"Poems for Refugees" - Various Artists
Compilation Album
U2 Related Content:
- "Anthem" (Studio Reading) - Bono (03:26)
Full Track Listing:
Eighty-seven poems are read by various artists. The only U2 content is Bono’s reading of “Anthem”.
Background Information
Pippa Haywood, a British actress, watched a report on two Afghan children trying to protect food from rats, and she felt she had to act. She asked leading names in the arts to choose a poem inspired by the crisis, and put the project together as a book. All proceeds from the sale of the book were marked for War Child, an International Relief and Development Agency, focused on providing aid to children affected by war.
Bono was asked to contribute, and chose the words to “Anthem” by Leonard Cohen for inclusion in the book. He also read the poem on this release of the same poems in audio format. The poems are read aloud here, and recorded across two CDs. Bono’s reading of “Anthem” is featured on the second disc.
“Anthem” was originally recorded by Leonard Cohen for his album “The Future”, released in 1992 and was presented as a song, not as a poem on that album. The song uses the refrain “Ring the bells” that Bono has often worked into songs, most recently on the U2360 Tour.
Liner Notes
Written by Leonard Cohen.