mothers and Fathers

U2 songs about Mothers and Fathers

All good song writers tap their family tree for lyrical inspiration now and then. There's been plenty of popular songs that feature lyrics about parents and their children. A classic example is Cat Steven's Father and Son.

It's with no great surprise then that Bono has chosen to reveal insights to his feeling about his family in a few of U2's songs. Here's some thoughts about a selected few...

Mofo

Mofo was sixth single flogged from the supposedly terrible Pop, album the lyrics in part refer to Bono's beloved mother, whom he lost at the age of fourteen.


Mothers of the Disappeared

The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, is a unique organization of Argentine women who have become human rights activists in order to achieve a common goal. For over three long decades, the Mothers have fought for the right to re-unite with their abducted children. It was this work that inspired Bono's lyrics.

Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own

The lyric was written by Bono as a tribute to his father, Bob Hewson, who died in 2001. Bono sang this at his funeral. In the video for the song it was prefaced with the following from Bono "My father worked in the post office by day and sang opera by night. We lived on the north side of Dublin in a place called Cedarwood Road. He had a lot of attitude. He gave some to me - and a voice. I wish I'd known him better." On Your Own song shares similar parental sentiments as found in Kite from the All That You Can't Leave Behind album.

Tommorrow

The October album was definitely Bono on channeling and challenging his spiritual side - Tomorrow sees him exploring his thoughts around his mother's death and the spectre of her possibly meeting Jesus.

The First Time 

A song from the Grammy Award winning album, Zooropa, The first verse of this the First Time hints sentiments of falling in love for the first time or perhaps truly, madly, deeply falling for someone - the lyric "I have a lover, a lover like no other" suggests the later perhaps is true.

The second verse refers to the love of a brother who would do anything for his sibling - the word brother could easily stand in for friend here as well. 

The final verse talks of the love between a father and son that perhaps has gone sour. Collectively these three different settings make for a great story and makes you wonder what kind of person is telling this story and how do those elements relate to one another? Indeed, there's almost a hint of the Prodigal Son story surrounding the entire fabric of the song. 

I believe in Father Christmas

Written by Greg Lake, I Believe in Father Christmas with a view to making a critque about how Christmas had changed from being a celebration of peace on earth and goodwill to all men, into one huge and disgusting orgy or shopping.

Done with this page? Want to know more about some other U2 lyrics? Check out 10 U2 Love Songs.

"Salomé" lyrics by U2

"Salomé" lyrics by U2

Salome was a b-side on the Even Better Than The Real Thing single from Achtung Baby.

Salome was inspired by the character from the Bible who asked for John the Baptist's head.

Lyrics

Baby please
Baby please don't go
I got eyes to feed, they want skin and seed
Now don't make me crawl
Baby please
Baby don't bite your lip
Give you half what I've got if you untie the knot
It's a promise

Salomé x 4

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Baby please
Baby, what's that tune
Well, I heard it before when I crawled from the door
And my blood turned blue
Baby please
Baby please slow down
Baby, I feel sick
Don't make me stick to a promise

Salomé
Salomé
Salomé
Salomé
Salomé
Salomé

I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you

Baby please
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
Baby don't sing yet
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
Won't you dance for me
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
Beneath the cherry tree
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
Won't you swing down low
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
Please
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
Baby please say yes
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
Baby don't go away
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you
Don't spill any of your precious love
I got to get you
Got to, got to get you

Shake it, shake it, shake it Salome x 8

Salome

I got to get you
Got to, got to get you

All You Need Is Love - 10 U2 Love Songs

All You Need Is Love - 10 U2 Love Songs

The Beatles sang that All You Need Is Love and just about every band since has as well so it's no surprise that U2 have song a few songs that ponder the wondrousness of it all.

Here's a few songs that either feature the subject love in their lyrics or are clearly love songs.

Love is Blindness


A haunting tracking that closed the mighty body of work that was Achtung Baby - the lyrics suggest an quite desperate love where nothing else matters but that love - a deep play on the phrase love is blind but the neighbours aint joke perhaps?

When Love Comes to Town 

Some men are afraid of love. They'd prefer to hit it and quit before they have to contend with their feelings. At least that's what this duet between Bono and B.B. King might leave you thinking....

Love Rescue Me

A desperate man calls out for love. It's a aching love lorn fellow that sings this ballad from Rattle and Hum.

Love And Peace Or Else

A rocker from U2 from the How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb album, this is U2's Give Peace A Chance effort - it's basically Bono asking why can't we all just get along in peace and harmony with some peace loving mung beans thrown in for good measure. Or something.

The deluxe edition of the album has a liner note which says 'don't become a monster in order to defeat a monster' which I think sums up the lyrical intent behind the song and it ties in with Bono's Coexist mantra. 

So really it's not a love song per say but one that promotes love?

