Treason song lyrics by U2

The song "Treason," included in the 20th-anniversary re-release of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, adds a layer of political and personal intensity to the album’s reflective themes. The original album, released in the post-9/11 world, carried undercurrents of uncertainty, tension, and personal responsibility. "Treason" lyrically dives into this sense of betrayal—whether at a societal, political, or personal level—reflecting U2's concern with the state of the world during the early 2000s. The song's themes resonate with the overarching tone of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, which juxtaposed personal introspection with broader, more global anxieties.

In “Treason,” Bono's lyrics explore the fracturing of trust and the deep emotions that arise from betrayal, an idea that echoes the original album’s concern with faith, loyalty, and truth. While songs like “Vertigo” and “City of Blinding Lights” approached disillusionment and chaos from a more oblique, metaphorical angle, “Treason” brings the subject to the forefront. It questions the integrity of leaders, systems, and even interpersonal relationships, diving into the emotional turmoil that accompanies the breaking of bonds. The lyrics may also reflect U2’s longstanding engagement with political issues, offering a critique of deceptive leadership or systemic failures, much in the way that previous songs like “Bullet the Blue Sky” or “Sunday Bloody Sunday” did, though through a more intimate lens.

Musically, “Treason” fits seamlessly into the sonic landscape of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, with its mix of urgency and atmosphere. The Edge's guitar work provides a biting edge to the track, mirroring the lyrical theme of betrayal with sharp riffs and a tense rhythm section provided by Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. As with many U2 songs, the combination of personal emotion and broader social commentary is key, and “Treason” manages to do both while remaining tightly bound to the thematic and sonic framework of the original album. Its inclusion in the re-release enhances the political consciousness of the record and gives listeners a glimpse of another dimension of the band's concerns during that turbulent period, deepening the impact of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb as a whole. 

Treason song lyrics by U2