Documentary about Andy 'Guck' Rowen, who inspired 'Bad' and other U2 songs, to air on RTÉ

A new feature documentary, Bad: The Song That Saved My Life, is set to air on RTÉ One on Monday, June 15 – exploring the life of Andy 'Guck' Rowen, the Dublin man who inspired three U2 songs, including 'Bad'.

"Raised in a strict religious household and traumatised as an 11-year-old witness to the 1974 Dublin Bombings, Andy’s life later spiralled into addiction amid Dublin’s vibrant 1980s punk scene," the documentary's description reads. "It was growing up on the North Side of Dublin that he met friends and contemporaries including future members of U2 and Virgin Prunes.

"Andy’s unravelling following a near-fatal overdose inspired the writing of ‘Bad’, a song which featured on the band’s 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire."

The description goes on to reveal that "Andy was unhoused and struggling when he was offered one final chance at recovery: a place in a rehab clinic in the United States."

"A series of extraordinary encounters, including a revelatory moment with the handwritten lyrics of ‘Bad’ and an unexpected tribute from Bono before 55,000 fans, help set him on a path toward sobriety and reconciliation."

Bad: The Song That Saved My Life is told by Andy himself, as well as his family members, and Bono.

“He probably had the highest IQ of any kid on our street, and sometimes it seemed he’d memorised the Encyclopaedia Brittanica," says Bono. "He could remember turning two. He could remember a lot of things he would’ve liked to have forgotten.”

Bad: The Song That Saved My Life airs on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Monday, June 15, at 9:35pm