"North and South of the River'' lyrics by U2 - B-Side

This song was a b-side on U2's Starring at the Sun single which was from the Pop album.
North and South of the River” is a reflective and politically charged song that delves into the complexities of the Northern Ireland conflict during the 1990s. Co-written by Bono, The Edge, and Irish singer-songwriter Christy Moore, the lyrics explore themes of division, reconciliation, and the yearning for peace.

The song’s title symbolizes the physical and ideological divide between Protestant unionists and Catholic nationalists in Belfast, separated by the River Lagan. Lines such as “I see your face, I look in your eyes” suggest a shared humanity amidst the entrenched divisions, emphasizing the potential for understanding and unity despite years of mistrust and violence. This empathetic approach is central to the song’s message, reflecting Bono’s commitment to using art as a bridge in politically fractured landscapes.

The lyrics also carry a deeply personal undercurrent, focusing on the emotional toll of conflict on individuals and relationships. “There was a time, we were the same” recalls a nostalgic yearning for a pre-divided state, whether literal or metaphorical, while “I'm not afraid to talk” conveys a sense of courage and openness necessary for peacebuilding. 

North and South of the River lyrics by U2

I wanna reach out over the lough
And feel your hand across the water
Walk with you along an unapproved road
Not looking over my shoulder
I wanna see and I wanna hear
To understand your fears
But we're north and south of the river

I've been doing it wrong all of my life
This holy town has turned me over
A young man running from what he didn't understand
As the wind from the lough just blew colder and colder
There was a badness that had its way
Love wasn't lost
It just got mislaid
North and south of the river
North and south of the river

Can we stop playing these old tattoos
Darling, I don't have the answer
I wanna meet you where you are
I don't need you to surrender
There is no feeling so alone
As when the one you're hurting is your own
North and south of the river
North and south of the river

Some high ground is not worth taking
Some connections are not worth making
There's an old church bell no longer ringing
And some old songs are not worth bringing

North and south of the river
North and south of the river

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What references has Bono made to 'wind' in U2 songs?

What references has Bono made to 'wind' in U2 songs?

The critics of U2 and Bono would have fun with mentioning Bono talking about wind as the man does talk about a lot of many things - but here's a serious collection of references that U2 have made to wind in their songs.

When you think about it, the wind is commonly used in songs - think of the Scorpion's Winds of Change as obvious example.

The use of wind is typically used to describe a change that is happening to someone or somewhere.

Here's occasions that U2 have referred to making wind in their songs, if you don't take yourself too seriously.

Kite

A fan favourite from All That You Can't Leave Behind, The initial draft of the lyrics were written with Bono's daughters Eve and Jordan in mind.

The Edge assisted Bono in writing the lyrics and has suggested that they were actually about Bono's emotionally-reserved father, Bob Hewson, who was dying of cancer at the time the song was written.

When Bob did die, the lyric 'last of the rock stars' was changed to 'last of the opera star's when sung live, reflecting Bob's past opera career. Ultimately, Kite is a song of hope.

Bullet the Blue Sky

"In the howling wind comes a stinging rain, see it driving nails into souls on the tree of pain" And so opens Bullet the Blue Sky from The Joshua Tree.

This line is poetic pain and sets the tone of the whole song.

A stinging attack on America's position in foreign politics and especially those of El Salvador in America's quest to stop communism at all costs.

Exit

Taken from The Joshua Tree, Exit tells the bleak tale of what I often think of as a desperate cowboy but in reality Bono's inspiration source was inspired by Norman Mailer's novel The Executioner's Song, the subject of which was serial killer Gary Gilm.

 Lyrically, it's a pairing to Bullet the Blue Sky as it refers to a howling wind.

Indian Summer Sky

A cut from The Unforgettable Fire album, Indian Summer sky is considered to be a social commentary on the prison-like atmosphere of city living in a world of natural forces.

An actual Indian Summer is is a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather - to which the wind that Bono ask's to blow through so as to give some relief.

Ordinary Love

A sweet lyric about how the wind can lift us up:

"Birds fly high in the summer sky and rest on the breeze.
The same wind will take care of you and I.
We'll build our house in the trees."

