In SBS, Bono says this song is not a rebel song...this song is SBS 

but how can it not be a rebel song when it was used as an anthem of change?

i Think what Bono meant was that it wasn't a rebel song in the traditional way . in Ireland there where a lot of anti British songs about the troubles and the Irish struggle for independence . Also there a a few pro IRA propaganda Irish songs.
By saying "This is not a rebel song " Bono was saying that SBS is different from such songs . it was a cry for peace and a end to the troubles and not a battle cry song like some of the songs around Ireland .

I agree with Kev.  Bono was saying not to construe the song as taking sides.  It was a cry for an end to war, not an anthem of one side voer another. 

its not a rebel song in the sence that its not against anyone in partucular its just an eye opener to creat concience and a cry for peace!

oh i understand

thanks guys

In SBS, Bono says this song is not a rebel song...this song is SBS 

but how can it not be a rebel song when it was used as an anthem of change?

the bombs were used by rebels. Bono's words and the song SBS were meant to UNITE people against those would be divisive. It's not a rebel song at all. It was not meant to glorify rebellion or turmoil.

it's a thoughtful question. I had a friend that always thought U2 were rebels, lol...she never listened to the lyrics and she thought U2 were radicals wanting to burn things down and overthrow governments. She was a bit of a hippie and didn't like, or more so, understand what it meant to 'aggressively' seek PEACE. The idea of being militant for peace and showing a strong face about what you believe in seemed frightening to her. She was used to quiet folksy protest ballads! Lol.

Also, when the song first came out, it was misconstrued by many people as showing support for the IRA, (due to the phrase "Sunday, bloody Sunday") though if they'd actually listened to the whole song, they would have understood the real meaning, ie, that it's actually an antiwar song that blasted both sides for their part in the conflict.

Not hard to see how it could happen, as we in other countries can only have an inkling of how severe the division in Northern Ireland really was.

Also, when the song first came out, it was misconstrued by many people as showing support for the IRA, (due to the phrase "Sunday, bloody Sunday") though if they'd actually listened to the whole song, they would have understood the real meaning, ie, that it's actually an antiwar song that blasted both sides for their part in the conflict.

Not hard to see how it could happen, as we in other countries can only have an inkling of how severe the division in Northern Ireland really was.

Bingo. The misconception of this as a pro-IRA song continued for years. Even after the Rattle And Hum version, which is pretty definitive, I think.

It's easy to forget now but there were a lot of ignorant people in the 80s who thought that U2 supported the IRA.  Those idiots obviously never saw Bono waving the white flag of peace at every freakin show they played.

Oh yea! i have heard rumors like U2 supported the IRA and terrorists groups, is that what they meant?

Also, when the song first came out, it was misconstrued by many people as showing support for the IRA, (due to the phrase "Sunday, bloody Sunday") though if they'd actually listened to the whole song, they would have understood the real meaning, ie, that it's actually an antiwar song that blasted both sides for their part in the conflict.

Not hard to see how it could happen, as we in other countries can only have an inkling of how severe the division in Northern Ireland really was.

Bingo. The misconception of this as a pro-IRA song continued for years. Even after the Rattle And Hum version, which is pretty definitive, I think.

WORD! In the early to mid 80s some peaople assumed that U2 was pro IRA for some reason. Hence Bono made the disclaimer

Watch the Rattle and Hum version of Sunday Bloody Sunday and you'll understand Bono's remark a whole lot better.

Watch the Rattle and Hum version of Sunday Bloody Sunday and you'll understand Bono's remark a whole lot better.

Here it is:

"And let me tell you somethin'. I've had enough of Irish Americans who haven't been back to their country in twenty or thirty years come up to me and talk about the resistance, the revolution back home...and the glory of the revolution...and the glory of dying for the revolution. F*** the revolution! They don't talk about the glory of killing for the revolution. What's the glory in taking a man from his bed and gunning him down in front of his wife and his children? Where's the glory in that? Where's the glory in bombing a Remembrance Day parade of old age pensioners, their medals taken out and polished up for the day. Where's the glory in that? To leave them dying or crippled for life or dead under the rubble of the revolution, that the majority of the people in my country don't want. No more!"

Watch the Rattle and Hum version of Sunday Bloody Sunday and you'll understand Bono's remark a whole lot better.

Here it is:

"And let me tell you somethin'. I've had enough of Irish Americans who haven't been back to their country in twenty or thirty years come up to me and talk about the resistance, the revolution back home...and the glory of the revolution...and the glory of dying for the revolution. F*** the revolution! They don't talk about the glory of killing for the revolution. What's the glory in taking a man from his bed and gunning him down in front of his wife and his children? Where's the glory in that? Where's the glory in bombing a Remembrance Day parade of old age pensioners, their medals taken out and polished up for the day. Where's the glory in that? To leave them dying or crippled for life or dead under the rubble of the revolution, that the majority of the people in my country don't want. No more!"

That moment blew my mind.  That was the moment when I knew that Bono wasn't necessarily a "peace, love, happiness ... why don't we all hold hands and skip through the fields" kind of guy.  Because that's not realistic.  I saw that, and as a poly sci major, I was just blown away by the impact of that statement.   Uhh ... mind blowing.

Plus, as I've been reading for my international security class, a lot of funding for extremist violence comes from diasporas of expatriates who send money thinking they're supporting some glorious cause to promote nationalism, unionism, whatever.  The same happened with Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers, Palestinian Liberation Movement, etc.  Problem is, they're not there, so they don't see how their money is affecting ordinary citizens who want nothing to do with the violence.  So in my mind, I think Bono was specifically speaking to expats who were glorifying the revolution.  Because as you noticed this particular rant is addressed to Irish Americans, hence expats funding violence in the home country. 

U2 intersecting with my coursework makes me really happy.

Side note: I'm not making any blanket statements about LTTE, IRA, PLO, etc. when I talk about them as extremists.  I'm referring specifically to their para-military wings, and not the ordinary people who felt they were being persecuted and supported these groups.  One man's extremist is another man's freedom fighter.  I just wanted to make sure no one misconstrued that.

If you really listen to the song, there's no way SBS should've ever been misconstrued as a rebel song.