So Cruel

Not all songs don't need to be of a happy kind of love. So Cruel's lyrics tell of a person in love with a person that is breaking their heart with their thoughtless ways. As I listen to the singer's lament, I can't help but feel some sorrow for them.

Hawkmoon 269

Allegedly 269 takes were required to record this song - the character seems to be a love drug addict and needs some love badly and Bono lists the ways he needs it.

Sweetest Thing

This U2 love song is definitely one inspired by real life events for Bono  - it was written for his wife Alison as an apology for missing (or forgetting) her birthday during the recording of The Joshua Tree record. I wonder if Bono owed Alison another song after the featured picture of Bono above with the two bikini girls came out?

Originally featured as a U2 b-side on the Where the Streets Have No Name single, The Sweetest Thing was revamped and released as a single to support U2's first Greatest Hits album. 

One Love

Magnificent

A strident, upbeat love song that celebrates the characters's love for his woman - or indeed possibly love for his god. That's a classic song writer's trick - making the lyrics open to interpretation helps increase the song's broad appeal amongst listeners.

The lyric "I was born I was born to be with you " is a nice romantic line to tell a woman - however the verse below is suggestive of praise to the character's creator..... 

"I was born

I was born to sing for you 

I didn't have a choice
But to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to"

The First Time 

The first verse of this song suggests sentiments of falling in love for the first time or perhaps truly, madly, deeply falling for someone - the lyric "I have a lover, a lover like no other" suggests the later perhaps is true - indeed that line would be a great compliment to any woman (or man!).

The second verse refers to the love of a brother who would do anything for his sibling - the word brother could easily stand in for friend here as well.

The final verse talks of the love between a father and son that perhaps has gone sour. Collectively these three different settings make for a great story and makes you wonder what kind of person is telling this story and how do those elements relate to one another?

Unchained Melody

A love song made famous by the Righteous Brothers, this was covered by U2 as a b-side on the With or Without You single. My wife and I played it at our wedding so enough said!

There plenty of other U2 songs out there that refer to love or sing about it without saying the words - what are your favorites?

Sick of love and lust? Want to bite your teeth into something more serious? How about some U2 songs's with lyrics about nuclear politics?

What is Bono's 'Dream Out Loud' Lyric all about?

What is Bono's 'Dream Out Loud' Lyric all about?

Keen listeners to U2 might have heard Bono sing the lyric 'dream out loud' on a few U2 songs. Here's a brief run down on what those songs are.

Lucky fans who attended the Love Town Tour in the late 80's might have head Bono first ad lib the line into the live set. A couple of years later after U2 dreamt it all up again, Achtung Baby's Acrobat featured the lyrics:

"And you can dream
So dream out loud
And don't let the bastards grind you down"

In this case dreaming out loud would appear to be the exercise of getting on with getting your dreams and schemes accomplished.

The coda in the title track of "Zooropa" repeated "dream out loud" as a kind of mantra, which Bono supposedly included as a direct reference to "Acrobat". Given the Zooropa album is often considered a cousin or companion album to Achtung Baby, it's a nice little link that Bono made.

In the Pop era 'dream out loud' was spoken by Bono in the PopMart: Live from Mexico City video.

Finally, dream out load was was also used in the b-side to Beautiful Day in the song "Always'

"Get down off your holy cloud,
always God will not deal with the proud, always
Well if you dream then dream out loud, always
Eternally yours, always"

I think that's it - any other references Bono has made?

10 U2 songs that reflect on American culture and politics

Outside is America

10 U2 songs that reflect on American culture and politics


U2 are no strangers to having a say on America, it's people and it's politics. In fact, making political commentary is almost second nature to Bono, if he's not singing about troubles in Ireland, he's trying to convince someone like George Bush Jnr to reduce the debt owed to America by third world countries.

U2 toured America many times early in their career and appear to have fallen under it's spell - so it's surprise really that Bono has chosen to write about what he's seen and heard. Here's a selection of 10 U2 songs that feature some form of comment or celebration of the one of the world's most dynamic countries.

Angel of Harlem

A song about singer Billie Holiday, Bono was trying to throw the kitchen sink at this song, referencing all kinds of musical figures related to the city of New York - even a poular radio station was mentioned!

U2 appeared to be trying to 'get into' the blues on Rattle on Hum - this song was a clear step in that musical genre and the dropping in of names from artists that helped shape it were an attempt to give an air of authenticity. A less cynical reader might simply see the lyrics of Angel of Harlem as a celebration of the city.

The Saints Are Coming

While not written by U2 or Green Day (it was a cover of The Skids), The Saints Are Coming is a song both bands recorded together to deliver a blunt political message about the U.S. Government's response to Hurricane Katrina which many felt was negligent and that the Bush administration was "Stuck on Stupid".

The promotional video deliberately played on popular feelings of utter disbelief and dismay at the way the U.S. government had responded to the event.

