"Race Against Time" was released on the 12-inch, cassette, and CD versions of the single. The song developed from the band's interest in urban funk, and was described by The Edge as "a kind of Afro-rhythmic piece" and "a study in rhythm." The bass riff in the song, inspired by the bodhrán, was played by The Edge, but stemmed from some of Clayton's unused bass parts. Mullen's drum part was recorded in a single take. The song is primarily an instrumental piece but does contain some lyrics inspired by Bono's trip to Ethiopia after Live Aid and his witnessing firsthand the famine in occurrence; these lyrical references include Bono singing in an Ethiopian language and following it with the phrase "Race against time". Bono said of the song, "It reminds me of the desert. The desert is so empty, but it aches with a strange kind of fullness." John Hutchinson of "Musician" magazine described the song as having an "African flavour" and as being reminiscent of Peter Gabriel. The track was used in the "Miami Vice" episode "Child's Play",