Bono and The Edge mark 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday with acoustic version of 'Sunday Bloody Sunday'

To mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday yesterday, U2's Bono and The Edge have shared a moving acoustic rendition of their iconic 1983 track, 'Sunday Bloody Sunday'.

The song's lyrics famously reference the 1972 massacre, when British soldiers shot 26 unarmed civilians during a civil rights march in the Bogside area of Derry – ultimately resulting in the death of 14 people. U2's 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' was the opening track of their third studio album, War, released in 1983.

The song "was an expression of horror at the downward spiral of violence in Northern Ireland," Hot Press's Paul Nolan wrote recently.

"Fearful of being accused of escalating tensions, Bono took to introducing live performances of the track by announcing, 'This is not a rebel song'. A perennial live favourite, it regularly opened concerts on the band’s most recent live excursion, the Joshua Tree anniversary tour."

“It was only when I realised that the Troubles hadn’t affected me that they began to affect me,” Bono reflected at the time of the release. “The bombs may not go off in Dublin but they’re made here.”

“As much as I’m a Republican, I’m not a very territorial person," he added. "The whole idea of U2 using a white flag on stage was to get away from the green, white and orange. To get away from the Stars and Stripes. To get away from the Union Jack... I’m frightened of borders and I get scared when people start saying that they’re prepared to kill, to back up their belief in where a border should be. I mean I’d love to see a united Ireland, but I don’t believe you can put a gun to someone’s head to make them see your way.”

Several events took place in Derry yesterday to mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday – with President Michael D. Higgins and Taoiseach Micheál Martin among those who paid tribute.

Watch Bono and The Edge perform 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' below: