# God Part II

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"**God Part II**" is a song by [rock](/source/Rock_music) band [U2](/source/U2), and the 14th track from their 1988 album *[Rattle and Hum](/source/Rattle_and_Hum)*.

## Content

It was written as an [answer song](/source/Answer_song) to [John Lennon](/source/John_Lennon)'s "[God](/source/God_(John_Lennon_song))", having the same kind of lyrical structure. It also contains an attack on American biographer [Albert Goldman](/source/Albert_Goldman), on the following verses, by way of Lennon's song "[Instant Karma!](/source/Instant_Karma!)":

- *I don't believe in Goldman*
- *His type like a curse*
- *Instant Karma's gonna get him*
- *If I don't get him first*

Additionally, the song alludes to [Bruce Cockburn](/source/Bruce_Cockburn)'s "[Lovers in a Dangerous Time](/source/Lovers_in_a_Dangerous_Time)", in the lyric "Heard a singer on the radio late last night/He says he's gonna kick the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight."

The song is a departure from the folksy-[roots rock](/source/Roots_rock) sound of the album's other studio recordings and is an introduction to the darker sound the band would adopt following the release of their next album, *[Achtung Baby](/source/Achtung_Baby)*.[1]

A remix entitled the 'Hard Metal Dance Mix' was released on the "[When Love Comes to Town](/source/When_Love_Comes_to_Town)" single.

## Live performance history

"God Part II" was only played on the [Lovetown Tour](/source/Lovetown_Tour) in late 1989 and early 1990. It was played at 36 of the 47 concerts; it debuted at the first show of the tour on 21 September 1989 in [Perth](/source/Perth,_Western_Australia) and was last performed at the second-last show of the tour on 9 January 1990 in [Rotterdam](/source/Rotterdam). It was one of six songs to be used as concert openers on the tour, opening two concerts: 26 December 1989 in [Dublin](/source/Dublin) and 5 January 1990 in Rotterdam. For these two performances, its heavy bassline was linked to a recording of the [Rolling Stones](/source/Rolling_Stones)' "[Sympathy for the Devil](/source/Sympathy_for_the_Devil)".[2]

A performance from a Dublin show later saw light on the release *[Live from the Point Depot](/source/Live_from_the_Point_Depot)*.

After the Lovetown Tour, its sole live appearance was as a brief lyrical snippet by Bono at the end of "[With or Without You](/source/With_or_Without_You)" on 23 April 1992 in [Vancouver](/source/Vancouver).[3]

## See also

- [List of covers of U2 songs - God Part II](/source/List_of_covers_of_U2_songs_(A-M)#God_Part_II)

## References

1. McCormick (2006), p. 207 [incomplete short citation]

1. U2-Vertigo-Tour.com, [God Part II performance history](http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/God_Part_II-s167.html), accessed 25 September 2007.

1. U2-Vertigo-Tour.com, [Setlist for 23 April 1992, Vancouver](http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/show300.html), accessed 25 September 2007.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [God Part II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Part_II) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Part_II?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.