ed ' ▁and ▁that ' s ▁what ▁the ▁ch orus ▁is . ▁So ▁me ▁and ▁B ono ▁started ▁going ▁back ▁and ▁forth ▁with ▁ideas , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁like , ▁' You ▁know ▁this ▁word ▁str and ed ▁keeps ▁standing ▁out ▁to ▁me ' ▁and ▁I ▁asked ▁him ▁to ▁sing ▁it , ▁and ▁he ▁put ▁me ▁on ▁hold ▁' c ause ▁he ' s ▁recording ▁the ▁ideas ▁on ▁a ▁D ict aph one ▁— ▁so ▁he ▁did ▁it ▁there ▁and ▁then ▁on ▁the ▁phone ." ▁ ▁B ono ▁and ▁The ▁Edge ▁then ▁did ▁further ▁writing ▁work ▁on ▁it ▁together . ▁ ▁The ▁recording ▁was ▁done ▁over ▁diverse ▁ge ographic ▁locations ▁and ▁m eld ed ▁together , ▁with ▁The ▁Edge ▁helping ▁out ▁with ▁extra ▁production ▁work . ▁ ▁Be atz ▁then ▁added ▁R ih anna ▁into ▁the ▁effort , ▁later ▁saying , ▁" I ▁knew ▁that ▁Jay ▁would ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁tell ▁a ▁story , ▁and ▁that ▁B ono ▁would ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁sing ▁and ▁bring ▁it ▁home . ▁The ▁last ▁component ▁that ▁I ▁added ▁was ▁R ih anna , ▁and ▁she ' s ▁kind a ▁like ▁the ▁ang el ▁that ' s ▁on ▁the ▁track , ▁soft ening ▁it ▁up ▁and ▁giving ▁it ▁that ▁car ing ▁feeling , ▁because ▁this ▁hook ▁is ▁so ▁powerful ." ▁ ▁The ▁final ▁recording ▁was ▁produced ▁by ▁Be atz ▁and ▁Dec lan ▁G aff ney . ▁In ▁the ▁song , ▁Jay - Z ▁narr ates ▁the ▁tale , ▁inv oking ▁questions ▁of ▁religion ▁and ▁government ▁while ▁ur ging