“This Is a Rebel Song” was written in response to U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” which they would always introduce in performances with the words “This is not a rebel song.” Maybe they were afraid it would be perceived as being about the war in the north of Ireland. And I wanted listeners to know that this was not only a love song, but a song about the war. But how do you tell the story of a war? It’s good if you can make it look like you’re talking about the relationship between a man and a woman.
