God part II is the sequel to the original song of John Lennon "God", in that song Lennon explains his abberration to the whole world (including the Beatles, the Pope, the Government, etc), sating that what he only believes in is Love; the Lennon version truly sums up the vision of the young people during the sixties and first half of the seventies. Bono, on the other hand, makes a second part of the song that in my oppinion tries to make show all the people which lived in the era of the 60's and 70's that they have forgotten the principles they defended in their youth and act exactly the opposite way, you could see an example of these in the phrase don't believe in riches but you should see where I live, it can also be seen that Bono tries to make all of us see the importance of the future over the sublimation of the past: don't believe in the sixties, the golden age of pop, you glorify the past, while the future dries up. His conclussion, is the same as the one that Lennon had: I believe in love.
Ricardo De Vecchi al334425
academ01.mor.itesm.mx (contributed before the 20:th of February 1998)
The "Goldman" in the song is Albert Goldman, author of various controversal biographies including one on Elvis (his most famous one) and John Lennon (see the dedication of God Part II plus the song "God" on John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band's initial LP). In short, critics of Goldman contend that along with missing the cultural and artisitic significance of Elvis and the Beatles, Goldman essentially highlighted the worst he saw in each man, turning them into monsters rather than human beings.
In an interview Dan Eliot have on tape, Bono says This same Ass%$&^ is writing a book about John Lennon... Hence the line Instant Karma's gonna get him, if I don't get him first!.
Jonas Steverud (Maintainer of U2MoL) This text is based on two letters to the U2 mailinglist Wire by david.comayeng.sun.com and Dan Eliot (deliotearthlink.net) (contributed before the 20:th of February 1998)
The singer Bono is referring to in the lines: Heard a singer on the radio late last night, He says he's gonna kick the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight is Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, from his song Lovers in a Dangerous Time.
Ara Kulidjian (17:th of November 2003)
Lennon's "God" has nothing to do with ultimate belief in love, the word isn't even in the song. It is a refutation of all the things he went through during the 60s seeking larger truth. At the end, he only finds himself.
Bono's song is refutation of Lennon - stating that pure ego leads to selfishness and evil if not tempered by love.
Jonathan Peterson jonathan.petersongmail.com (15th of August 2007)