Sunday, Bloody Sunday February 1983

Sunday,
Bloody Sunday
Words and Music by U2
February 1983
I can't believe the news today
Oh, I can't close my eyes
And make it go away
How long ?
How long must we sing this song ?
How long ? How long ?
'Cause tonight...we can be as one. Tonight...
Le dimanche 30 janvier 1972, à Derry, en Irlande du
Nord, 20.000 civils firent une marche pacifique pour
l'égalité des droits entre catholiques et protestants - la
communauté nord irlandaise est composée de 43% de
catholiques et de 54% de protestants.
Alors qu’ils manifestaient, farouchement déterminés à
éviter toute violence, les forces de l'ordre britanniques
leur tirèrent dessus, tuant 14 personnes.
Les responsables du massacre n’ont jamais été punis.
Cette journée, désormais inscrite dans l'Histoire sous le
nom de Bloody Sunday, marque vraiment le début de la
guerre civile en Irlande du Nord. Depuis 1969, le conflit a
fait plus de 3 200 morts et 37 000 blessés.
COMPREHENSION
Broken bottles under children's feet
Bodies strewn across the dead-end streets
But I won't heed the battle call
It puts my back up
Puts my back up against the wall
Sunday, Bloody Sunday (x4)
And the battle's just begun
There's many lost, but tell me, who has won ?
The trenches dug within our hearts
And mothers, children, brothers, sisters
Torn apart
Sunday, Bloody Sunday (x2)
How long ?
How long must we sing this song ?
How long ? How long ?
'cause tonight...we can be as one
Tonight...tonight...
Sunday, Bloody Sunday (x2)
Wipe the tears from your eyes
Wipe your tears away
Oh, wipe your tears away
Oh, wipe your tears away
Oh, wipe your bloodshot eyes
Sunday, Bloody Sunday (x4)
And it's true we are immune
When fact is fiction and TV reality
And today the millions cry
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die
The real battle’s just begun
To claim the victory Jesus won
On...
Sunday Bloody Sunday... (x2)
A. The song refers to the tragic events in Northern Ireland.
That’s why the singer, Bono, emphasizes that blood and
violence are everywhere. Can you find the translations?
Words from the song Meaning of the word
Bodies strewn
Séparés de force
Battle
Larmes
Trenches
Impasse
Dug
Jonchés de cadavres
Torn apart
Tranchées
Wipe
Injectés de sang
Tears
Essuyer
Bloodshot
Creusées
Dead-end
Bataille
B. Find 8 other words that refer to war or violence :
……………………………………….…………………….
…………………………………………………………..…
……………………………………………………………..
C. The adjective ‘bloody’ has three meanings :
1. Stained with blood; dripping with blood.
2. Cruel
3. It is also a swearword, used to emphasize an emotion
such as anger.
In your opinion which meaning of ‘bloody’ is used in the
expression Bloody Sunday ?
Def 1 Def 2 Def 3 All 3 definitions
D. Which question is repeated 8 times in the song ?
……………………………………………………………..
The singer does this to show :
O he is tired of this war.
O nobody seems to listen to those who want the war to end.
E. Find the lines in the song which express the ideas that:
1. the official version of facts presented on TV is false :
……………………………………………………………..
2. We are used to the idea of people sacrificing their lives :
……………………………………………………………..