 The song was written on a Spanish guitar , and the melody lifted from a piece Bono composed in Ethiopia in 1985 to help teach children basic forms of hygiene . The lyrics contain an implicit criticism of the Reagan Administration , which backed two South American regimes that seized power during coup d 'états and which provided financial support for the military regime in El Salvador . Thematically it has been interpreted as an examination of failures and contradictions in US foreign policy . 
 The song was written on a Spanish guitar , and the melody lifted from a piece Bono composed in Ethiopia in 1985 to help teach children basic forms of hygiene . The lyrics contain an implicit criticism of the Reagan Administration , which backed two South American regimes <a href='null_relcl' title='1'><mark>that</mark></a>seized power during coup d <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'</mark></a>tats and which provided financial support for the military regime in El Salvador . Thematically it <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>has</mark></a> been interpreted as an examination of failures and contradictions in US foreign policy . 
The song was written on a Spanish guitar , and the melody lifted from a piece Bono composed in Ethiopia in 1985 to help teach children basic forms of hygiene . The lyrics contain an implicit criticism of da Reagan Administration , which backed 2 South American regimes seized power durin coup d  tats and which provided financial support for the military regime in El Salvador . Thematically it done been interpreted as an examination of failures and contradictions in US foreign policy .