Bullet the Blue Sky

Perhaps the archetype political song by U2 (arguably Sunday Bloody Sunday could take that role too) the lyrics describes the unintended consequences of US President Ronald Reagan's foreign policy decisions in South America. The song lyrics are a overt criticisms of the American policy of "stop communism at all costs". Such policy lead the Reagan Administration to provide financial and political support to the Salvadoran regime which required them to ignoring that regime's abuse of human rights. 

New York

Is it really any surprise that U2 ended up writing a song about New York? Bono has stated that the song is a tribute of sorts to both Frank Sinatra and Lou Reed.

The Play Boy Mansion

The Play Boy Mansion is possibly a symbol of all that is wrong with America - however Hugh Hefner is as popular as ever. The songs lyrics are perhaps a tounge-in-cheek run down of some American icons. Certainly Bono would not be deliberately suggesting the route to happiness is a visit to Hefner's pad. Or is he?

Elvis Ate America and Elvis Presley And America

Two for the money here - U2 have often sang about Elvis - and these songs were a celebration of the man and his legacy on music. The lyrics that 'Elvis would have been a sissy without Johnny Cash' was a great piece of commentary - the use of the line 'white nigger' was a brave move.... did Chuck D approve?

Zooropa

Many of the verse lyrics are borrowed from the slogans of American companies and corporations. These slogans include "Be all that you can be" from the United States Army), "Fly the friendly skies" from airline United Airlines), Colgate's "Ring of confidence (the lyric being "We've got that ring of confidence"), and Fairy's "Mild green Fairy liquid" (the line being "We're mild and green and squeaky clean").

This could be simply viewed some kind of meta commentary on American consumerism (admittedly the song has slogans from other European countries) and perhaps hints at some kind of moral confusion where the morals of a society may be dictated by the corporate dollar spend on advertising.

Pride (In the Name of Love)

Pride has become an international anthem for peace, freedom and human rights. It's inspiration was civil rights movement in the United States in the 1950s and '60s. The song is a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. who has become the symbol for equal rights in America for all persons.

Seconds

While the lyrics are a loose story of a terrorist trying to arm a bomb and perhaps set it off, the context for the song is that it was written by Bono in the 80s, a time where the Cold War between the USSR and America had reached an all time freezing point in relations (save for the Cuban missile crisis!). The song evokes the fears that people had that this Cold War could potentially lead to nuclear war and the own kind of cold winter that would bring.

That's just a taste of songs that U2 have used to make a comment on America. There's almost a duplicity to U2 in this regard - they tour America and revel in it's people and then at the same time they make sharp criticsm of its leaders, their institutions and Coke but take the ticket sales and sponsorship opportunites.

I trust U2 fans are in on it but it might be hard to tell in a country where many people think Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA is a patriotic song.....

U2 lyrics that explore Jesus, Yahweh and The Good Book

U2 lyrics that explore Jesus, Yahweh and The Good Book

It seems almost obligatory to do a post on U2's spiritual side. They are perhaps the world's most popular Christian band after all! I say Christian very loosely though as for some people that kind of connotation can turn them right off  but U2's is most definitely a band that is not shy of exploring their lyrical side.

Bono, U2's main lyricwriter, is a noted magpie that steals lines from the Bible to help with his song crafting. Indeed, here's a whole page of bible references Bono has made across the U2 song catalogue.

You could almost put U2's song lyrics into two distinct camps - songs about spirituality and songs about politics (such as nuclear war). You could throw in a third camp about of U2's love songs if you wanted but since when has love not ever been spiritual or a matter of politics?

Jesus is a popular man in U2 songs, along with mentions of Yahweh, the references to the Koran and a few other Saints - so I thought  I'd feature a few U2 song lyrics that show case Bono's spiritual side and give a little insight into what I think the lyrics mean and perhaps give a little context on the genesis of some of them...

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Many people suddenly found themselves to be U2 fans in the late 80s when The Joshua Tree album started topping charts around the world. Helping lead the charge was I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For which is the gold standard if you are looking for a U2 song that focuses on a spiritual yearning. 

Stealing the line from the Bible's 1 Corinthians 13:1: "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." Bono sung  "I have spoken with the tongue of angels" thus heralding to the world where he was coming from yet he then signalled his mischievous side with the following lyric that he had also 'held the hand of the Devil'.

Wake Up Dead Man 

In tough times people often turn to their spiritual advisor for support - Wake Up Dead Man is Bono trying to get a direct line with Jesus to come and fix "the fucked up world'. Originally written during the Zooropa recording sessions, the final version ended up on Pop as an effective album closer.

Yahweh

A beautiful track from U2's How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, Yahweh's lyrics are a reflection of Bono's faith (as the son of a Catholic father and an Anglican mother) and points to the differences in the power that he believes between God and mankind. 

