Assured Lament: U2 Sing the Psalms

Authors

  • Bill Goodman

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11157/rsrr2-1-483

Keywords:

U2, Psalms, Music

Abstract

The influence of the Psalms can be detected in many of the songs and live performances of the Irish band U2. Longing and anger are recurring themes, as is the interplay between the individual and the corporate. I discuss some important examples of this Psalmic influence, arguing that the songs offer a mixture of assured praise and anguished lament which intertwine and are held together in tension. Rather than attempt its explanation or resolution, these songs and their presentation indicate a willingness to live with the resultant dissonance.

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Published

2012-06-14

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2012)

Section

Articles

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How to Cite

Assured Lament: U2 Sing the Psalms. (2012). Relegere: Studies in Religion and Reception, 2(1), 109-32. https://doi.org/10.11157/rsrr2-1-483