Bono reveals new song about Paris terror attacks as U2 perform rescheduled gigs

'Streets of Surrender' is dedicated to the French capital after the Isis massacres

Bono performs with U2 in Paris on Sunday 6 December (Getty Images)

Bono has revealed that he has written a song about the Paris attacks after returning to the French capital to play U2’s rescheduled gigs.

The band had been booked to perform in the city on Saturday 14 November, the day after Isis terrorists killed 132 people, but cancelled their shows in the tragic aftermath.

Now, Bono has told how the horrifying events at the Stade de France, Bataclan and various restaurants and bars inspired him to pen new track “Streets of Surrender”.

U2 are yet to debut the song live, but it’s lyrics go as follows (play the CNN clip of Bono reciting them at your peril - he says “baby, baby” multiple times):

“Every man has two cities he needs to be. The one he can touch and the one he can't see.

“The one where a stranger's a friend. Every man's got one city of liberty.

“For me it's Paris. I love it. Every time I get lost down these ancient streets, I find myself again.

“You're free, baby, baby, free now and forever. It's Christmas time, you can decide to forget or to remember.

“You're free, baby, baby. I didn't come here to fight you. I came down these streets of love and pride to surrender. The streets of surrender.”

It had been strongly rumoured that Eagles of Death Metal, the band on stage at the Bataclan when 89 people were shot dead, would be joining U2 at Paris’ Bercy AccorHotels Arena on Sunday night. However, the speculation was debunked in an official statement on U2’s website yesterday.

U2’s show went ahead, with the names of victims projected on a huge screen as Bono encouraged the audience to “stand together with the families of those killed in Paris”.

During the encore, Bono reportedly wrapped himself in the French tricolour and sang a verse from “Ne Me Quitte Pas” or “Don’t Leave Me” by Belgian singer Jacques Brel.

Bono’s bandmate The Edge told CNN before the gig that US “thinks of music as the sound of freedom”.

“We think rock and roll has a part to play, so going back to Paris to us is not just symbolic,” he said. “I think we’re actually starting the process of resistance, of defiance against this movement.”

As for Eagles of Death Metal, frontman Jesse Hughes said during his first interview since the atrocity that he wanted to be “the first person to play in the Bataclan when it opens up”.