‘Sing across rooftops’: Bono performs new song dedicated to Italy amid coronavirus outbreak

U2 frontman Bono released new music this week that he said was “inspired” by the people in Italy who have been grappling with the COVID-19 outbreak.

Bono shared a video of him performing the song, “Let Your Love Be Known,” on his Instagram and Facebook pages on Tuesday.

“For the Italians who inspired it… for the Irish… for ANYONE who this St. Patrick’s day is in a tight spot and still singing. For the doctors, nurses, carers on the front line, it’s you we’re singing to,” he captioned the video.

“A little postcard from bubblin’ Dublin on St Patrick’s Day,” the Irish singer says at the start of the clip. “A little tune made up here about an hour ago. I think it’s called ‘Let Your Love Be Known.’ Let us know what you think.”

He then goes on to sing about walking through the empty streets of Dublin, his hometown, amid the coronavirus outbreak.

“I walk through the streets of Dublin and no one was near,” he sings. “Yes, I don’t know you/No I didn’t think I didn’t care.”

“You live so very far away/Just across the square/You can’t touch, but you can sing across rooftops/Sing on the phone/Sing and promise me you won’t stop/Sing your love be known,” he continues. 

As much of Italy, which has seen the worst COVID-19 outbreak outside of China, remains in lockdown as the government works to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, videos have emerged in recent weeks showing some Italians joining together in song from rooftops amid the crisis.

Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that some residents sang the national anthem together one day at the exact time health officials were scheduled to update the number of cases and deaths recorded in the country from the virus.

“It’s not like we’re maestros,” one of the residents told the Times then. But she called the instance “a moment of joy in this moment of anxiety.”