U2: tribute to Shane MacGowan ahead of the tribute album – Listen to their cover of The Pogues' "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah"

U2 celebrate Shane MacGowan with a new version of "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah", a track originally released by The Pogues in 1988. The reinterpretation retains the immediacy and punk energy of the original, but folds it into the sound of Bono and The Edge's band, with prominent bass, layered guitars and a broader dynamic range.
The cover previews "20th Century Paddy – The Songs Of Shane MacGowan", a collective tribute album dedicated to the Pogues singer and songwriter, who passed away in November 2023.

The Edge remembered MacGowan by dwelling on the contradictions that made his personality so unique: "Shane MacGowan was full of contradictions, and that's exactly where his truth lived." According to the guitarist, the musician managed to fuse the imagery of old Ireland with a punk attitude, letting folk tradition, political memory, black humour and romanticism coexist. "His songs feel like they've always existed," he added.
The U2 track is the second preview of the album, following "A Rainy Night In Soho", reinterpreted by Bruce Springsteen. The American singer-songwriter had described MacGowan as an author with a voice that was "profoundly real, profane and honest", and writing steeped in history.

The collection also features contributions from Hozier and Jessie Buckley, Tom Waits, Primal Scream, The Libertines, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Dropkick Murphys, Steve Earle, Johnny Depp with Imelda May, Lisa O'Neill and The Murder Capital, and the late Glen Hansard. The title borrows the name of a project MacGowan himself had once envisioned. The album was put together with the involvement of his wife Victoria Mary Clarke and his sister Siobhan MacGowan, turning that idea into a collective tribute to his work. "Shane's spirit and songwriting are eternally celebrated through this glorious collection," Clarke stated. At least 50 percent of the artists' royalties will go to the Dublin Simon Community, an organisation dedicated to helping homeless people in the Irish capital.
"20th Century Paddy – The Songs Of Shane MacGowan" will be released digitally and in several physical editions, including a deluxe box set comprising three LPs, two CDs and a 60-page book featuring photographs, archive material and insights into MacGowan's life and music.

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