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Where The Shadows Fall lyrics by U2

Where The Shadows Fall song lyrics by U2

This is the name of a song that U2 have dropped in early 2016. It could be a new track from the Songs of Experience album. It may have been given a new name as is common for U2 to do. It may have not even made it to the final track listing of the album.

U2's 'Where The Shadows Fall' lyrics

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Streets Of Surrender lyrics by Bono

Streets Of Surrender poem lyrics by Bono

Bono has written some lyrics for a song he was developing for singer Zucchero.

When asked by a reporter asks if the terrorist attacks in Paris (2015) will inspire a new album or song, and Bono recited these lyrics to what is called Streets of Surrender.

It's quite likely that this will not be an official U2 song, however as Bono recited these lyrics in front of a reporter for a TV segment, they can be considered a public performance, and note worthy as a lyric or poem by Bono.

Streets of Surrender lyrics

Every man has two cities he needs to be
The one he can touch
And the one he can't see
The one where a stranger's a friend
Every man has got one city of liberty
For me it's Paris, I love it
Every time I get lost down these ancient streets I find myself again

You're free, baby, baby
Free now and forever
It's Christmas time
You can decide to forget or to remember
You're free, baby, baby
I didn't come down here to fight you
I came down these streets of love and pride to surrender
The streets of surrender

I heard a far fetched story
That nobody seems to know
I think it was about that stranger
It was youth, it was love and it was danger
It was winter with that warm it gets before the snow
It chilled my soul
Everybody's crying about some kid
That they found lying on a beach
Born in a manger

You're free, baby, baby
Free now and forever
It's Christmas time
You can decide to forget or to remember
You're free, baby, baby
I didn't come down here to fight ya
I came down these streets of love and pride to surrender
The streets of surrender

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Civilization lyrics by U2

Civilization lyrics by U2

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'The Crystal Ballroom' song lyrics by U2

"The Crystal Ballroom," a B-side from U2's Songs of Innocence, is a nostalgic and deeply personal track, with Bono reflecting on his youth and the significance of the dance halls in Dublin, particularly the one his parents frequented. The ballroom becomes a metaphor for memory, love, and loss, capturing the energy and excitement of life before adulthood's complexities set in. Bono conjures an image of the past where people danced not just for joy, but as an act of freedom and rebellion. The repeated lyric, "If I could, I’d make it all right," speaks to a desire to reconcile with the past, to relive and correct moments that have since faded away.

Musically, the song channels a more upbeat, disco-inspired sound that contrasts with its reflective lyrical themes, embodying U2’s concept of "joy as an act of defiance" found throughout Songs of Innocence. The dance-hall references are intertwined with spiritual undertones, as Bono alludes to an almost ethereal transcendence through music and movement. It’s a rare glimpse into the singer’s personal history, where memory, music, and the passage of time coalesce into something deeply moving yet infectious.

The Crystal Ballroom is a bonus song that comes with the Deluxe Edition of Songs of Innocence.

The Crystal Ballroom lyrics by U2

 Life begins with the first glance
The first kiss at the first dance
All of us are wondering why we’re here
In the crystal ballroom underneath the chandelier

Wet the glass ’til the glasses sing
We punish our hearts ’til the heart bells ring
‘Cause where we come from
We’re not always kind
The human story is what love leaves behind

We’re the ghosts of love
And we haunt this place
We’re the ghosts of love
In every face
In the ballroom of the crystalline
Everyone’s here with me tonight
Everyone but you

Our first chance is their last dance
Our life is shaped by another’s hands
Buttoning, unbuttoning her Coco dress
Stopping and unstopping every cold caress

Born for bliss, born for this
Every human life begins with a kiss
Kissed by every kind of possibility
And everyone is here tonight with me

We’re the ghosts of love
And we haunt this place
We’re the ghosts of love
In every face
In the ballroom of the crystalline
Everyone’s here with me tonight

Everybody’s here with me tonight
Everybody’s here with me but you
Everybody’s here with me tonight
Everybody’s here with me but you
Everybody’s here with me tonight
Everybody’s here with me but you
Everybody’s here with me tonight
Everybody’s here with me but you

Born for bliss, born for this
Every human life begins with a kiss

Lucifer's Hands is also another track from the Special Version of the album.

