Text Analysis

Formal Analysis

The text presents a call to action to aid in the revolutionary struggles, but the combination of reluctant perseverance and the representation of solidarity in two specific points of the song contradict that message. The lines “It puts my back up against the wall… I won’t heed the battle call” and “Wipe your tears away/I’ll wipe your tears away” both evoke a sense of futility, pointlessness, and deep despair. Their pessimistic air is highlighted by the line referencing a dead-end street, where one cannot escape their enemy. But regardless of the fatalistic tone, the song never suggests surrender– even in its most tragic lines. Instead, there is a repeated motif of “tonight” and “tomorrow,” indicating a will to persist through hardship.

Contextual Analysis

Formed in 1976, U2 is a popular Irish rock band with a worldwide following. Despite the message of the lyrics themselves, U2’s lead singer, Bono, actually declared Sunday Bloody Sunday to be an apolitical song encouraging an end to the conflict in Ireland. Featuring the song in their 1983 album War, U2 preceded performances by informing audiences that “This is not a rebel song this song is ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday.’” In fact, some of the original lyrics were cut out from the song due to their outright criticism of the rebels’ guerilla tactics. In fear that their moderate stance would upset certain audiences, the band withdrew from performing in a 1982 St. Patrick’s Day concert after discovering its affiliation with IRA hunger striker, Bobby Sands. The self-referential repetition of the phrase, “How long must we sing this song” elicits feelings of frustration in the audience for the endless nature of the violence. Nevertheless, the interpretation of the song (particularly by listeners in Belfast) goes beyond the stated pacifist intentions of the musicians. Especially in the context of British authorities on Bloody Sunday being cleared of blame, rebels found that the song glorified their cause by highlighting horrific scenes from the aftermath of the massacre. The militaristic drumbeat, references to battle, and themes of unity were further received as a call to the Irish to stand together against their oppressors.

Intertextual Analysis

The biblical texts referenced in “Sunday Bloody Sunday” present an emphasized call for nonviolence given the religious subtext of the conflict of the Troubles. Arguably the most notable addition to the song is from 1 Corinthians 15:32, which states, “we eat and drink while tomorrow they die,” a slight deviation from the verse that originally reads “let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.” Corinthians is a chapter of the Bible focused on unity between believers, which aligns with U2’s political beliefs of prioritizing an end to the violent conflict over the resolution of human rights abuses. The change to the text to shift the focus from “us” and “we” to “we” and “they” suggests that the listeners of the song are removed from the conflict and have a sort of guilty complicity in the ongoing bloodshed, which further emphasizes the song’s call for violence to end.

"If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,

let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (1 Corinthians 15:32)

Final Thoughts

With “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” U2 speaks to the violence of the Troubles using biblical references and violent imagery. Though the band may have claimed their song to be apolitical and anti-war, its interpretation and use as a protest song for those standing against their oppressors cannot be denied. For decades, U2 played the song to mark various tragedies. Its continuing legacy is reflected in the lyrics: “How long must we play this song?” Its anti-war message has brought hope and inspiration to thousands of people and movements around the world, helping them through hard times.