U2 Share Poignant Cover of The Pogues’ ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’
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 tracks the late frontman “wanted to make himself” and is scheduled for release on November 13. It will feature a star-studded lineup, including Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Depp, The Libertines, Tom Waits, and Primal Scream.
Bono and Shane MacGowan. CREDIT: Kevin Mazur/Getty
The album serves as a comprehensive tribute to the legendary songwriter, arriving in both digital and physical formats, the latter of which includes 3LPs, 2CDs, and a 56-page book of memorabilia. The first glimpse of the project arrived in March with a reimagined version of ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’ by Bruce Springsteen, followed by a cover of ‘The Body Of An American’ by Dropkick Murphys.
Reflecting on the late artist, U2 guitarist 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.’”
He added: “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.”
Victoria Mary Clarke, MacGowan’s wife and the driving force behind the project, noted that the family is humbled by the participation of such esteemed artists. Half of all artist royalties from the tribute album will be donated to the Dublin Simon Community to support those experiencing homelessness.
U2’s involvement is deeply personal, given their long-standing friendship with MacGowan. The band has frequently performed Pogues material, including a notable rendition of ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’ at MacGowan’s 60th birthday concert in 2018 and during their 2023 residency at the Las Vegas Sphere.
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