"Wake Up Dead Man" began as an upbeat song from the "Achtung Baby" sessions in 1991. It evolved into a darker composition during the "Zooropa" sessions, but it was shelved until "Pop". One of the band's darkest songs, "Wake Up Dead Man" features Bono pleading with Jesus to return and save mankind, evident in the lyrics "Jesus / Jesus help me / I'm alone in this world / And a fucked-up world it is too". It is also one of only a few U2 songs to include profanity.