U2 have changed the lyrics to their song “Pride (In the Name of Love)” in honor of the victims of the massacre at the Israeli music festival.
Last Saturday (07.10.23), Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip unleashed their reign of terror on the Supernova Festival in Israel, killing over 260 people.
The electronic music festival was held in the desert near the Gaza-Israel border. It coincided with the week-long Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which runs from Friday, Sept. 29 to Friday, Oct. 6.
Frontman Bono, 62, dedicated the 2003 hit to “our brothers and sisters – who were singing themselves at the Supernova Sukkot festival in Israel” during U2’s latest show at the Sphere in Las Vegas on Sunday (08Oct23).
He added: “We sing for them. Our people, our kind of people, music people. Playful, experimental people. Our kind of people. We sing for them.
“In light of what’s happening in Israel and Gaza, a song about nonviolence seems a little ridiculous, even laughable, but our prayers have always been for peace and nonviolence… But our hearts and our anger, you know where that’s going. So sing with us … and those beautiful children at the music festival.
The Irish rock band rewrote the original lyrics, which refer to the death of American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., to refer to the Hamas attack for their powerful rendition of the 1984 track.
The rewritten verse read: “Early morning, October 7, the sun is rising in the desert sky/ Stars of David, they took your life but they could not take your pride.
In addition to U2, many other stars and artists have spoken out about the horrific attack. Natalie Portman, Gal Gadot and Madonna are among them.
