U2's Bono criticised for endorsing Shoot the Boer song

BBC ^ | February 13, 2011 | Unknown

[decimon]

The Irish pop star Bono has been criticised for apparently endorsing a song which includes the lyric: "Shoot the Boer".

The U2 frontman said the song, which was sung during the fight against apartheid, had its place, like music supporting the Irish Republican Army.

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In an interview with the South African Sunday Times, Bono said: "When I was a kid and I'd sing songs I remember my uncles singing... rebel songs about the early days of the Irish Republican Army."

He went on to sing a song whose lyrics spoke of carrying guns and readying them for action.

"We sang this and it's fair to say it's folk music," he told the newspaper.

But he said such songs should not be sung in the wrong context.

"Would you want to sing that in a certain community? It's pretty dumb," he said.

"It's about where and when you sing those songs. There's a rule for that kind of music."

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[decimon]

Bloody Sunday thread.

[facedown]

More like Bloody Wanker thread.

[decimon]

More like Bloody Wanker thread.

When you're that wealthy you're not a wanker. You're self-employed.

[x]

This may actually make him more likely to be awarded the Nobel Prize ...

[muawiyah]

The song is more about British army units attacking farmers and then loading their women, children and elderly into wagons and stuffing them into concentration camps where they starved to death or died of disease.

It's a song about commiting genocide.

Not at all surprised about that.

[ruination]

I wonder how bongo feels about all the white farmers who’ve died because of him.

[decimon]

The song is more about British army units attacking farmers and then loading their women, children and elderly into wagons and stuffing them into concentration camps where they starved to death or died of disease.

Bono, with his IRA comments, would have more of a problem if that were so.

This old NYT article shows Julius Malema a Mugabe wannabe: Zuma Seeks to Calm South Africa After Killing

[ThunderSleeps]

"We sang this and it's fair to say it's folk music," he told the newspaper.

Great! Then I can count on your support, Bono, when I want to sing "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and fly a Confederate flag...right?

[Anti-Bubba182]

Bono playing his, “More black than thou act”! Screw him.

[UncleHambone]

"It's about where and when you sing those songs. There's a rule for that kind of music."

Is that the "look around the room to make sure there aren't any [Boers] around before [singing] a racist [song]" rule?

[gusty]

I’m afraid the song and the flag just do not belong together.

[decimon]

Glory, glory hallelujah,
gusty hit me with a ruler

[henry_reardon]

where are the songs glorifying the innocents the ira murdered during the Birmingham pub bombings? or don’t they count. You’re also aware the ira are socialists, right?

[gusty]

It hit me in a “when the Germans attacked Pearl Harbor” sort of way.

[gusty]

I believe Bono is talking about the Michael Collins, Eamonn DeValera type of IRA, not the Gerry Adams type.

[infowarrior]

I believe Bono is talking about the Michael Collins, Eamonn DeValera type of IRA, not the Gerry Adams type.

Truth of the matter is that the "Michael Collins/Eamon De Valera IRA" were pretty much as socialist in character as the "Gerry Adams IRA". Google James Conally, for example...

the infowarrior