U2 just debuted a new song titled “The Ballad of Ronnie Drew”, they debuted it live on the Late Late Show. The lyrics to the “Ballad of Ronnie Drew” was written by Robert Hunter who was the longtime lyricist for the Grateful Dead. U2 wrote the music for the song. U2 performed the song as a special tribute to Ronnie Drew who is the frontman of the band The Dubliners. Musician Ronnie Drew is battling cancer and the band U2 wanted to pay respects to this Irish musician.

The musicians special guesting on the song “The Ballad of Ronnie Drew” are Sinead O’ Connor, Andrea Corr (from the Corrs), Moya Brennan, Damien Dempsey, Shane McGowan, Christy Moore, and more.  All Irish musicians.

It’s a beautiful song, I hope U2 put this on their next album! Get well Ronnie!

Kev

Edit to add: I found the lyrics to the song.

The Ballad of Ronnie Drew

words by Robert Hunter

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Here’s to the Ronnie, the voice we adore
Like coals from a coal bucket scraping the floor
Sing out his praises in music and malt
And if you’re not Irish, that isn’t your fault

Raise up our voices like dogs in a pack
Thankful for honest men we never lack
We got ’em by twenties, we got ’em by ones
Them and their daughters and all of their sons

Here’s to you, Ronnie Drew
Here’s to you, Ronnie Drew
Ronnie Drew, we love you, yes we do
Here’s to you, Ronnie Drew, here’s to you

And what’s it to any man whether or no’
Whether I’m easy or whether I’m true
As I lifted her petticoat easy and slow
And I tied up me sleeve for to buckle her shoe

Get up and go at it, five until five
When the whistle says budge it we come back alive
He’ll sing to the heavens, he’s stormy as hell
And wherever he goes, we’ll be wishing him well

Here’s to you, Ronnie Drew
Here’s to you, Ronnie Drew
Ronnie Drew, we love you, yes we do
Here’s to you, Ronnie Drew, here’s to you

The dawn and the dust, the wise, the unjust
Kids in gambling games
The unheard, the unseen, the unwashed and the clean
Where the streets all have names
Baggot Street, Leeson Street, right on to Stephens Street
With lovers and loners who can hear all intoners
The goths and the ravers, invalids and traders
Sing out Ronnie Drew

A life for a life or a hand for a hand
Trust in the music and strike up the band
The more that we sing the less that we fight
Time and again this is proved to be right

Build you a statue on St. Stephen’s Green
No fairer monument ere to be seen
The statue of Ronnie Drew holding the hand
Of a girl with her hair in a black velvet band

Here’s to you, Ronnie Drew
No stranger to devils or angles to tell
Here’s to you, Ronnie Drew
A friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend to you
Ronnie Drew, we love you, yes we do
Here’s to you, Ronnie Drew, here’s to you
Here’s to you, Ronnie Drew, here’s to you, Ronnie Drew
Here’s to you, Ronnie Drew, here’s to you, Ronnie Drew

And what’s it to any man whether or no’
Whether I’m easy or whether I’m true
As I lifted her petticoat easy and slow
And I rolled up me sleeve for to buckle her shoe!