Songs of Surrender

Songs of Surrender is an upcoming album of re-recorded songs by Irish rock band U2. Produced by guitarist the Edge, it is scheduled to be released on 17 March 2023 on Island Records and Interscope Records.[2] The album will comprise re-recorded and reinterpreted versions of 40 songs from the group's back catalogue. The full track listing is organized into four "albums" each named for one of the band members. All studio albums from the group's career are represented with the exception of October (1981) and No Line on the Horizon (2009).

This article is about the U2 album. For the film, see Song of Surrender.
Songs of Surrender
Studio album of re-recorded songs by
U2
Released17 March 2023 (2023-03-17)
LabelIsland, Interscope
ProducerThe Edge
U2 chronology
Songs of Experience
(2017)		 Songs of Surrender
(2023)
Singles from Songs of Surrender
  1. "Pride (In the Name of Love)"
    Released: 11 January 2023[1]
  2. "With or Without You"
    Released: 27 January 2023
  3. "One"
    Released: 12 February 2023

Songs of Surrender is a companion to lead vocalist Bono's memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, which was released in November 2022. For the audiobook edition of the memoir, each chapter was briefly introduced with a re-recording of the U2 song for which it was named, and during the book's promotional tour, Bono performed many songs with stripped-down arrangements mirroring those from the album. The book's chapters and the album track listing share 28 songs in common.

Background

Songs of Surrender was recorded over a two-year period during lockdowns for the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] Produced and curated by guitarist the Edge,[4] the album will comprise re-recorded and reinterpreted versions of 40 songs from U2's back catalogue.[5] While working on the album, the band reviewed demo recordings with producer Bob Ezrin to determine which song arrangements worked and which ones needed refinement.[6]

Bassist Adam Clayton first mentioned a re-recording project during a June 2021 interview with Rocky O'Riordan on the band's U2-X Radio station on Sirius XM: "we are playing around with rearranging some of the songs that we have and setting them in a more acoustic environment. Edge got a bit of a bee in his bonnet and... said let's look at these songs and imagine them in a different context. So we are playing around with that. He's putting a lot of work into changing the keys, and moving them onto piano and that sort of thing." Clayton added that he hoped for a release by the end of 2021.[7][8]

Songs of Surrender is a companion to lead vocalist Bono's memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, which was released in November 2022.[3] For the audiobook edition of the memoir, each chapter was briefly introduced with a re-recording of the U2 song for which it was named,[9][7] and during the "Stories of Surrender" promotional tour for the book, Bono performed many songs with stripped-down arrangements mirroring those from the album. Although it was speculated that the record's 40 tracks would match the book's 40 chapter names, the two do not completely align with one another; ultimately, 28 songs match across both projects.[5]

Bono mentioned the Songs of Surrender project in a section of his memoir titled "After the After Words". After acknowledging he had rewritten some of his lyrics in the book, he wrote: "During lockdown we were able to reimagine forty U2 tracks for the Songs of Surrender collection, which gave me a chance to live inside those songs again as I wrote this memoir. It also meant I could deal with something that's been nagging me for some time. The lyrics on a few songs that I've always felt were never quite written. They are now. (I think.)"[10] At the end of the month, in a Washington Post article profiling the band prior to their receipt of Kennedy Center Honors, writer Geoff Edgers said that the group had recorded "40 stripped-down versions of the songs featured in the memoir" and that the collection was targeted for release in early 2023.[11]

Release and promotion

In January 2023, select U2 fans worldwide received photocopies of a handwritten letter by the Edge via postal mail in which he teased the project. The top of the letter bore a short sequence of Morse code that spelled out the album title.[7] Around the same time, 40 of the group's songs were updated on Spotify with an embedded video snippet that depicted the same Morse code, leading fans to piece together what they believed to be the track listing.[5]

Songs of Surrender was officially announced on 10 January 2023 with a trailer video soundtracked by a new version of "Beautiful Day"; the video also revealed the album's release date of 17 March.[12] The day after the project was announced, the track listings and release formats were confirmed,[5] accompanied by the release of a new version of "Pride (In the Name of Love)"; radio host Dave Fanning premiered the song on RTÉ 2fm.[4] A second song, "With or Without You", was released on 27 January,[13] and a third song, "One", soundtracked the National Football League's presentation of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award prior to Super Bowl LVII on 12 February.[14]

The album will be released in the following formats:[5][15]

  • Digital download – full track listing of 40 songs
  • Super Deluxe Hardback Collector's edition (4 CDs, or 4 vinyl LPs) – full track listing of 40 songs
  • Deluxe edition (CD) – 20 songs
  • Standard edition (CD, 2 vinyl LPs, or cassette tape) – 16 songs

To coincide with the album's 17 March release date, a television special entitled Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming, With Dave Letterman will be released on Disney+. The programme, directed by Morgan Neville, will feature documentary footage of Bono and the Edge touring their native Dublin with comedian David Letterman, as well as a concert performance.[16]

Track listing

Full digital and super deluxe physical versions

All lyrics are written by Bono, except where noted; all music is composed by U2, except where noted.