The word 'yahweh' has traditionally been by transliterated from the word Jehovah. Jehovah is often described as "the proper name of God in the Old Testament".

Larry, Bono, Edge and Adam, hold the bike while I get on?

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Ostensibly a song about the political troubles that have face the people of Ireland, its inspriation was a couple of events where soldiers shot civilians in Northen Ireland - the lyrics capture the moment crisply by invoking a cross fire between religion and the military (and by extension the State) and the sad consequences when both collide. 

Until the End of the World

This has proved to be an incredibly popular song from U2's Achtung Baby and has been played on just about every tour U2 have done since that album was released in 1991. It is semi legendary in U2 fan circles for being a fictional conversation between Jesus and Judas following the betrayal in the garden of Gethsemane. The lyrics hint that Judas regretted his actions and committed suicide.

Tommorrow

A classic earnest lyric from Bono. The October album was definitely Bono on 'God Watch' -  exploring his thoughts around his mother's death and the spectre of meeting Jesus.

Stranger In a Strange Land

The entire lyrics of the song appear to be making an allusion to the Emmaus story from the Bible's Luke 24, where the newly risen from the dead Jesus appears to two disciples as a complete stranger, but miraculously cannot be recognized until he offers bread to the two disciples who have invited him in to their abode.

If God Will Send His Angels

It's hard to discern the actual message of this song. The lyrics possibly suggest the character is living in a world where they need some help and they need some angels to come and sort things out. The line "where is the hope, and where is the faith, and the love?" hints at a lost soul that needs some guidance in light of a world they are concerned about such one where the cartoon network leads into the news and the blind lead the blondes.

Salome

Salome is inspired the story of the death of John the Baptist which was from the gospel of Mark. Supposedly a seductive dancer (in the modern day she'd be known as a stripper) Salome's super gyrations convinced the King to grant her a wish to which she asked for the head of John. Pretty random story and sounds like something that got lost in translation when the Bible got rewritten. It's either that or Oscar Wilde had an over active imagination.

These eight songs where only a taste of the many songs that Bono has imbued with lyrics that refer to the Bible or have looked into an 'ecumenical' matter of sorts - Gloria  for example could probably have a whole essay written about it.

What other songs do you think show U2's spiritual side? What do they mean for you?

U2 songs that reference nuclear bombs and other horrors

U2 songs that reference nuclear bombs and other horrors

U2 are known for their political views and agitation to get policy change but where as a band like Rage Against the Machine would be all in your face – U2 are just as obvious but less angry – their last tour featured members of Amnesty International coming out on state during Walk On – a song dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi,  a Burman political prisoner and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Both band’s lyrics also push the barrel of whatever agenda they have – a long standing on for U2 has been referencing atomic war and nuclear issues.

U2 also once famously protested against the Sellafeild nuclear plant by colluding with Greenpeace to stage an event on a beach near the site that was contaminated with radiation as the result of the power plant’s activities.

As far as I can figure the earliest U2 song lyrics that refers to atomic bombs is from the non album single, Celebration where Bono sarcastically shares that he believes in the following three things:

“I believe in the third world war

I believe in the atomic bomb

I believe in the powers that be but they won't overpower me”

That was as far back as 1982.

Seconds from the popular War album is another early U2 songs to make direct references to atomic bombs

“And they're doing the atomic bomb

Do they know where the dance comes from

Yes, they're doing the atomic bomb

They want you to sing along

Bono said to the NME music magazine in 1983 of the song "There is a line in 'Seconds' about a fanatic assembling a nuclear device in an apartment in Times Square, New York, but it could be anywhere. We are now entering the age of nuclear terrorism where a group of fanatics could have the capabilities of bringing a bomb into a city and holding millions of people to ransom."

The Unforgettable Fire was released in 1984 in a time when the world was worrying itself sick about the arms race between the US and the Russians. Bono was inspired by a collection of paintings collectively known as The Unforgettable Fire which was a reference to atomic bombs being dropped in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Ngagasaki. 

Says the Edge of the art display (in the book U2: Into the Heart: The Stories Behind Every Song) "the image of that purging quality, coupled with the insight it gave into the horror of nuclear holocaust, stuck in Bono's mind".

It is perhaps ironic then the lyrics to song The Unforgettable Fire do not reference anything nuclear or atomic!

The Wanderer, featuring country and western legend Johnny Cash from the Zooropa album was definitely suggestive of being set in a post apocalyptic world set under an 'atomic sky'. Lyrically it featured a character that appeared to be struggling to find some kind of spiritual identity.

Another U2 album title also referred to atomic bombs in a most direct fashion – How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb was a popular album that had a bonus track Fast Cars which gave the answer to the album’s question – one dismantles an atomic bomb with love.

Are there any other U2 lyrics that refer to nuclear issues?

Check out this other article that discusses Bono's lyric writing abilities