During the Joshua Tree Tour in the late 80s, Bono would frequently grab a large spotlight and shine into peoples' faces in the audience, performances during which he also made numerous political references to figures such as Ronald Reagan and Jerry Falwell. U2's following album, Rattle and Hum had a cover of this light shining theatre.
Rattle and Hum featured a performance of this song, with a pre-recorded intro of Jimi Hendrix's version of "The Star-Spangled Banner".
On the Zoo TV Tour, the song was used to warn about Nazism; on the Elevation Tour, the lyrics became an indictment against handgun violence, illustrated by references to John Lennon's assassination and an ironic intro video clip featuring Charlton Heston, who was at that time the leader of the National Rifle Association.
On the Vertigo Tour, it was about religious violence and the final lyrics were replaced by a snippet of "The Hands That Built America".
Bullet the Blue Sky Lyrics:
In the howling wind comes a stinging rain
See them driving nails into souls in the tree of pain
From the firefly, a red orange glow
I see the face of fear running scared in the valley below
The sky
The sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
In the locust wind comes a rattle and hum
Jacob wrestled the angel and the angel was overcome
You plant a demon seed, you raise a flower of fire
See them burning crosses, see the flames, higher and higher
The sky
The sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
Yeah, alright, hold you
See, this guy comes up to me
His face red like a rose on a thorn bush
Like all the colours of a royal flush
And he's peeling off those dollar bills
Slapping them down
One hundred, two hundred
And I can see the fighter planes
I can see the fighter planes
Across the mud huts where the children sleep
Across the valleys and the quiet city streets
We take the staircase to the first floor
We take the key and slowly unlock the door
A man breathes into a saxophone
Through the walls we hear the city groan
Outside it's America
Outside it's America
Spoken Bono part:
So I'm back in my hotel room
With John Coltrane and a love supreme
And in the next room I hear a woman scream out
Her lover's turning off, turning on the television
And I can't tell the difference between ABC News, Hillstreet Blues
And a preacher on the Old Time Gospel Hour
Stealing money from the sick and the old
Well, the God I believe in isn't short of cash, mister
I feel a long way from the hills of San Salvador
Where the sky is ripped open
And the rain pours through a gaping wound
Pelting the women and children
Pelting the women and children
Run
Run in to the arms of America
Bullet the Blue Sky Lyrics:
In the howling wind comes a stinging rain
See them driving nails into souls in the tree of pain
From the firefly, a red orange glow
I see the face of fear running scared in the valley below
The sky
The sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
In the locust wind comes a rattle and hum
Jacob wrestled the angel and the angel was overcome
You plant a demon seed, you raise a flower of fire
See them burning crosses, see the flames, higher and higher
The sky
The sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
Yeah, alright, hold you
See, this guy comes up to me
His face red like a rose on a thorn bush
Like all the colours of a royal flush
And he's peeling off those dollar bills
Slapping them down
One hundred, two hundred
And I can see the fighter planes
I can see the fighter planes
Across the mud huts where the children sleep
Across the valleys and the quiet city streets
We take the staircase to the first floor
We take the key and slowly unlock the door
A man breathes into a saxophone
Through the walls we hear the city groan
Outside it's America
Outside it's America
Spoken Bono part:
So I'm back in my hotel room
With John Coltrane and a love supreme
And in the next room I hear a woman scream out
Her lover's turning off, turning on the television
And I can't tell the difference between ABC News, Hillstreet Blues
And a preacher on the Old Time Gospel Hour
Stealing money from the sick and the old
Well, the God I believe in isn't short of cash, mister
I feel a long way from the hills of San Salvador
Where the sky is ripped open
And the rain pours through a gaping wound
Pelting the women and children
Pelting the women and children
Run
Run in to the arms of America
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