"Angel of Harlem" was written during 1987's
Joshua Tree Tour in "a time of experimentation" and immersion by U2 in "the various facets of American roots music". U2 lead singer
Bono has said that the writing of the song was inspired by U2's initial trip to New York City: "'We landed in JFK and we were picked up in a limousine. We had never been in a limousine before, and with the din of punk rock not yet faded from our ears, there was a sort of guilty pleasure as we stepped into the limousine. Followed by a sly grin, as you admit to yourself this is fun. We crossed
Triborough Bridge and saw the Manhattan skyline. The limo driver was black and he had the radio tuned to
WBLS, a black music station. Billie Holiday was singing. And there it was, city of blinding lights, neon hearts. They were advertising in the skies for people like us, as London had the year before'". The song has also been performed on 2009's
U2 360° Tour with dedications to
Michael Jackson, and included snippets of "
Man in the Mirror" and "
Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough". In the Berlin concert of the 360° Tour three young fans from Prague, Czech Republic, held signs asking to play "Angel of Harlem" together with U2, Bono invited them to the stage, the band lent them the instruments and they played the song together. The song was performed sporadically during 2015's
Innocence + Experience Tour and
The Joshua Tree Tour 2019. It was also played at 16 of the 40 concerts from the band's 2023–2024 residency
U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere. ==Track listings==