If U2 had called it quits after their first three albums — Boy, October, and War — they’d still be considered one of the greatest rock’n’roll bands of all time thanks to songs like “I Will Follow,” “Gloria,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” and especially “New Year’s Day.”

Bono was just 23 years old when, inspired by Poland’s burgeoning Solidarity movement and the decline of communism, he penned the lyrics for “New Year’s Day.” His yearning for a world of peace and prosperity for all is the cry of all youth, while his cynicism over the forces that prevent such a world from existing — “And so we’re told this is the golden age/And gold is the reason for the wars we wage/Though I want to be with you, be with you night and day/Nothing changes New Year’s Day” — comes from an old soul.

Musically, the song reveals U2 at the heights of their youthful powers. The Edge’s guitar seamlessly blends machine gun – like riffs, atmospheric textures, and soaring solos, while Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.’s driving rhythm section propels the song into timelessness.