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"Lucifer's Hands" song lyrics by U2

Along with The Crystal Ballroom, "Lucifer's Hands," is an additional track from U2's album "Songs of Innocence," released as part of the deluxe edition, delves into a blend of personal history, spiritual struggle, and the quest for redemption. This song, like many others in U2's repertoire, intertwines the band's personal narratives with broader, more universal themes, allowing listeners to find their own meanings in the lyrics.

One of the primary themes of "Lucifer's Hands" is the struggle between good and evil, both externally and within oneself. The title itself, invoking the name of Lucifer, a symbol of temptation and fallen grace in Christian theology, sets the stage for a narrative about confronting inner demons and moral challenges.

The lyrics, "I was chasing down the days of fear, chasing down a dream before it disappeared," suggest a journey through difficulties and uncertainties, metaphorically represented by 'Lucifer's hands' trying to take control.

The song also explores the theme of liberation and rebirth. 

The lines, "I got out from under Lucifer's hands, and I can dance, I can dance," indicate a triumphant escape from the grip of negative forces, whether they be personal struggles, doubts, or external challenges. 

"Lucifer's Hands" song lyrics by U2

Punk rock party in a suburban home
Everybody’s famous here but nobody’s known
We got no music ‘cause the speaker’s blown apart

The spirit’s moving through a seaside town
I’m born again to the latest sound
New wave airwaves swirling around my heart

You no longer got a hold on me
I’m out of Lucifer’s hands
You no longer got a hold on me
You’re no longer in control of me
I am

The NME is spitting from an inky page
St. John the Divine is gonna take the stage
Like a talent show where your talent is your rage
I’m in

Prayers of fire on a raindog night
Young men see visions beyond sound or sight
The Velvets beginning to see the light
Amen

You no longer got a hold on me
I’m out of Lucifer’s hands
You no longer got a hold on me
You’re no longer in control of me
I am

Yes, I can change the world
Yes, I can change the world
The poor breaking bread
That’s made out of stone
The rich man won’t eat
He’s eating alone
That’s easy
But I can’t change the world in me

You no longer got a hold on me
I’m out of Lucifer’s hands
You no longer got a hold on me
You’re no longer in control of me
I am

-

This theme of liberation is not just about physical freedom, but also about spiritual and emotional awakening. The ability to dance, in this context, symbolizes joy, freedom, and the reclaiming of one's spirit after being under a dark influence.

Additionally, "Lucifer's Hands" touches on the journey of finding one's voice and identity. This is particularly evident in the line, "I was playing with fire, not feeling the heat," which can be interpreted as a young person's experimentation with danger and risk, not fully understanding or acknowledging the consequences. This recklessness is a part of the search for identity, a common theme in U2's work, especially in "Songs of Innocence," which largely reflects on the band's formative years.

The song's lyrics also reflect a sense of nostalgia and reflection. References to the band's early influences, such as Joe Strummer and The Clash, connect the song to U2's musical roots and their journey as artists. This aspect of the song links personal growth and transformation to the wider context of their musical journey and influences.

Check out Song for Someone, also from Songs of Innocence.

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'Sleep like a baby tonight' song lyrics by U2

In “Sleep Like a Baby Tonight,” U2 addresses one of the most disturbing realities of modern Irish history—the sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests.

The song focuses not on the victim, but on the predator. Bono’s lyrics draw a portrait of a man who wears sanctity as disguise. The priest moves through his day—toast, tea, sugar—as if innocence has not been destroyed under his care.

That calm surface is the horror.

“Tomorrow dawns like someone else’s suicide” delivers the central wound. It’s the victim’s suffering—internalized, unseen, and fatal—juxtaposed against the priest’s untroubled sleep.

The song gains further weight when situated in the Irish context. U2’s childhoods were shaped by the Catholic Church’s dominance in schools, families, and public morality. To speak out against the Church was once unthinkable. 

Now, it is essential.

Bono’s falsetto on the track is fragile, nearly childlike. It mirrors the silenced voice of the abused. Against the priest’s peace, this trembling vocal line becomes the only echo of what was lost.

Lines like “Where the church is where the war is” and “No one can feel no one else’s pain” do not only name individual guilt—they implicate the institution. They point to a system that enabled, protected, and denied.

There is no metaphor in this song.

It is direct, accusatory, and moral. The Church, once seen as a source of healing, is exposed as a site of damage. U2 does not offer resolution. They offer exposure.

