U2 have shared a cover of The Pogues’ ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’, which they recorded for an upcoming Shane MacGowan tribute album.
A tribute album to The Pogues‘ late frontman was announced back in March, and is set for release on November 13. It will feature artists including Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Depp, The Libertines, Tom Waits, Primal Scream and more. Pre-order it here.
‘20th Century Paddy – The Songs Of Shane MacGowan’ is a collection of songs the late frontman “wanted to make himself”, according to a press release. As well as a digital release, it will also be available as a limited edition physical release, which includes 3LPs, 2CDs, a 56-page book of memorabilia and liner notes.
The first taster from the record – a reimagined version of the classic Pogues hit ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’ performed by Bruce Springsteen – arrived in March. Since then, there has been a cover of ‘The Body Of An American’ recorded by Dropkick Murphys released too.
Now, another taster of the album has arrived, as U2 share their cover of The Pogues’ 1989 track ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’.
In a new statement regarding the album, U2 guitarist The Edge shared: “Shane MacGowan was full of contradictions — and that’s where the truth of him lived.
“He could be precise about what mattered and gloriously careless about everything else. If that sounds like a kind of performance, maybe it was. But as Oscar Wilde put it, ‘a mask tells us more than a face.’”
He continued: “The crooked grin, the wildness, the old-Ireland inflections — they weren’t disguises so much as signals. A way of placing himself in a lineage that ran from the pub storyteller to the punk stage. Somewhere between John B. Keane and The Clash, he found a voice that felt both ancient and completely of its time.”
Other artists set to feature on the album include Hozier, David Gray, The Jesus And Mary Chain, The Murder Capital, Kate Moss, Oscar-winner Jessie Buckley, the late Glen Hansard and more.
Discussing the tribute album, Victoria Mary Clarke, MacGowan’s wife and the driving force behind the project, said: “Shane’s spirit and songwriting are eternally exalted through this glorious collection.
“Each song is uniquely and graciously interpreted by these beyond beautiful artists, and his family are humbled by and thankful to each and every one of the musicians involved, to the delightful team at Rubyworks, and to John Kennedy, without whom this would not have happened.”
MacGowan passed away in November 2023, dying “peacefully” in hospital from pneumonia. He was 65 years-old and his funeral took place in Nenagh, County Tipperary on December 8 that year.
Half of all the artist royalties from the tribute album will be donated to Dublin Simon Community to provide lifesaving housing and healthcare for those experiencing homelessness.
U2’s contribution to the record comes as the band were close friends with MacGowan and played alongside him many times. They have also covered The Pogues multiple times – including playing ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’ alongside Johnny Depp at MacGowan’s 60th birthday concert in 2018.
They later covered the same song during their residency at the Las Vegas Sphere in 2023, adding it to their setlist shortly after news of the singer’s death.
After news of his passing broke, they shared a touching post online too, which had the caption: “Shane MacGowan’s songs were perfect so he or we his fans didn’t have to be.”