There are 2 Bloody Sundays in Irish history. The first was in 1920 when British troops fired into the crowd at a football match in Dublin in retaliation for the killing of British undercover agents. The second was on January 30, 1972, when British paratroopers killed 13 Irish citizens at a civil rights protest in Derry. The song is more about the second Bloody Sunday. (thanks, Céire - Dublin, Ireland)
The lyrics are a nonpartisan condemnation of the historic bloodshed in Ireland. Politics is not something you want to discuss in Ireland.
Bono used to introduce this at concerts by saying: "This is not a rebel song."
U2 performed this in Croke Park, the site of the 1972 Bloody Sunday in Dublin.
Bono started writing this with political lyrics condemning the Irish Republican Army (the IRA), a militant group dedicated to getting British troops out of Northern Ireland. He changed them to point out the atrocities of war without taking sides.
While performing this, Bono would wave a white flag as a call for peace.
Bono was trying to contrast the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre with Easter Sunday, a peaceful day Protestants and Catholics both celebrate.
Larry Mullen's drums were recorded in a staircase of their Dublin recording studio. Producer Steve Lillywhite was trying to get a full sound with a natural echo.
Steve Wickham, who went on to join The Waterboys, played the electric fiddle.
This took on new meaning as the conflict in Northern Ireland continued through the '90s.
U2 recorded this in Denver for their Rattle And Hum movie on November 8, 1987. It was the same day as the Enniskillen massacre, where 13 people in Northern Ireland were killed by a bomb detonated by the Irish Republican Army (the IRA). Angered by these events, U2 gave a very emotional performance.
The version on U2's live album Under A Blood Red Sky was recorded in Germany.
In 2003, The Edge inducted The Clash into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In his speech, he said, "There is no doubt in my mind that "Sunday Bloody Sunday" wouldn't - and couldn't - have been written if not for The Clash."
got if off google
