"
Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a song by the Irish
rock band
U2. It is the opening track from their 1983 album
War and was released as the album's third single on 11 March 1983 in
Germany and the
Netherlands. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is noted for its militaristic drumbeat, harsh guitar, and melodic harmonies. One of U2's most overtly political songs, its lyrics describe the horror felt by an observer of
the Troubles in
Northern Ireland, mainly focusing on the
Bloody Sunday incident in
Derry where British troops shot and killed unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders who were there to rally against internment (imprisonment without trial), while at the same time rejecting hate and revenge as a response noted in the lyrics, "There's many lost, but tell me who has won." Along with "
New Year's Day," the song helped U2 reach a wider listening audience. It was generally well received by critics on the album's release.