U2 have shared a cover of The Pogues’ ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’, which they recorded for an upcoming Shane MacGowan tribute album. The project, titled ‘20th Century Paddy – The Songs Of Shane MacGowan’, is a collection of songs the late frontman “wanted to make himself” and is scheduled for release on November 13.
Bono and Shane MacGowan. CREDIT: Kevin Mazur/Getty
The tribute album features an array of high-profile artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Depp, The Libertines, Tom Waits, and Primal Scream. The project aims to honor the legacy of the legendary songwriter, with half of all artist royalties being donated to the Dublin Simon Community to support those experiencing homelessness.
Reflecting on the late musician, The Edge stated: “Shane MacGowan was full of contradictions — and that’s where the truth of him lived. He could be precise about what mattered and gloriously careless about everything else. If that sounds like a kind of performance, maybe it was. But as Oscar Wilde put it, ‘a mask tells us more than a face.’”
The Edge continued, noting that MacGowan’s unique persona was a signal of his place in a musical lineage. “The crooked grin, the wildness, the old-Ireland inflections — they weren’t disguises so much as signals. A way of placing himself in a lineage that ran from the pub storyteller to the punk stage. Somewhere between John B. Keane and The Clash, he found a voice that felt both ancient and completely of its time.”
U2’s involvement in the project is a testament to their long-standing friendship with MacGowan. The band has frequently performed alongside him and covered his work, including a notable performance of ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’ with Johnny Depp at MacGowan’s 60th birthday concert in 2018. Following MacGowan’s passing in November 2023, the band paid tribute to his songwriting, noting: “Shane MacGowan’s songs were perfect so he or we his fans didn’t have to be.”