Disc one – The Edge
No.TitleOriginally released onLength
1."One"Achtung Baby (1991)3:36
2."Where the Streets Have No Name"The Joshua Tree (1987) 
3."Stories for Boys"Boy (1980) 
4."11 O'Clock Tick Tock"non-album single (1980) 
5."Out of Control"Boy 
6."Beautiful Day"All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000) 
7."Bad"The Unforgettable Fire (1984) 
8."Every Breaking Wave" (lyrics: Bono, the Edge)Songs of Innocence (2014) 
9."Walk On (Ukraine)"All That You Can't Leave Behind 
10."Pride (In the Name of Love)"The Unforgettable Fire3:57
Disc two – Larry
No.TitleOriginally released onLength
1."Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses"Achtung Baby 
2."Get Out of Your Own Way"Songs of Experience (2017) 
3."Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" (lyrics: Bono, the Edge)All That You Can't Leave Behind 
4."Red Hill Mining Town"The Joshua Tree 
5."Ordinary Love" (music: U2, Brian Burton)Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom soundtrack (2013) 
6."Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own"How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004) 
7."Invisible"Songs of Innocence deluxe edition 
8."Dirty Day" (lyrics: Bono, the Edge)Zooropa (1993) 
9."The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)"Songs of Innocence 
10."City of Blinding Lights"How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb 
Disc three – Adam
No.TitleOriginally released onLength
1."Vertigo" (lyrics: Bono, the Edge)How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb 
2."I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"The Joshua Tree 
3."Electrical Storm"The Best of 1990–2000 (2002) 
4."The Fly"Achtung Baby 
5."If God Will Send His Angels" (lyrics: Bono, the Edge)Pop (1997) 
6."Desire"Rattle and Hum (1988) 
7."Until the End of the World"Achtung Baby 
8."Song for Someone" (lyrics: Bono, the Edge)Songs of Innocence 
9."All I Want Is You"Rattle and Hum 
10."Peace on Earth"All That You Can't Leave Behind 
Disc four – Bono
No.TitleOriginally released onLength
1."With or Without You"The Joshua Tree3:14
2."Stay (Faraway, So Close!)"Zooropa 
3."Sunday Bloody Sunday"War (1983) 
4."Lights of Home" (music: U2, Alana Haim, Danielle Haim, Este Haim, Ariel Rechtshaid)Songs of Experience 
5."Cedarwood Road" (lyrics: Bono, the Edge)Songs of Innocence 
6."I Will Follow"Boy 
7."Two Hearts Beat as One"War 
8."Miracle Drug" (lyrics: Bono, the Edge)How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb 
9."The Little Things That Give You Away"Songs of Experience 
10."40"War 

Standard and deluxe physical versions
Standard 16-track CD, vinyl, and cassette
No.TitleLength
1."One" 
2."Where the Streets Have No Name" 
3."Stories for Boys" 
4."Walk On (Ukraine)" 
5."Pride (In the Name of Love)" 
6."City of Blinding Lights" 
7."Ordinary Love" 
8."Invisible" 
9."Vertigo" 
10."I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" 
11."The Fly" 
12."If God Will Send His Angels" 
13."Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" 
14."Sunday Bloody Sunday" 
15."I Will Follow" 
16."40" 


Deluxe 20-track CD
No.TitleLength
1."One" 
2."Where the Streets Have No Name" 
3."Stories for Boys" 
4."Beautiful Day" 
5."Walk On (Ukraine)" 
6."Pride (In the Name of Love)" 
7."City of Blinding Lights" 
8."Red Hill Mining Town" 
9."Ordinary Love" 
10."Invisible" 
11."Vertigo" 
12."I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" 
13."The Fly" 
14."If God Will Send His Angels" 
15."Until the End of the World" 
16."With or Without You" 
17."Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" 
18."Sunday Bloody Sunday" 
19."I Will Follow" 
20."40" 

References
  1. Qureshi, Arusa (11 January 2023). "Listen to 'reimagined and re-recorded' version of U2's 'Pride (In The Name Of Love)'". NME. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  2. Blistein, Jon (10 January 2023). "U2 Reimagined 40 of Their Own Songs for New Album 'Songs of Surrender'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  3. Kaufman, Gil (11 January 2023). "U2 to Revisit 40 Classic Tracks on 'Songs of Surrender' Collection". Billboard. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  4. "U2 share new version of 'Pride (In The Name Of Love)' from Songs Of Surrender". Hot Press. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  5. Willman, Chris (10 January 2023). "U2 Set to Release 'Songs of Surrender' Album in March, With 40 Remakes of Older Songs". Variety. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  6. Rettig, James (11 January 2023). "U2 Share Re-Recorded 'Pride (In The Name Of Love)'". Stereogum. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  7. Slingerland, Calum (9 January 2023). "U2 Rerecord 40 Songs for New Album 'Songs of Surrender'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  8. Sams, Aaron J. (14 June 2021). "Adam Clayton on What's Coming Next". U2songs.com. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  9. DeVille, Chris (10 January 2023). "U2 Announce New Album Songs Of Surrender Featuring 40 Re-Recorded Tracks". Stereogum. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  10. "U2 announce new album Songs Of Surrender featuring 40 re-imagined and re-recorded songs". Hot Press. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  11. Edgers, Geoff (4 December 2022). "U2: One since '76". The Washington Post. sec. Arts, E11. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  12. Daly, Rhian (10 January 2023). "U2 announce album of 'reimagined and re-recorded' tracks, 'Songs Of Surrender'". NME. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  13. Mier, Tomás (27 January 2023). "U2 Reimagine 'With or Without You' Nearly 40 Years Later". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  14. Corcoran, Nina (12 February 2023). "U2 Announce Achtung Baby Las Vegas Residency in New Super Bowl Commercial". Pitchfork. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  15. "WATCH: U2 announce new 40-song album to be released on St. Patrick's Day". Irish Central. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  16. Hailu, Selome (13 January 2023). "'Bono & The Edge' Documentary Special With David Letterman Greenlit at Disney+ Ahead of Upcoming U2 Album". Variety. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
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