Rock and roll rhetoric: Sunday Bloody Sunday

 

Sunday bloody Sunday
Sunday bloody Sunday
Sunday bloody Sunday

Sunday Bloody Sunday, U2

Simple, but effective, even without the political resonances of the famous Bloody Sunday.

The Greek term is diacope and it describes repeating a word with another word (or words) in between to add emphasis. Thus:

  • Sunday bloody Sunday
  • Burn baby burn (disco inferno)
  • My Oh My (boy am I wasted)

And, of course: Bond, James Bond.

Back to U2, the lyrics are underpinned by the incessant snare drum tattoo and one of those guitar riffs you just had to learn if you were a teenager in the early 80s. Along with New Year’s Day from the same album, the song put U2 on the map.

Here’s the powerful performance from Red Rock:

The song featured on U2’s third album, War:

u2_war_album_cover