Rock and roll rhetoric: Sunday Bloody Sunday

“Sunday, bloody Sunday
Sunday. bloody Sunday
Sunday, bloody Sunday”

Simple, but effective.

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: