U2 Lyrics

U2 lyrics are one of the big reasons this Dublin band has acquired 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band in history. This world acclaimed band are not only known as top-notch musicians and lyric writers, but as influential social activists pursuing worldwide, peace and justice through their songs and through their actions outside of the music business.

The U2 lyrics that were perhaps the first popular protest lyrics are in the song “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” on the album War, which debuted in 1983. These U2 lyrics told a tale about the war in Northern Ireland and how Protestants and Catholics needed to unite to fight against death and destruction and not for it.

Another song from the same album, “New Year’s Day” carried the theme global unrest and particularly the solidarity movement in Poland at the time under Lech Walesa. While others consider it a war song, Bono considers the lyrics to be about love in a time of war.

Staying with the anti-war theme, U2 released the album The Unforgettable Fire, which was inspired by painting of the atomic bomb drops at Nagasaki and Hiroshima that hung in the Chicago Peace Museum. On this album, the U2 lyrics of “Pride (In the Name of Love) are about those throughout history who have died in pride preaching equality for all men. Both Jesus and Martin Luther King, Jr. are eluded to in the lyrics.

After this album, U2 started working with Amnesty International and touring on their behalf. Seeing first hand the oppression in Nicaragua and San Salvador helped Bono in writing the lyrics to the next album, Joshua Tree, which was also seen as a tribute to the American lifestyle such as in the song, “In God’s Country”.

Even so, the U2 lyrics in Joshua Tree featured many love songs that became mega hits such as “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and “With or Without You”. As in other U2 albums, this album’s lyrics also featured rich religious imagery and images of war.

Recently, it has been reported that U2 is recording a new album that is due out sometime in 2007. The album was being recorded in the Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles used to record as well. U2 continues in their humanitarian efforts to promote efforts to stop the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa.