U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday Song Meanings
Lyrics:
Yes...
I can believe the news today
Oh, I can’t close my eyes and make it go away
How long...
How long must we sing this song?
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 Top Rated Interpretation
stephen
October 10th, 2008 10:05AM
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Bloody Sunday was one of the most significant events to take place during the Irish War of Independence, which followed the formation of a unilaterally declared Irish Republic and its parliament, Dáil Éireann. The army of the republic, the Irish Republican Army waged a guerrilla war against the Royal Irish Constabulary, its auxiliary organisations and the British Army, who were tasked with suppressing Irish separatism.
In response to IRA actions, the British Government formed paramilitary forces to augment the RIC, the "Black and Tans" (a nickname arising from their mixture of uniforms), and the Auxiliary Division (generally known as the Auxiliaries or Auxies). The behaviour of both groups immediately became controversial (one major critic was King George V) for their brutality and violence towards not just IRA suspects and prisoners but Irish people in general. In Dublin, the war largely took the form of assassinations and reprisals on either side.
The events on the morning of 21 November were an effort by the IRA in Dublin, under Michael Collins and Richard Mulcahy to wipe out the British intelligence organisation in the city. It was the police that were responsible for the British reprisals on the afternoon of Bloody Sunday
bloody sunday ! =}
anonymous
August 31st, 2005 02:19PM
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The song is about 1972 Belfast where British paramilitaries shot and killed unarmed protestors.
Bono has said that this song is a call for peace although many have viewed it otherwise.
DrunkenLlama
January 18th, 2006 09:55PM
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Well, folks are partially right and wrong about this one.
The metaphor is actually an amalgamation of Derry, 1972, but also a football riot in Dublin, WAY back in 1920.
Two messages can be extracted from the song. The first, most obviously, is Bono's anger not at any specific group, but at the irony of it all-Two sides who've each decided that not only are the semantics of their relationship with God the only proper ones, and they each love Him so much that they're willing to spill blood over it. ( One could also argue that he felt that neither side was really fighting because of their devotion to their faith but to their devotion to just plain old fighting because it's been so for such a long time).
The other point is that Bono is sick of reliving these events...quit re-opening old wounds, and begin the healing ("How long, how long must we sing this song").
The overall message is that the only side he's taking is that of peace. That was the point of "the victory Jesus won". He's pleading for both sides to leave past animosities behind, recognise that they're worshipping the same God, and to act on the priciples of God's word, not the fine print.
anonymous
April 2nd, 2009 08:28PM
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"The metaphor is actually an amalgamation of Derry, 1972, but also a football riot in Dublin, WAY back in 1920."
Sorry, but he notion of a football riot being Bloody Sunday is totally misguided and wrong. The event the poster is referring to is an act of reprisal by the British Forces, primarily the Black and Tans, to executions carried out by the IRA.
It was an All Ireland hurling semi final in Croke Park in Dublin, and the Brtish Forces drove onto the field in their armoured cars and mercilessly open fire on not only the spectators, but the players as well killing a player as well. It was a pre-meditated act of murder on behalf of the British Forces, and should not be merely regarded as a football riot!
Even to suggest that it happened "WAY back" in 1920 is misleading, as scars still run deep from this incident, it has only been a few years since foreign games have been allowed to be played at Croke Park (GAA Headquarters), and that members of British Security Forces have been allowed to participate in Gaelic Games. This incident was also the reason behind the furore over whether or not God Save The Queen should even be played at Croke Park when Ireland hosted England at rugby in 2007.
Aside from the misleading comment on the events, I do think the original poster was correct in suggest that the song referenced both events, Dublin 1920 and Free Derry 1972, however due to the timing of the song, and similar songs in that era (with one of the same title by John Lennon) I think it does apply to 1972 more.
anonymous
May 9th, 2010 08:03PM
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THis song was written about the war in Ireland over religion. (The protestants and catholics) The song is about how something that is supposed to be holy, i.e. Sunday, has turned into a hateful and bloody day. It is truly a very sad song. :-(
anonymous
July 2nd, 2010 09:22AM
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This song will now make me think of the G20 riots that took place in Toronto, except it was on a Saturday. I also interpret it as the church-goer who never seeks fulfillment out of going to church with the line, "How long, how long must we sing this song." I listen to this song every Sunday lol.
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