U2 - American Obituary Lyrics

U2 Lyrics

"American Obituary"

You have the right to remain silent
Or not

God above a mother's love
A guiding hand to pick you up
To crush her like a coffee cup
Why?
Crossing guard or yellow bus
Our children teach us who to trust
The worst can't kill what's best in us
But they can try

America will rise
Against the people of the lie

I love you more
Than hate loves war
I love you more
Than hate loves war
War, war

War, war
We love you more
War, war
Than hate loves war

Renée Good, born to die free
American mother of three
Seventh day, January
A bullet for each child, you see
The colour of her eye
Nine-thirty, Minneapolis
To desecrate domestic bliss
Three bullets blast, three babies kissed
Renée the "domestic terrorist"
Well, what you can't kill can't die

America will rise
Against the people of the lie

I love you more
Than hate loves war
I love you more
Than hate loves war, war
War, war

We love you more
War, war
Than hate loves war

I am not mad at you, Lord
You're the reason I was there
Could you stop a heart from breaking
By having it not care?
Could you stop a bullet in mid-air?

The power of the people is so much stronger
Than the people in power
The power of the people is so much stronger
Than the people in power
The power of the people is so much stronger
Than the people in power
In the streets with children playing
In the churches where they're praying
School teachers are explaining
America, America
The power of the people!

We love you more (We say, we say, we say)
Than hate loves war
I love you more (I say, I say)
Than hate loves war

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Writer(s): Adam Clayton, Dave Evans, Larry Mullen, Paul David Hewson

"American Obituary" is a tribute to Renée Good who was fatally shot by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on the 7th of January, 2026. The song was released on the 18th of February, 2026.

U2 said the song was not only about the death of Renée Good but also as a call for justice during a deeply divided moment in American society. Bono shared in a special 40th-anniversary edition of the band's magazine, Propaganda, "...Not just for Renée 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."

EP: "Days Of Ash" (2026)

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"American Obituary" lyrics

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