U2, following in the footsteps of Bruce Springsteen, is making a political statement with its latest material.
The Irish supergroup, releasing its first new music since 2017, led off its new six-song EP with a track titled American Obituary, dedicated to the late Renee Good.
Good was fatally shot at 37 on on January 7 in Minneapolis during a confrontation with an ICE officer.
Lyrics in the politically-charged track include: ‘Renee Good born to die free/American mother of three/Seventh day January, a bullet for each child, you see.’
The chorus features the lyrics, ‘What you can’t kill can’t die/ America will rise against the people of the lie.’
The song – which is dedicated in Good’s memory and calls for peace – comes off the band’s EP U2 – Days of Ash, which was released Wednesday.
U2, following in the footsteps of Bruce Springsteen, is making a political statement with its latest material. Pictured in Washington DC in 2022
Lead singer Bono, 65, said in a digital fanzine that came with the album that the track is a ‘song of fury… but more than that a song of grief.
The Beautiful Day artist added, ‘Not just for Renee but for the death of an America that at the very least would have had an inquiry into her killing…
‘For her family as well as the credibility of law enforcement and the critical role they play in keeping the peace, keeping the citizenry safe.’
Other tracks on the EP cover issues such as conflicts in the Ukraine and the Middle East.
Bono said that the time was right to release a song addressing ongoing political controversies in the United States.
‘U2’s been banging on about America most of our artistic life… this is a country we love and has loved us back. Amazingly.
‘Americans for the most part have given U2 and me in particular permission to mouth off…
‘And on this stuff I think people know that I’ve been an equal opportunity pest on the left as well as the right.’
Renee Good was fatally shot at 37 on on January 7 in Minneapolis during a confrontation with an ICE officer
Bono said that the time was right to release a song addressing ongoing political controversies in the United States
An ICE agent holds a taser as they stand watch after one of their vehicles got a flat tire on February 5, 2026 in Minneapolis
Renee Good’s partner Becca Good said Wednesday in a statement: ‘Renee didn’t just believe in kindness; she lived it, fully and fiercely. She believed every person deserved the same compassion, care and dignity regardless of who they were.’
Good’s family, in a statement, called the track in her honor from the iconic rock outfit ‘an incredible honor.’
They said they were uplifted ‘to have the talent and impact of U2 spreading the message of peace in Renee’s name.
‘We certainly feel the urgency of the country’s situation reflected in the band’s powerful call for change and coming together.’
Last month, Bruce Springsteen put out a track called streets of Minneapolis, which he said in a statement was ‘dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.’
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