'' War '' opens with the protest song " Sunday Bloody Sunday " . The song describes the horror felt by an observer of The Troubles in Northern Ireland , specifically Bloody Sunday ( 1972 ) . Already a departure from the themes of innocence and spirituality displayed on the group 's first two albums , " Sunday Bloody Sunday " introduces the album with a startling , military-esque drum beat by Larry Mullen , Jr. , a fuming solo by the Edge that segues into staccato bursts reminiscent of machine gun fire , and pointed lyrical couplets such as : " And today the millions cry / We eat and drink while tomorrow they die . " The album as a whole is more direct than the ambient '' October '' . Bono said in 1983 , " Sunday Bloody Sunday " is considered to be among the greatest political protest songs , and has remained a staple of U2 's live concerts for 25 years
Bloody Sunday ( 1972 )
Bloody Sunday (1972)
War (U2 album)