U2 has released a cover of The Pogues’ track ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,’ recorded for an upcoming tribute album honoring Shane MacGowan.
The tribute album, announced in March, is slated for release on November 13 and will showcase a roster of artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Depp, The Libertines, Tom Waits, Primal Scream, and others.
Titled ‘20th Century Paddy – The Songs Of Shane MacGowan,’ the collection features songs the late frontman “wanted to make himself,” per a press release. In addition to a digital edition, a limited‑run physical version will be offered, comprising three vinyl LPs, two CDs, and a 56‑page book of memorabilia and liner notes.
The album’s first preview arrived in March with Bruce Springsteen’s reimagining of the classic Pogues hit ‘A Rainy Night In Soho.’ Subsequent previews have included a cover of ‘The Body Of An American’ by Dropkick Murphys.
Now, another preview has surfaced as U2 unveil their rendition of The Pogues’ 1989 track ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.’
In a recent statement about the album, U2 guitarist The Edge remarked: “Shane MacGowan was full of contradictions—and that’s where his truth lay.
“He could be meticulous about what mattered and gloriously careless about everything else. If that sounds like a kind of performance, perhaps it was. Yet as Oscar Wilde observed, ‘a mask tells us more than a face.’”
He added, “The crooked grin, the wildness, the old‑Ireland inflections—these weren’t disguises but signals. A means of situating himself within a lineage stretching from the pub storyteller to the punk stage. Somewhere between John B. Keane and The Clash, he discovered a voice that felt both ancient and utterly of its era.”
Additional contributors to the album include Hozier, David Gray, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Murder Capital, Kate Moss, Oscar winner Jessie Buckley, the late Glen Hansard, among others.
Victoria Mary Clarke, MacGowan’s wife and the project’s chief architect, commented: “Shane’s spirit and songwriting are eternally exalted through this glorious collection.
“Each track is uniquely and graciously interpreted by these remarkable artists, and his family is humbled and grateful to every musician involved, to the delightful team at Rubyworks, and to John Kennedy, whose contribution made this possible.”
MacGowan died in November 2023, passing away peacefully in hospital from pneumonia at age 65. His funeral was held in Nenagh, County Tipperary, on December 8 of that year.
Half of all artist royalties from the album will be donated to the Dublin Simon Community to fund lifesaving housing and healthcare for individuals experiencing homelessness.
U2’s participation stems from their close friendship with MacGowan, having performed alongside him on numerous occasions. The band has previously covered several Pogues songs—including performing ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’ with Johnny Depp at MacGowan’s 60th birthday concert in 2018.
Later, they revisited the same track during their 2023 Las Vegas Sphere residency, adding it to the setlist shortly after the singer’s passing.
Following the announcement of his death, they posted a heartfelt message online, captioning it: “Shane MacGowan’s songs were perfect so he or we his fans didn’t have to be.”