“Sleep Like a Baby Tonight” is not just about a priest. It’s about a nation betrayed, childhoods erased, and a silence that lasted too long.

U2 turns that silence into song.

'Sleep like a baby tonight' song lyrics by U2

Morning, your toast

Your tea and sugar

Read about the politician’s lover

Go through the day

Like a knife through butter

Why don’t you

You dress in the colours of forgiveness

Your eyes as red as Christmas

Purple robes are folded on the kitchen chair




You’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight

In your dreams everything is alright

Tomorrow dawns like someone else’s suicide

You’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight




Dreams

It’s a dirty business, dreaming

Where there is silence and not screaming

Where there’s no daylight

There’s no healing, no no




You’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight

In your dreams everything is alright

Tomorrow dawns like a suicide

But you’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight




Hope is where the door is

When the church is where the war is

Where no one can feel no one else’s pain


You’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight

In your dreams everything is alright

Tomorrow dawns like a suicide

But you’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight

Sleep like a baby tonight

Like a bird, your dreams take flight

Like St. Francis covered in light

You’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight

-

From the Songs of Innocence album released September 9 2014. That date is poignant for U2 as that is the date Bono's mother Iris died.

Read the lyrics to The Miracle.

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'Raised by Wolves' song lyrics by U2

In "Raised by Wolves," U2 confronts the brutal memory of the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings, a searing trauma etched into Bono's psyche since his near-brush with death on that fateful day. The track opens with vivid imagery of a man lying face down in "a pool of misery," while Bono, observing from the safety of a "white van," describes the carnage of a city street transformed into a bloody, chaotic scene.

The metaphorical "red sea" becomes a biblical deluge of violence, drowning the innocence of the people cut down in the bombings' aftermath.

Here, Bono captures not only the immediate horror of the event, but also the emotional wreckage that followed—his disillusionment palpable in the repeated refrain, "I don’t believe anymore."

This expression of faith lost and innocence shattered reverberates through the track, channeling the anguish and confusion of a teenager who could have easily been one of the victims.

The song's chorus, "Raised by wolves / Stronger than fear," suggests a generation hardened by violence and distrust, growing up amidst the sectarian tensions that tore through Ireland. The wolf imagery signifies not just survival, but a kind of brutal, feral conditioning—an upbringing in which fear was ever-present, yet ultimately something to be overcome.

Bono taps into a deeper commentary on how belief systems, when twisted by hate, justify the worst atrocities, as emphasized in the lines, "The worst things in the world / Are justified by belief." The recurring imagery of running wild, of an unleashed chaos and terror, underscores how these traumas are carried forward, haunting the victims and survivors alike.

In a final wrenching moment, Bono sings, "If I open my eyes, you disappear," as if willing the nightmare to vanish, yet knowing it is imprinted on his soul. "Raised by Wolves" stands as a visceral indictment of both the personal and political fallout of violence, an anthem of resilience in the face of terror, but also a lament for the faith and innocence that died on that blood-stained street.

Raised by Wolves song lyrics by U2

Face down on a broken street
There’s a man in the corner
In a pool of misery
I’m in white van
As a red sea covers the ground

Metal crash
I can’t tell what it is
But I take a look
And now I’m sorry I did
5:30 on a Friday night
33 good people cut down

I don’t believe anymore
I don’t believe anymore

Face down on a pillow of shame
There are some girls with a needle
Tryin’ to spell my name
My body’s not a canvas
My body’s now a toilet wall

I don’t believe anymore
I don’t believe anymore

Raised by wolves
Stronger than fear
Raised by wolves
We were raised by wolves
Raised by wolves
Stronger than fear
If I open my eyes
You disappear

Running wild
Running wild

Running wild
Boy sees his father
Crushed under the weight
Of a cross in a passion
Where the passion is hate
Running wild
Blue mink Ford
I’m gonna detonate in your den
Running wild
Blood in the house
Blood in the street
The worst things in the world
Are justified by belief
Running wild
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Running wild
I don’t believe anymore
Running wild
I don’t believe anymore

Raised by wolves
Stronger than fear
Raised by wolves
We were raised by wolves
Raised by wolves
Stronger than fear
If I open my eyes
You disappear

