"God Part II" is a song by
rock band
U2, and the 14th track from their 1988 album ''
Rattle and Hum''.
Content
It was written as an
answer song to
John Lennon's "
God", having the same kind of lyrical structure. It also contains an attack on American biographer
Albert Goldman, on the following verses, by way of Lennon's song "
Instant Karma!":
:''I don't believe in Goldman''
:''His type like a curse''
:''Instant Karma's gonna get him''
:''If I don't get him first''
Additionally, the song alludes to
Bruce Cockburn's "
Lovers in a Dangerous Time", in the lyric "Heard a singer on the radio late last night/He says he's gonna kick the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight."
The song is a departure from the folksy-
roots rock sound of the album's other studio recordings and is an introduction to the darker sound the band would adopt following the release of their next album, ''
Achtung Baby''.
A remix entitled the 'Hard Metal Dance Mix' was released on the "
When Love Comes to Town" single.
Live performance history
"God Part II" was only played on the
Lovetown Tour
The Lovetown Tour was a concert tour by the Irish rock band U2, which took place in late 1989 and early 1990 following the release of ''Rattle and Hum''. It was documented by noted rock film director Richard Lowenstein in the "LoveTown" docum ...
in late 1989 and early 1990. It was played at 36 of the 47 concerts; it debuted at the first show of the tour on 21 September 1989 in
Perth and was last performed at the second-last show of the tour on 9 January 1990 in
Rotterdam. It was one of six songs to be used as concert openers on the tour, opening two concerts: 26 December 1989 in
Dublin and 5 January 1990 in Rotterdam. For these two performances, its heavy bassline was linked to a recording of the
Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
' "
Sympathy for the Devil".
A performance from a Dublin show later saw light on the release ''
Live from the Point Depot
''Love: Live from the Point Depot'' is a digital live album by U2 released through the iTunes Music Store on November 23, 2004 as part of the digital box set, ''The Complete U2''. The show was recorded during U2's Lovetown Tour on New Year' ...
''.
After the Lovetown Tour, its sole live appearance was as a brief lyrical snippet by Bono at the end of "
With or Without You" on 23 April 1992 in
Vancouver.
[U2-Vertigo-Tour.com]
Setlist for 23 April 1992, Vancouver
accessed 25 September 2007.
See also
*
List of covers of U2 songs - God Part II
References
{{authority control
U2 songs
1988 songs
Song recordings produced by Jimmy Iovine
Songs written by Bono
Songs written by Adam Clayton
Songs written by the Edge
Songs written by Larry Mullen Jr.