"Peace On Earth" Song Lyrics + meaning * U2

Wednesday, August 19, 2009


"Peace On Earth" song lyrics by U2


The lyrics are about the Real IRA Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland on 15 August 1998. The Real IRA were a splinter group who disagreed with the peace accord which meant The Troubles were coming to an end.

The lyrics grapple with feelings of frustration and sorrow, as lead singer Bono expresses a desire for a world free from conflict and suffering.

"Peace On Earth" song lyrics by U2

Peace on Earth lists the names of people (Sean, Julia, Gareth, Anne, and Breda) killed in the Omagh 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 James Barker, another victim of the bombing.

The song juxtaposes the ideal of peace with the harsh realities of human existence, capturing the emotional toll that violence takes on individuals and communities. Bono's introspective questioning of the possibility of achieving peace resonates deeply, as it reflects a broader concern for humanity and the challenges faced in achieving harmony. 

After the 2001 attacks on America, "Peace on Earth" took on additional meaning and consequently, was used as an encore song in the Elevation Tour, coupled with "Walk On".

Peace on Earth Lyrics:


Heaven on Earth, we need it now
I'm sick of all of this hanging around
Sick of sorrow, sick of the pain
I'm sick of hearing again and again
That there's gonna be peace on Earth

Where I grew up there weren't many trees
Where there was we'd tear them down
And use them on our enemies
They say that what you mock
Will surely overtake you
And you become a monster
So the monster will not break you

And it's already gone too far
Who said that if you go in hard
You won't get hurt

Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line
Peace on Earth
Tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living in the ground
Peace on Earth
No whos or whys
No one cries like a mother cries
For peace on Earth
She never got to say goodbye
To see the color in his eyes
Now he's in the dirt
Peace on Earth

They're reading names out over the radio
All the folks the rest of us won't get to know
Sean and Julia, Gareth, Ann and Breda
Their lives are bigger than any big idea

Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line
Peace on Earth
To tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living in the ground
Peace on Earth
Jesus sing a song you wrote
The words are sticking in my throat
Peace on Earth
Hear it every Christmas time
But hope and history won't rhyme
So what's it worth
This peace on Earth

Peace on Earth
Peace on Earth
Peace on Earth

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