Running wild
Running wild
Running wild
Running wild
Running wild

-

On Songs of Innocence, U2 explores themes of trauma, loss, and the fragility of belief, drawing from their personal experiences and the tumultuous history of their homeland. Three songs that echo the thematic depth of "Raised by Wolves" are:

• "Iris (Hold Me Close)" reflects Bono’s deep grief over the loss of his mother, Iris, when he was just fourteen. Much like the existential disillusionment in “Raised by Wolves,” “Iris” expresses how early trauma scars the soul, leaving an emotional void that shapes the rest of one’s life. 
• “Cedarwood Road” similarly revisits Bono's youth, but through the lens of the tensions and violence that marked his Dublin neighborhood. Cedarwood Road becomes a metaphor for a place where survival required vigilance, much like being “raised by wolves.” Here, the fear and anger of a divided community mirror the disillusionment of witnessing senseless acts of violence. 
• Finally, “The Troubles” tackles the pervasive, haunting aftershocks of conflict on a personal level. The “troubles” of the song evoke both the Northern Ireland conflict and internal struggles with personal demons. Bono’s recurring line, “Somebody stepped inside your soul,” suggests how fear and trauma can take root, much as the wolves in "Raised by Wolves" come to symbolize the darker forces that shape identity. These songs form a triptych that captures U2’s exploration of trauma, resilience, and the complex relationship between personal history and collective memory.

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'Cedarwood Road' song lyrics meaning by U2

In "Cedarwood Road," Bono transports listeners back to his childhood home in Dublin, crafting a vivid landscape that mirrors the emotional tumult of his formative years. The lyrics pulse with the tension between fear and hope, friendship and isolation, painting Cedarwood Road as both a physical and psychological battleground. 

The cherry blossom tree—an image of fleeting beauty and renewal—stands as a gateway to something transcendent, a momentary escape from the harsh realities of teenage life in a neighborhood darkened by skinhead culture and the looming specter of violence. 

Yet, this road is more than a memory lane. It becomes a metaphor for the complexities of growing up, where the "foolish pride" that drives us out into the world can also lead to wounds that never fully heal. Bono reflects on the tension between holding onto the "hurt you hide" and the "joy you hold," a paradox that defines not just his upbringing, but the human condition at large.

U2 getting old...

As the song unfolds, the familiar streets of Bono’s youth blur into the broader realities of life—fear, identity, and the scars left by a fractured society. 

The line "It was a warzone in my teens" carries a dual meaning, touching on both the personal struggles of adolescence and the external strife of a city grappling with sectarian violence and economic hardship. This sense of a world at odds with itself is underscored by the symbolic clash of "bibles smashing" and the chaotic images of a world painted by opposing forces. 

The song’s conclusion—"And a heart that is broken / Is a heart that is open"—transcends the autobiographical, speaking to the universal truth that vulnerability and pain are inextricable from the possibility of redemption. "Cedarwood Road" becomes not just a reflection of a time and place, but an exploration of how the past, with all its scars, continues to shape and haunt our present selves.

'Cedarwood Road' song lyrics meaning by U2

I was running down the road
The fear was all I knew
I was looking for a soul that’s real
Then I ran into you
And that cherry blossom tree
Was a gateway to the sun
And friendship, once it’s won
It’s won, it’s one
Northside
Just across the river to the Southside
That’s a long way here
All the green and all the gold
The hurt you hide
The joy you hold
The foolish pride
That gets you out the door
Up on Cedarwood Road
On Cedarwood Road
Sleepwalking down the road
Not waking from these dreams
‘Cause it’s never dead
It’s still my dead
It was a warzone in my teens
I’m still standing on that street
Still need an enemy
The worst ones I can’t see
You can, you can
Northside
Just across the river to the Southside
That’s a long way here
All the green and all the gold
The hurt you hide
And the joy you hold
The foolish pride
That sends you back for more
Up on Cedarwood Road
On Cedarwood Road
If the door is open it isn’t theft
You can’t return to where you’ve never left
Blossoms falling from a tree
They cover you and cover me
Symbols clashing, bibles smashing
Paint the world you need to see
Sometimes fear is the only place
That we can call our home
Cedarwood Road
And a heart that is broken
Is a heart that is open
Open, open

Check out the lyrics to U2's Volcano which can also be found ripping it up on Songs of Innocence.

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